So who can give me some advice about gemstones? (long backstory)

[FutureMrsLewis]

*sigh* This has been an ongoing battle for me ever since last year. If you don't want to read the whole story, just skip to the bottom.

 

Two years ago, FI gave me my engagement ring with three pink topaz hearts, it's actually in my signature. I love the ring, I picked it out, but I didn't do my research before hand, and my ring has since faded a fair amount. It was a beautiful fuchsia when we bought it, and now it's more like a medium pink. It's lab created topaz, and I'm told it will only continue to fade over time. The jewelry store where I bought it told me I could come in for cleanings whenever I wanted, so about once every few weeks I was going in to get my ring cleaned, and I found out a year and a half later that their cleaner contains ammonia, which is a big no-no for gemstones, so that was a major reason for the fading of my stones.

 

So, to the point, I've been debating whether or not I wanted another ring. FI and I talked about it last night and I figured he would have been devastated if I said I wanted a different ring, but he understood completely and said that if I want something else, then he'll buy it, I just have to pick it out and do my research this time. So since my ring is fading, and will continue to fade (I can tolerate it at this colour, but if it gets any lighter I won't be able to) and it's difficult to find a band that compliments my ring, I think I'm going to start looking for a new one. Our wedding has been put off for a few years because I'm returning to school and I want to wait until I graduate to get married, so I have a bit of time to look around and choose a new ring (over three years to be exact lol).

 

Now my question is, which stones are the most durable? I still want a pink ring, but is there THAT much difference between a lab-created and a genuine stone? Other than how the stone looks, will it be of a lesser quality? My problem is, not many stores here sell genuine stones, and the genuine rings I have seen are okay, but I like the created rings better. These are the two I'm considering right now:

 

Genuine:

 

Created:

 

(Charm Diamond Centres - Diamonds Make the Perfect Gift, Diamonds are Forever.)

 

I don't care about the price difference, what I care about is how it looks, I'll be wearing it for the rest of my life. But is Sapphire a good choice, or should I go with something different? And if I get the created stones, am I risking having them fade over time? I take great care of them, only washing them in soap and water, and I take them off even washing the dishes, so no chemicals are going to come in contact with them. I just don't want to pick a lab created stone that I like better than a genuine stone and then end up in this same boat.

[stacey]

Ive seen pink safires(sp) I have a yellow safire and I love it. It dosesnt fade as far as I know.

[drbrainfreeze]

I LOVE the top (first) one.

[FutureMrsLewis]

I like the genuine ring too, but I think it's going to be a pain in the arse to get a matching band, at least with the created stone I can get two bands to go on either side that match the actual band of the ring without looking totally weird. If I try to put a band next to the genuine ring, it's going to be pushed out because of the stone, leaving a gap between the wedding band and the e-ring band, kwim? But my big question is, if I do go with the created stone, is it going to be durable enough?

[drbrainfreeze]

Yeah, I know nothing about gemstones, but I do know that you may run into the same problems with fading again, even if you take AMAZING care of it. Have you considered moving the e-ring to the right hand once you get your wedding band?

 

Or can you find the genuine stone that you like and then put it in a different setting?

[FutureMrsLewis]

I was going to do that originally, I was in the middle of choosing schools and I was contemplating hairdressing and was just going to have a plain band so it didn't get ruined with chemicals (and if it did, I wouldn't care) but now that I'm going to an IT school, I don't need to worry about it getting crushed or drowned in chemicals so I want to wear it. Plus, I like the look of a wedding "set", just one ring looks incomplete.

 

I don't have many options, we have a handful of jewellery stores, and even less jewelers who can make a ring from scratch, and they charge a ridiculous amount because there's no competition to keep their prices low. If I have to go that route I will, but I really like the created ring that I've shown above.

 

I remember hearing that a lab created stone is actually more perfect than a genuine stone, it is virtually flawless, and they have the same chemical composition, so they should be equal in strength and durability, right? They sometimes have different shades and a genuine stone is more rare, hence the price difference. I just don't want something that will fade. I can't find any diamond rings that I like, and I'm not creative enough to create my own, so I chose to go with gemstones instead.

[drbrainfreeze]

Is there any sort of insurance/warrenty coverage that protects against fading?

[FutureMrsLewis]

No idea. I bought a lifetime warranty on my pink topaz ring from the store where it was purchased, but I was told that they won't cover fading because "I knew the stones would fade when I bought it". Nobody told me they would fade or else I wouldn't have picked it obviously

[drbrainfreeze]

That sucks! And of course its your word against theirs. I had the same problem with Toys 'R Us and an xbox 360...

 

I would def. get whatever you do in writing. If they say that the stones are going to fade, get it in writing. If a plan covers against fading, have that in writing. I hope that you find what you are looking for and thankfully you have a long time. It's really sweet that he is ok with getting you a new ring.

[sunsetbride1]

Hmm.. I don't know much about gemstones; but of course you want a ring that will be durable and beautiful forever.

I would honestly do some research and decide from there. If the lab created stones you love fade over time; then imho that shouldn't be an option for you this time.

The geuine stones are gorgeous and I am sure that you can get a band to match from the jeweler you buy the ring from.