Blue Diamond Engagement Rings

How about blue diamond engagement rings for "...something borrowed, something blue.." What better blue is there than blue diamond rings?

Natural fancy blue diamonds range from grayish blues at one end of the spectrum to greenish blues on the other. The coloring is caused by trace amounts of boron that occurs naturally during the formation of the stone.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of us don't have enough money to buy the real thing. A natural blue diamond ring will easily run into the hundreds of thousands, to millions of dollars.

Ever heard of the Hope Diamond? Yep, it is likely the most famous and expensive blue diamond known to man weighing in at over 45 carats.

Since natural blue diamonds are so rare in nature and most jewelers have never even seen one in real life, it's unlikely you'll find one at your corner jewelry store. These precious gems are traded and sold only in the finest establishments who cater to those with extremely deep pockets.

A natural intense blue diamond can run from $350,000 upwards for a single carat however the cost will be significantly lower if the color intensity is much fainter or, of a lower grade. Depending on the overall attributes of the stone, a less intense blue diamond can be found for as low as $10,000/ct.

However, there's still hope for those of us fantasizing about blue diamond engagement rings with much smaller budgets.

Blue Diamond Rings: Less Expensive Options

Jewelers and gemologists, with the help of modern technology and a lab, are able to create blue diamonds through a combination of irradiation and heat treatments applied to natural white (or colorless) diamonds.

These types of color enhanced diamonds are a great option for those whose bankroll doesn't quite match up with their taste. So although the blue diamond can't be considered a 'natural' one, it is nevertheless a genuine diamond and much more affordable than the real thing.

Another option is a lab grown blue diamond. These synthetic diamonds are actually grown in a lab where they mimic what happens in nature over time. They are also called man-made diamonds, created diamonds, lab-created diamonds etc.

The confusing thing about synthetic diamonds is that they are real diamonds (many confuse them with CZ and Moissanite and other diamond simulants, which are NOT diamonds).

Synthetic, in this case refers to the method they are produced rather than to the stone itself because the stone is real. They have the same qualities as a natural diamond, the only difference is that nature didn't make them over hundreds and billions of years. 

In terms of real (but not naturally produced), synthetic diamonds are the most affordable and are often very beautiful.

Finally, when discussing blue diamond engagement rings, we have to bring up sapphires—the gemstone of choice for many Europeans when looking at engagement rings.

Princess Diana chose a sapphire engagement ring surrounded by white diamonds, much like her mother's and she could have requested a natural blue diamond instead.

Although sapphires are very beautiful in their own right, they aren't a diamond and some feel that the fire and sparkle of a diamond cannot be matched. We aren't sure how much that matters to us and appreciate both equally for what they are. Sapphires are a great alternative to a natural blue diamond and like rubies, diamonds and emeralds are considered precious gemstones.

Blue diamond engagement rings, whether natural, color enhanced, or synthetic are best set in white metal with accent diamonds.

There's just something about the combination of the ice-cool blue tones, white diamonds and metal that really wows the eye. If you're heart is set on one, choose the option that best meets your budget and lifestyle and go for it!