Preference for CS-s to diamonds. Mind sharing why?

[megthered]

Diamonds are not something that I love. They are great as accents, but they seem so cold to me. Emeralds have always been my stone of choice. I love the richness of the color and the uniqueness of having a wedding set like no other. We have been married 28 years and even though I am not precious with any of my jewelry, I have not even scratched my emeralds. My wedding band is an eternity band, so the stones are all the way around and not one scratch or chip.

 

[kenny]

I prefer Fancy Colored Diamonds to other colored stones, though I wouldn't kick a nice Kashmir Sapphire or top-drawer Burmese Ruby, or Elizabeth Taylor's Columbian Emeralds out of bed for eating crackers.

The OP ask, "Mind sharing why?"
Tough costly, FCDs come in nearly all the colors of other colored stones AND you also get the optical properties, like dispersion of white light into all the colors of the rainbow, that are unique to diamond.
If you're patient enough you might even luck out and find an FCD cut to proportions that give good light performance.
I have 1 or 2.
I heard Eightstar cut a large Fancy Vivid Blue round diamond.
Talk about a Holy Grail stone!

I suspect many people who say they prefer colored stones to FCDs would not say so if FCD were the same price as other colored stones.
Actually if ALL gems were the same price, I'd be curious how the favorites would change.

I have a few FCDs of good color, but they are small.
Hence my fancy macrophotography gear.

We men like whatever can make our small things seem bigger.

 

[Bron357]

I love coloured stones.
I always had this dream of designing a ring with a decent size diamond halo (with size 8 fingers I can do “big”) and an interchangeable centre. Then I’d have a huge selection of coloured gems of say 9mm each, that I could “screw” into the centre.
A different ring for every day of the month.
I’d have blue sapphires (light and dark), pink sapphire, yellow sapphire, green sapphire, ruby, emerald, amythest, mint garnet, pariba, aquamarine, kunzite, morganite, opal, spess, everything.
How amazing would a ring like this be.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I love them both but I will share why I love colored stones. Colored stones have personalities that IMHO can not be found in diamonds. For example, IMHO the most beautiful blue diamond in the world is not going to ever be more beautiful than the most beautiful Paraiba tourmaline in the world. And those color change stones such as Alexandrites- so unique and mysterious. Never to be dismissed are the color shifting gems that change from yellow to orange, or blue to green, or pink to red. And those Neon Mahenges- forget about it, just like how your breath is taken away by a Burma ruby or red spinel. As much as I love my diamonds, I know that when the skies are moody and I feel the same way I reach for my light blue sapphire that changes from blue, to greyish blue to violet blue just like the sky. My diamonds will never do that.

 

[sapphiredream]

I suspect many people who say they prefer colored stones to FCDs would not say so if FCD were the same price as other colored stones.

Absolutely!
To get both poppy, amazing color AND the dispersion and sparkle of diamonds?
You've got to be kidding me! Then, sure, THE FCD would be my favorites.

I failed to specified that when I said "diamonds", I meant WHITE diamonds.
I would file FCD-s under the CS category.
They are "colored", after all!

I have a few FCDs of good color, but they are small.
Hence my fancy macrophotography gear.

We men like whatever can make our small things seem bigger.

But of course!

 

[sapphiredream]

I love coloured stones.
I always had this dream of designing a ring with a decent size diamond halo (with size 8 fingers I can do “big”) and an interchangeable centre. Then I’d have a huge selection of coloured gems of say 9mm each, that I could “screw” into the centre.
A different ring for every day of the month.
I’d have blue sapphires (light and dark), pink sapphire, yellow sapphire, green sapphire, ruby, emerald, amythest, mint garnet, pariba, aquamarine, kunzite, morganite, opal, spess, everything.
How amazing would a ring like this be.

Hmmm...interesting!!
I can see how this would have tremendous appeal to those who like variety.

I love "signature looks" - so the changing would probably tire me after 3 months top.
I've always dreamed of having one single spectacular ring that I wear all the time, everywhere and people know me by it.

I am now coming to terms with the idea that I will probably end up with 2 precious stone rings instead of one; and I feel like one will always "take away" from the other.

Ideally, I would have wanted my e-ring (standing for "Everything Ring, including engagement") to be one with an amazing sapphire.

But my original e-ring - whose setting I don't want to melt down, just change the center - requires a large replacement stone.
So I had to make it a garnet (which I also love) because I can't afford a quality sapphire of that size (4-5 carats).

Yet I still want a sapphire ring, be it with a smaller stone - so this will have to be like an anniversary ring or something.

