Peach Sapphire and Diamond Toi et Moi 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.

Most commonly found in shades of blue, sapphires are also available in pretty much every other colour you can think of, with pink, yellow, peach and green being the most popular after blue. Sapphires are also very hard, with their rating on the Moh’s Scale falling just under diamonds, so they make great gemstones for daily wear on the hand.

The quality and therefore price of sapphires is based on their colour, cut and clarity, and large stones can be GIA certified as diamonds are.

The colour of the sapphire is by far the most important of all these. The shade, the tone and the depth of colour, as well as the uniformity of the colour - how well the shade is spread over the stone evenly - make a huge difference to price. Deep, dark coloured tend to hide the sparkle of the stone, so become less desirable, and sapphires that show a pure, even colour and brightness will be more expensive.

You may see sapphires where there are two different shades of colour in the stone. This is called a bi-colour sapphire, and is very common. Pure coloured sapphires with a rich, even tone in a single hue are the most conventionally desirable varieties, and therefore the most expensive. Common ‘cheaper’ sapphire rings found online will often feature lesser quality gemstones and the images may have been digitally altered, so make sure you always see a coloured gemstone in real life before buying.

Depending on the size requirements sapphires make a beautiful alternative to coloured diamonds. Yellow sapphires, white diamonds and yellow gold are currently a popular choice, but our favourite sapphire shade is a murky olive green.

Sapphires are traditionally the birthstone of September. See all Sapphire rings here.

Packing an impressive 70 facets, the radiant cut diamond was designed only 40 years ago to combine the brilliance of a round cut with the longer, substantial facets of an emerald cut. Radiant cuts tend to be rectangular in shape, although can be cut in a squarer shape too, making them look similar to cushion cut diamond. However, a radiant cut is noticeably sparklier than a cushion cut (if cut well) and feels more modern than an emerald cut.

See all radiant cut diamond rings here.