Rings and things

Kat

Personally I'm not at all a fan of diamonds- to me a top quality one has a beautiful sparkle but is kind of cold looking & I feel doesn't suit my personality at all. My husband knew this and when he proposed presented me with a beautiful engagement ring that the feature stone was a large sapphire instead- it still had diamonds on the shoulders for the symbolism of it, but definitely had a much more personal touch (and when I wore it on my wedding day as well, it was conveniently the "something blue". Yes, sapphires are my birthstone but they are also my favorite out of the gemstones so extra special for me.
The significance of the diamond however is not it's price but a combination of the fact it is the hardest substance on this earth, and also how rare it is to find a perfect one- this is supposed to be a strong statement about true love as true love is just as rare, and as strong as a rock. :) This symbolism has been passed down for centuries.
When it comes to an issue of price- obviously that comes down to fashion, even the unset diamonds you pay for in a jewelry store are certainly much higher than you would pay for wholesale (an average of 250%, often VERY much more). However please bear in mind that diamonds are not always the most expensive choice. Due to the composition of the emerald, which is a very soft and usually very flawed stone, should you find even a small, undamaged and virtually unflawed stone that has not been treated to hold the stone together (which the heavy majority of modern genuine emeralds have), the value would very much surpass that of even a very large high quality diamond.