14CT GOLD EMERALD-CUT LAB-CREATED EMERALD & BAGUETTE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING
Christine Alexander Fine Jewellery
Alright, my darlings, gather 'round because I've got a real dazzler of an engagement ring to flaunt, and it's about to make your jaw hit the floor! Picture this: ten natural baguette-cut Diamonds, totalling .50cts, but hold onto your hats – here comes the pièce de résistance, a sparkling lab-created 1.93ct emerald-cut Emerald. Talk about a showstopper!
Now, let's dive into the nitty-gritty. Baguette-cut Diamonds, darling, they're like the sleek, geometric French bread of gems – thin, long, and oh-so-sophisticated. But here's the scoop – they're not the flashiest, so you'll want a slightly higher clarity grade to make 'em pop. Luckily, the ones I've got are GHI colour and SI2 clarity – top-notch stuff!
But wait, there's more! These stunners are made to order and imported from the USA, so buckle up for a 6-8 week wait, although, between you and me, I've never twiddled my thumbs for more than a fortnight – fingers crossed!
Now, onto options galore! I've got snug-fitting 14ct Gold wedding bands to match, available in Rose, White Gold, or Platinum, and this ring is customizable to fit your finger like a glove. Just shoot me a message with any queries, my darlings!
Let's talk payment plans, shall we? Layaway is the name of the game. Throw down a 25-50% deposit, and you've got up to six months to pay off the rest, on your terms – weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly – you're in control! Your bling will be on its way as soon as it's fully paid up, and PayPal's the way to go here.
Now, onto traditions – Diamonds might steal the spotlight, but let's not forget coloured gemstones with their own storied history. Remember Prince Charles and Lady Diana's sapphire stunner? Iconic! To own an Emerald is to own a piece of history, a piece of nature, and a work of art. With its array of inclusions and clouds, the gem is not famed for its crystal clarity. Still, it is steeped in so much history that we automatically ignore the gem’s imperfections when we study a piece and accept that these impurities are simply “the fingerprints of Mother Nature”. Its price is often greater than Diamonds of a similar carat weight. Some Emeralds have an almost velvety appearance and are one of only a few gems where inclusions are not only tolerated but considered to be part of the gem’s character. Its name is derived from the Greek word “smaragdos”, a label given to many gems with the colour green in common.
Gemstones in jewellery are colourful, romantic, and personal. To some, they're badges of wealth and success — think Hollywood stars at award shows dripping with rubies or emeralds. To others, they're meaningful as birthstones, symbolic of their legendary power, or simply beloved as a favourite signature colour.
The more expensive and hard-to-find natural gems in jewelry, such as diamond (white and fancy color), sapphire (blue and other colors), emerald, ruby, and opal, are favorite lab-created stones. They are grown in a laboratory but are identical chemically, physically, and optically to natural gems.
The mineral composition of lab-created stones is created through a process similar to what nature does beneath the earth over millions of years, but in a lab at a fraction of the time, and for a fraction of the cost of mining.
The average person would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a natural and lab-created stone.
The main distinction is natural gems typically have inclusions from the crystallization process — gases and other minerals mixing during the molten stage of stone creation. So you get high-quality lab-created stones, and their prices are significantly lower than their natural gemstone counterparts.
In addition to getting a rare, top-quality fine gemstone look for less, many consumers are attracted to lab-created stones for other reasons. Lab-created stone jewellery is great for travelling when you want to leave your very expensive jewellery at home, or when you want to look like you have very expensive baubles — or both! Also, environmentally speaking, lab-created stones do not tax natural resources the way the process for natural gems does — no mines are dug, the labs use a fraction of the utilities and resources necessary for a mining operation and leave behind fewer pollutants.
Whether you’re buying a gift or treating yourself, purchase lab-created stone jewellery from a trusted jeweller, who discloses what your stone is and how to care for it. Make sure you understand what you’re getting for the money you’re spending, especially when paying a premium for a piece. Only you and your jeweller need to know!
Do you want an emerald — or just a bright pop of green? Natural or mined emeralds have a lot of imperfections, making them vulnerable to breaking. Lab-made emeralds are less expensive and often have better quality than mined stones. If your heart is set on “green” but not on “emerald,” check out the alternatives. Of course, if your heart is set on an Earth-made emerald, then nothing else will do. You may have to compromise on one or more of the Four Cs to find the best stone for your budget.
Synthetic refers to a man-made material with a natural counterpart. The synthetic crystal replicates the chemical, optical, and physical properties of the natural crystal with little or no variation. One of the most popular methods for creating synthetic emerald is the hydrothermal process, which uses heat and pressure to imitate natural conditions deep in the earth that formed natural gems. Nutrients are dissolved in a water solution with synthetic crystals forming as the solution cools. Synthetic emeralds offer you the best of both worlds. You get the beauty of a beloved, rare gemstone, but at a budget-friendly price!
Contemporary engagement rings are all the rage, from simple solitaires to elaborate halo designs, and if this baby isn't quite your ideal, just let me know. So, what'll it be, my darlings? Let's make some magic happen! ✨