I’m thinking about proposing to my girl, however we both think diamonds as a standard is stupid and overrated, we both prefer much more colorful and comparatively cheaper gemstones like rubies and sapphires, but I’m having trouble finding a good place for that, I’ve never done this before, any ideas?
Consider "moissanite". Beautiful manufactured gemstones that look very much like diamonds but are a fraction of the price.
They don't just look like diamond; chemically they're extremely similar, too. Diamond is just a bunch of carbon atoms covalently bonded together into a 3D crystal, which is why they're so incredibly hard. Moissanite is basically the same but it's carbon and silicon atoms mixed together. Silicon has the same number of valence electrons, so it can function similarly chemically as carbon, hence why it works. Thus, moissanite is also extremely hard and refracts light in beautiful ways, too, except imo even more beautifully. Instead of a colorless luster, it's a subtle rainbow luster to moissanite.
Source: I got my fiancée a moissanite ring, and it's lovely. And because it's lab-made, I got her blue moissanite (the coloring is just from adding certain impurities) that matches our cat's eyes perfectly. It's way more unique, cheaper, and more ethical than diamond, but doesn't sacrifice on quality one bit.
Yessss.
My ring is moissanite and it's got a rainbow flash (instead of the boring diamond one). It cost just over a hundred off etsy and it has no slavery involved! I love it!
Moissanite is the way to go!
And a more interesting luster IMO
Yes, very…I believe the technical term is "sparkly". Lol. But seriously, they're amazing.