A sapphire that matches the sea where you met. An emerald the color of your grandmother’s garden. Color can make an engagement ring feel entirely yours.

So the question isn’t whether a gemstone counts as an engagement ring. It does. The question is how it will live on your hand for years, through keyboards, car doors and dish soap. That depends on three things: the stone, the setting and a little care. Here’s how each one actually wears.

What Changes When You Choose Color

More couples are choosing color: sapphire is now one of the most popular non-diamond center stones. When you swap a diamond for a gemstone, three things change:

• Hardness. How well a stone resists scratches, measured on the Mohs scale from 1 to 10. Diamond sits at 10, and every other stone is softer.
• Toughness. How well a stone resists chipping from a knock, which isn’t the same as hardness. Even a diamond can chip if it’s struck at the wrong angle.
• How it shows light. A diamond is all sparkle. A gemstone leads with color, and its sparkle depends on the cut.

At SAMA, every gemstone we currently offer is natural.

How each stone wears

Stone	Mohs hardness	How it wears	Best for
Diamond	10	The hardest gemstone; most carefree	A ring you never take off
Sapphire	9	Very durable, excellent toughness	Everyday color
Ruby	9	Very durable, excellent toughness	Everyday color
Aquamarine	7.5–8	Wears well with care; shows fine scratches sooner	A soft, light-filled blue
Emerald	7.5–8	Natural inclusions make it less tough; needs gentle care	Romance, with a little care

The Five Stones, Ranked for Everyday Wear

Diamond (10)

The hardest gemstone, and still the most carefree choice for a ring you’ll never take off. If you’re deciding between a lab-grown and a natural diamond, our diamond specialist’s guide walks through it.

Sapphire and Ruby (9)

Here’s something most people don’t know: sapphire and ruby are the same mineral, corundum. Red corundum is ruby, and the other colors are sapphire. At 9 on the Mohs scale, they’re the hardest gemstones after diamond, and their toughness is excellent too, so they handle the knocks of daily life well. That makes them the most practical choice for everyday color. Sapphire is famous for its blue. Ruby brings a deep, warm red.

Aquamarine (7.5–8)

Aquamarine is a soft sea-glass blue with a calm, clear look. It wears well with some care. Because it’s softer than sapphire, it will show fine scratches sooner over the years. Many people love it for exactly that understated, light-filled quality.

Emerald (7.5–8)

Emerald is the most romantic of the five, and the one that asks the most of you. Most emeralds have natural inclusions, sometimes called their jardin, or garden. Those inclusions make emerald less tough than the other stones and more vulnerable to sharp knocks. An emerald engagement ring is absolutely wearable: just take it off for the gym, gardening and heavy lifting, and clean it gently.

How Each Color Looks With Each Metal

Metal changes how a color reads. Treat these pairings as starting points, not rules:

• Yellow gold warms blue sapphire and aquamarine, and gives emerald a rich, vintage feel.
• White gold and platinum keep blue sapphire crisp and make ruby look brighter and cooler.
• Rose gold suits warmer stones such as ruby, and gives aquamarine a gentle blush.

Color and metal pairings

Stone	Yellow gold	White gold & platinum	Rose gold
Sapphire	● Warm	● Crisp	—
Ruby	—	● Bright, cool	● Warm
Emerald	● Rich, vintage	—	—
Aquamarine	● Warm	—	● Gentle blush

● Classic pairing  ·  — Also works. Every stone suits every metal; these are starting points.

Why the Setting Matters More With Color

With a gemstone, the setting does two jobs: it shows off the color and it protects the stone. Shape plays a part too. Rounded shapes like an oval have no sharp points, which removes one common place for a softer stone to chip.

Rania grand is an oval setting with a hidden halo: a row of small diamonds tucked beneath the center stone. From above, all you see is your color. From the side, the halo catches light. It holds a diamond or any of our four gemstones, so the same ring becomes something entirely different depending on the stone you choose.

Building Yours at SAMA

You can start with a gemstone and choose a setting for it, or start with a setting like Rania grand and add your stone. Not sure where to begin? Our guide to starting with the diamond, gemstone or setting walks through both routes.

Sapphire · Ruby · Emerald · Aquamarine

Start with a Gemstone

Choose your stone

Oval hidden halo

See Rania grand

View the setting

Proposing at Thanksgiving? Order by Friday, October 30. See all order-by dates.

Choose the Color, Then Protect It

Choose the stone you love looking at, then the setting and habits that keep it looking that way. A sapphire or ruby will ask almost nothing of you. An aquamarine or emerald asks for a little more care, and gives back something no diamond can: color that’s entirely yours.

FAQ's

What is the most durable gemstone for an engagement ring after diamond?

Sapphire and ruby. Both are corundum, rated 9 on the Mohs scale, with excellent toughness, which makes them the most durable gemstones after diamond for everyday wear.

Is an emerald engagement ring practical for everyday wear?

Yes, with some care. Emeralds are softer than sapphire and usually have natural inclusions that make them more vulnerable to knocks. Take your ring off for the gym, gardening or heavy work, and clean it gently by hand.

Are SAMA’s gemstones natural?

Yes. Every gemstone we currently offer, including sapphire, ruby, emerald and aquamarine, is natural, so the color you choose formed in the earth.

How do I clean a gemstone engagement ring?

Soak it for a few minutes in warm water with a little mild dish soap, brush gently around the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse, and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners for emeralds. See our gemstone care guide.

Can I put a gemstone in any SAMA setting?

Our ring builder shows which settings fit the stone you choose. Rania grand, for example, holds a diamond, sapphire, ruby, emerald or aquamarine. Start with a gemstone to see your options.