More Affordable Alternatives to Emerald Engagement Rings

Emeralds are among the most coveted colour gemstones in the world, along with sapphires and rubies. Emerald engagement rings have long been a popular choice because of their beautiful colour and hard nature – commanding a 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs hardness scale. However, unfortunately emeralds are also extremely expensive, particularly the larger they get, but luckily, there are cheaper alternatives.

Chrome Diopside

Chrome diopside is a beautiful alternative to emerald engagement rings, coming in a deep green shade with fiery yellow undertones. It is also known for its outstanding clarity, which makes it vastly superior when compared to the notoriously poor quality of emeralds. For these reasons this gem is becoming increasingly popular amongst traditional emerald lovers, especially when you consider the price of emeralds. However, unfortunately, chrome diopside has a Mohs hardness rating of 5.5. to 6.5 so is susceptible to scratches and not really suitable for the daily wear of an engagement ring.

Chrome Tourmaline

This is a great alternative, especially for those couples who love dark green emerald engagement rings. However, unlike chrome diopside’s yellow undertones, chrome tourmaline has muted moss green or neo-green undertones. What makes it superior to chrome diopside is it’s Mohs hardness rating of 7 to 7.5 which makes it infinitely more suited to everyday use. It also does not require any treatments to enhance its attributes – unlike natural emeralds which are typically filled with resin or oil in order to cover up its numerous inclusions.

Tsavorite Garnet

This particular coloured gemstone hails from Kenya, Tanzania and Pakistan. Generally coming in a forest green hue, it can have a range of different coloured undertones, including yellow and moss green but the most prized tsavorite garnets have blue-green undertones. It is also suitable for everyday use, with a Mohs hardness rating similar to that of chrome tourmaline. What truly make this gem outshine emeralds is its higher refractive index which makes it remarkably more bright and sparkly than the typical sleepy emerald engagement rings, as well as being tougher and more durable than emeralds.

Green Apatite

This more affordable alternative to emeralds is found worldwide, although notable sources of gem quality stones are found in Russia, Brazil and Madagascar. A lovely medium green colour with stunning light silver-green undertones, this gem is perfect if you and your partner prefer light green emeralds. However, just like with chrome diopside, it is not exactly suitable for engagement rings given that it has a Mohs hardness of 5 and is therefore, easily scratched.

Frederick Holm writes for the F&L Designer Guides, which hosts a thriving community of independent engagement ring designers in the UK. Inspired by their journey of discovery in search of distinctive, one of a kind emerald engagement rings, F&L now celebrates the works of their favourite designers and helps promote the notion of "Go Bespoke" as a more imaginative and interesting alternative to the limitations of High Street shopping.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.