There’s no denying that we, as people, have an instinctive attraction to gemstones. Since the dawn of civilization, people have cherished and obsessed over gemstones and jewelry. Fortunately, for individuals of the modern time, gemstone jewelry is more accessible than ever. With one stop to your local jewelry shop, you can get your hands on nearly any natural gemstone you want…and on that note, we want to talk about natural gemstones, and more specifically, unique natural gemstone rings available at Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton.

What is a natural gemstone?

A natural gemstone is a mineral that has been mined from the earth, then cut, polished, or otherwise treated for use in jewelry or various adornments.

While most gemstones are minerals, certain rocks and organic matter that are not minerals are used for jewelry and are therefore considered gemstones.

Examples of gemstones that are minerals

Out of more the 2,000 known natural minerals, less than 100 are used as gemstones and only 16 are of true importance. These include beryl (i.e. Emerald, Aquamarine or Green Beryl), corundum (i.e. Ruby, Sapphire), diamond, topaz, quartz (i.e. Amethyst and Citrine), opal, tourmaline, turquoise, zircon, spinel, jade, lazurite, garnet, feldspar, chrysoberyl (i.e. Alexandrite), and olivine.

Examples of gemstones that are rocks

Some rocks are used in jewelry and are often classified as gemstones. The most popular gemstone rocks are lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye, peridotite, bloodstone, and obsidian.

Examples of gemstones that are organic matter

Interestingly, some types of organic matter are used as gemstones…meaning the gems are actual remains of living organisms! This includes pearl, coral, amber, nacre (Mother of Pearl), among a few other lesser appreciated organic matter gemstones.

Natural vs Synthetic Gemstones

The only difference between natural gemstones and synthetic gemstones is that natural gemstones are formed by nature over hundreds of thousands of years, without any human involvement, whereas synthetic gemstones are man-made, having been produced in a laboratory. The actual gemstones are physically identical, which means both natural gemstones and synthetic gemstones have the same physical properties and chemical composition.

That said, there are two important caveats. First, because synthetic gemstones are “grown” in a controlled environment, they have far fewer inclusions and are more vivid than natural gemstones which formed in the chaotic and random natural world full of impurities. Second, synthetic gemstones can not command the same price as a natural gemstone. Natural gemstones are far more valuable.

As for what kind of natural gemstones have synthetic counterparts, you have synthetic or lab corundum (sapphire, ruby), diamond, emerald, alexandrite, opal, spinel, turquoise, moissanite, and pearl.

Note: With pearls, scientists simply introduce a foreign substance into an oyster that causes a pearl to form. The others are formed by putting all of the chemicals and minerals present in natural gemstones in a controlled environment with the right temperature and pressure levels (which is essentially a rapid version of how natural gemstones form).

Precious Gemstones vs Semi-Precious Gemstones

Only four gemstones are classified as precious gemstones. They are diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. These are considered precious gemstones because they have beauty, durability, and rarity, whereas semi-precious gemstones only have one or two of these three qualities. So, all other gemstones besides diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires are considered semi-precious.

Note: Sometimes you will find that pearl, opal and jade are listed as precious gemstones, but they are not truly precious gemstones.

Precious gemstones are the most sought after of all gemstones, and generally speaking, they are the most expensive. However, some semi-precious gemstones can be more expensive than the four precious gemstones and they can also be even rarer. For example, many natural pearls and spinels garner much higher prices than low quality diamonds, rubies, emeralds or sapphires.

Nevertheless, precious gemstones receive the most attention and desirability because not only are they rare and beautiful, but they have the greatest durability among all gemstones. Diamonds have a 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, sapphires and rubies have a 9, and emeralds have an 8. Semi precious gemstones will be anywhere from 2-8. The higher the number, the more wearable it is. Any gemstone above a 7 is hard enough to wear on a daily basis without concern of damaging it.

