Moonstones for Engagement Rings

Although moonstone is a fairly unusual gemstone for an engagement ring its popularity seems to be on the up. If you think moonstone might be right up your alley have a little read for a breakdown of its pros and cons.

Moonstone has actually been a popular gemstone off and on throughout history. In fact the Romans believed it originated from hardened rays of moonlight! In fact most ancient civilisations worshipped a lunar god e.g. the Egyptians worshipped Thoth and Khonsu, whereas the Mayans worshipped the god Ix Chel! Of course in more recent times moonstone became re-popularised in engagement rings and jewellery in general with the Art Nouveau movement. Today it is a popular element of spiritual jewellery pieces… and now even engagement rings!

Moonstones have also proved to be a popular option for customers looking to base their engagement ring design around a theme. If you are looking to have an engagement ring inspired by the nights sky, or the moon itself this might be a great option for you! Their iridescent nature can be a great option for these ideas and you could even couple it other ‘night sky’ elements which can look really lovely e.g. you could have lovely sparkly diamonds in the design to represent stars, or you could have the gemstones star set!

If you are considering a moonstone for your engagement ring and wedding rings, just try to bear in mind the practical elements of the gemstone. Moonstone scores a 6/10 on the Mohs scale which rates the hardness of a gemstone. This means that if you are considering having a moonstone in a ring you wear daily such as an engagement ring you need to be sure it is well protected. Usually the best way to protect it from any knocks from general everyday wear is to make sure the setting is nice and secure, which is why you often find that moonstones are set in what is known as a rub-over setting in which the metal surrounds the gemstone completely. For a few really lovely examples have a look at the engagement ring galleries on our website.

Moonstones usually come in round, oval or pear cuts and can be cut to be facetted or cabochon… so you still have plenty of choice! One of the great things about moonstones is their individuality, so if you would like something really unique this might be the right option for you! Moonstones come in two varieties of colour known as blue moonstones or rainbow moonstones. But due to their lustrous nature there are a whole different range of colours which you could choose between e.g. you could choose a stone with allot of purple or blue colours or choose a stone that is very cloudy or clear, or maybe if you like the natural effect of the stone you could choose a stone which shows of the gemstones natural inclusions of the feldspar… the choice is yours! Another great thing about moonstones is that they really suit engagement ring designs which have a combination of metal finishes such as polished coupled with a pin mop or satinised effect. So if you love the idea of have a few finishes on your ring this can also look really lovely!