Mint Green Tourmaline & Diamond Ring

Delicate, handmade and organically inspired, Michelle specialises in creating unique alternative engagement and wedding rings for the uncommon bride. Special attention is given to the selection of natural gemstones used, particularly grey diamonds and sapphires in interesting shapes and cuts.

Tourmalines are found in almost every colour - from greenish blues, to peachy pinks and electric violets. The main source of tourmaline comes from Brazil, with the rarest kind - paraiba tourmalines - found in a specific region of Brazil being highly desirable due to the radiance and bright, unmistakable colour.

Some tourmalines also display a colour phenomenon where two distinct colours appear next to each other, these are known as watermelon tourmalines, and are often cut in rectangular shapes.

Tourmalines are a relatively hard material, similar to emeralds, but are more stable due to fewer inclusions. They are popular in engagement rings for lovers of unusual colour, with peach tourmaline and teal tourmaline gemstones remaining the most desirable.

Tourmalines are traditionally the birthstone for October. View all tourmaline rings here.

Due to modern technology, diamonds can be cut in most shapes and sizes imaginable, although the most common and popular shapes are the most common and popular for a reason: diamonds are cut from rough material to maximise sparkle and brilliance, with years of technology resulting in the brilliant cut which is used for round shape diamonds.

A side note: the cut of a diamond is not the same as its shape. The shape refers to the silhouette, or the external outlines of the diamond, for example the pear or round shape. The cut refers to the internal facets created by the diamond cutter, which is a complex and scientific process to maximise the reflective qualities of the material to let the light shine through. With a poor cut, any shape diamond can look dull and flat.

Popular bespoke cuts include half moon cuts, cadillac cuts, kite cuts or modified versions of shapes such as a shield cut.

Our favourite bespoke or fancy cut is a heart shape diamond, rarely used without looking chintzy or sentimental, but in the hands of a fresh design talent can subvert the traditional meaning and feel wearable.

See all bespoke cut diamond rings here.

Gold is a naturally occurring metal with a warm, glowing finish when polished, and remains the most popular choice for engagement rings due to its natural beauty and hard-wearing strength.

Pure 24k gold is naturally a soft material, and considered too soft to create jewellery with, so it is mixed with small amounts of other metals to create an alloy.

As well as increasing the durability of the gold, adding alloys can also change the colour of the gold to produce rose or white gold, for example.

18k yellow gold is made up of 75% pure gold, and 25% alloy, which would usually include silver and copper.

18k rose gold is made up of 75% pure gold, 22.2% copper, and 9.2% silver.

18k white gold is made up of 75% pure gold and 25% palladium or platinum.