For reference, pearl is 2.5-4, opal is 5.5-6.5, tiger’s eye is 6.5-7, quartz is 7, aquamarine and morganite are 7.5-8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

For even more reference, at a 3 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, a copper coin will scratch the gemstone. At a 4, a knife will scratch it. At a 6, a steel file will scratch it. But at a 7, the gemstone will do the scratching. Any gemstone with a 7 or up will be able to scratch window glass.

All in all, precious gemstones are the perfect gemstones because they have all three properties – rarity, beauty, and durability. But, you shouldn’t get wrapped up in the difference between precious and semi-precious gemstones because all gemstones are precious if they provide meaning and value to you and your piece of jewelry. All of the unique natural gemstone rings we are about to show you are more than worthy of your love. Each gemstone has its own special beauty, history, and meaning.

7 UNIQUE NATURAL GEMSTONE RINGS FOR SALE IN BOCA RATON

Below are several examples of unique natural gemstone rings available at our luxury jewelry & watch showrooms in Boca Raton.

1. Emerald

This is a platinum emerald and diamond cocktail ring. It features a 0.43 carat square shaped emerald surrounded by 0.25 carats of round and baguette cut diamonds, all of which are exquisite quality. The emerald center stone juxtaposed between the white diamonds and the rich white metal that is platinum makes for a powerful contrast, allowing the lusciously green emerald to pop.

While this is labeled a cocktail ring, which means it is made for special occasions, this ring could easily be an everyday wear. A staple to your go-to jewelry. Although it is stunning in appearance, it is not overly large. Moreover, platinum, emeralds and diamonds are extremely hard wearing, so you don’t have to worry about doing damage to this ring from day to day impact.

If you love emeralds, this is surely a ring that will call to you. Emeralds have a distinct, rich tone that is absolutely beautiful, luxe, and precious. Furthermore, they are said to symbolize and bring about spiritual awareness, protection, love and wisdom.

Want this ring? See the full sales listing here

2. Blue Sapphire

Here we have another breathtaking unique natural precious gemstone ring, but of the blue variety. This is a 14k white gold oval sapphire three-stone diamond ring. This is a ring made for a women with a sophisticated taste. The three stone setting is a classic choice. It symbolizes past, present and the future. It is also known as a trilogy ring. Couple that with diamonds and a large sapphire center stone and you are left with a ring full of meaning.

Sapphires, which are a type of mineral corundum, come in a variety of colors, such as blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, and pink. Among these colors, there is no other blue gemstone as cherished and valuable as a blue sapphire, except the extremely rare blue diamond, of course. Nevertheless, when you think of a blue gemstone, it is a sapphire without exception.

Sapphires are said to be the “divine stone”, as it has a long history across many cultures relating to the Heavens. They represent wisdom, virtue, and good fortune. It is a stone of royalty. With this ring, you get 6.13 carats of this powerful symbolization. This is a seriously big rock! Plus, each of the kite cut diamonds on the sides are 1 carat, and they are G in color and VS in clarity, which means they are flawless to the naked eye.

If you want a natural gemstone ring that is not only incredibly meaningful, but also ridiculously stunning, this sapphire and diamond three stone ring is the one.

See the full sales listing here

3. Pink Sapphire & Blue Sapphire

These are two very cool and very unique rings made from small sapphires and gold. One is a rose gold ring with pink sapphires (rose gold and pink sapphire go together so beautifully) and the other is a black gold ring with blue sapphires (black gold is a gold alloy mixed with black metals like cobalt).

The settings for both of these rings are pave, which means the entire surface is covered in sapphires using a shared prong setting. These rings will positively glow on the finger. The best part is, if you get both of them, you can stack them together to perfection. Blue and pink work so well side by side. Not to mention, both are sapphires!

Note: We also have these pave square sapphire rings in other colors. So contact us if you want to see more.

See the full sales listing for the pink sapphire pave ring

See the full sales listing for the blue sapphire pave ring

4. Ruby

To complete the precious gemstone rings of this list, we have a jaw-dropping ruby and diamond cocktail ring similar to the emerald ring we showed you above. It features a 1.1 carat ruby at the center surrounded by 0.34 carats of high grade round brilliant and baguette cut diamonds.

For lovers of ruby, this is the option for you. The blood red stone has been immensely cherished for thousands of years. The history of the red ruby is as powerful as the color itself. It is said to be the stone of kings. It is often associated with power and wealth. The feeling you will get when holding a ruby in your hand is unexplainable. Just knowing that you have a gem so beautiful, so rare and so desirable will give you a rush.

Fun fact: for those of you who don’t know, a ruby is a corundum, which is the same as a sapphire. Thus, a ruby is essentially a red sapphire. However, because of its rarity (rarest of all corundum colors) and special color quality, it gets its own classification – a Ruby.

Fun fact part 2: Rubies get their red color from large amounts of chromium impurity in the corundum, which is a crystalline form of aluminum oxide. Basically, chromium replaces a fair amount of aluminum during the formation of the stone, leaving it with a rich red color (some more powerful red than others).

See the full sales listing for this unique natural ruby and diamond ring

5. Opal

At Diamonds By Raymond Lee, we have many opal rings. Opal is a kind of mineraloid that comes in many varieties and can be found all over the world. Although there are various kinds of opal, opal of gemstone quality is called precious opal. Precious opal can be White/Light, Dark/Black, Fire, Blue, Pink and “Boulder”. Below we have two types of opal, a white opal ring and dark opal ring.

White Opal Ring

White opal, which is also known as milky opal, has a beautiful spectral of colors such as red, blue, purple and green. This flower motif 14k yellow gold ring features many cabochon cut white opals. When you see this ring in person, you will notice all of the wonderful iridescent colors within the white opals. On this finger, this ring will create a gorgeous yet vigorous presence.

See the full sales listing for this floral opal ring

If you want the black opal ring pictured above, feel free to contact us. We have yet to list it on our site. You can also see more unique natural opal gemstone rings here.

6. Amethyst, Pink Quartz, and Pink Sapphire

When we said we have unique rings for you, we meant it. This butterfly motif ring will standout from any other ring around you.

Butterfly’s are one of the most beautiful creatures on this planet. And while this may seem like a very modern design, butterfly motifs date back to the classic jewelry eras, with the Victorian era being the most prominent. The metamorphosis of a butterfly is symbolic of the phases of human growth. This motif also represents humility, rebirth, and transformation. Among the most popular motifs of all times, the butterfly and the flower are on top.

As for what materials make up this wonderfully extravagant butterfly ring…

This ring has diamonds, pink sapphires, pink quartz, and amethyst, and the ring itself is made from 18k white gold (again, pink stones go so well with rose gold).

The outline of the wings of the butterfly have pave diamonds, both white and fancy brown. Within the metalwork of the wings you have pink quartz at the top and bottom, and amethyst in the wings at the center.

The structure of the body and antenna of the butterfly is made of rose gold and the eyes and the antennal club are white round brilliant diamonds. Within the body you will see two stunning pink sapphires.

All in all, there is so much to love about this ring. From the butterfly motif to all of the different gemstones, it’s really hard to take your eyes off it.

See the full sales listing for this unique natural butterfly multi gemstone ring

7. Tiger’s Bead

The final ring of this unique natural gemstone rings feature is made from 18k yellow gold and it is covered in tiger’s eye beads.

Tiger’s eye is a kind of chatoyant gemstone (meaning it has a cat’s eye effect). It is a metamorphic rock with a golden, red-brown color. It is part of the quartz group (along with amethyst, citrine, and other quartz gemstones).

While tiger’s eye is an opaque stone so it will not shine, it does have a wonderfully silky luster that makes it very desirable. Moreover, it has a 7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which makes it very durable and ideal for everyday wear.

As for symbolization, like all gemstones, tiger’s eye has a history of meaning. It is said to be an amulet against the evil eye, curses and bad luck. It is supposed to bring you wealth and good fortune. Some ancient cultures even believed it had healing powers for illness, fear and anxiety.

Whether the symbolizations speaks to you or not, there is no denying that this is a fascinatingly beautiful and distinct ring.

See the full sales listing for this 18k yellow gold tiger’s eye bead ring