But the idea of having two that I have to alternate (unless I want one of them to sit in the box forever) - doesn't sit that well with me.
Because I feel like neither can be my "signature" then.
It turns into fashion.

 

[sapphiredream]

Diamonds are not something that I love. They are great as accents, but they seem so cold to me. Emeralds have always been my stone of choice. I love the richness of the color and the uniqueness of having a wedding set like no other. We have been married 28 years and even though I am not precious with any of my jewelry, I have not even scratched my emeralds. My wedding band is an eternity band, so the stones are all the way around and not one scratch or chip.

Meg,

Your emerald ring is beautiful! Definitely lots of personality!

 

[GliderPoss]

I’ve always been obsessed with gemstones since I was a child, love the infinite variety and colours so I knew I’d want a unique gemstone engagement ring. My mum has a Ceylon sapphire e-ring so it seemed normal to have gemstones rather than diamonds. She also wears different rings each day to match her outfit/mood and I’ve picked up that habit! We got married very young and could not have afford a diamond anyway.... I have a small one now but still don’t wear it often.

 

[distracts]

I prefer colored stones because of the colors. Maybe that's obvious? Clear diamonds are just so boring, and the colors that I like don't really seem to come in diamond or if they do are $$$$$$ and it would take me 10+ years to save for them. And I haven't everr seen a photo of a blue diamond that looks like a sapphire or a green diamond that looks like a tsavorite. I've always preferred colored stones, like since I was a little kid. When I'm on PS a lot I get more into diamonds but honestly... I bought a pair of diamond earrings and literally wear my moissanite ones any time I want something clear instead of CS earrings.

I also like variety and don't want all my money sunk into just a couple of pieces of jewelry. I'm definitely NOT the "one ring to rule them all" type. If I was into diamonds, this would lead to a lot of small diamonds! I also love more unique settings - not really a simple solitaire girl - so that affects the money aspect also. I also think some of it is the uniqueness factor - while I've seen other people with sapphire engagement rings, none really have ones that look similar to mine (though I'm sure they exist out there). And I still get complimented on it all the time - it's funny because periodically threads pop up in RT that someone wants a different ring because theirs never gets complimented, and they never take my advice to get a colored stone! No matter which CS ring I wear, I'm nearly guaranteed to get a compliment when I leave the house.

Both my parents love geology and vacations as a kid involved a lot of looking at rocks... I don't think either of them realized this would be an outgrowth of that but I think it is. They're just sparklier rocks. (And although I don't post it here I have a lot of picture jasper because it's just the coolest.)

I also love colorful clothing, colorful wall paint, colorful furniture, colorful purses, colorful shoes... I like everything I look at to ideally be saturated in beautiful colors. None of this "cream on cream on cream" stuff for me.

My entire kitchen doesn’t have a single matching plate/bowl - they’re all differently colored pieces I’ve picked up over the years. I have a whole shelf in the kitchen of mismatching glass drinking utensils (cups, goblets, shotglasses, martini glasses, etc) all carefully arranged to make a rainbow.

GASP. NEW GOALS.

I know that when the skies are moody and I feel the same way I reach for my light blue sapphire that changes from blue, to greyish blue to violet blue just like the sky. My diamonds will never do that.

Same - that's Montana sapphire weather to me!

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

I am not that much of a jewelry person overall, but I just got addicted to how amazing it is that there are pretty rocks in all these different colors! I think it’s neat that they are colored by different elements, and that they hold different kinds of inclusions that you can see with a loupe. Each stone has personality. They respond differently in different lights. I intended to stop when I got seven rings for ROYGBIV, but there are many more than seven colors in a rainbow, aren’t there?

 

[woweezowee]

I am not that much of a jewelry person overall...

MissyBeaucoup, your avatar ring... omg ... I LOVE IT!!! Please oh please tell me more. Are those demantoids and a spinel? Where oh where did you get it? THAT's why I love CS.

And more broadly, as I await my trillion unheated cornflower blue sapphire and trillion tsav garnet made into a custom ring, I think it's absolutely AMAZING and AWE-INSPIRING that those nuggets of gorgeousness came from the GROUND, unaltered except faceting. Colored stones are nature's miracle. Diamonds are great to make CS pop, but IMO, when I walk by nearly every gal wearing a diamond as an engagement ring, I can't even see what the ring looks like. It's just a fast-moving blur of "oh, there goes another diamond." When I have seen CS, even before I was "into" them, it makes me do a double take. They make the wearer seem bold, unique, unafraid to step apart from the giant consumer machine that has pushed diamonds as the only appropriate wedding adornment for decades.

Also, people into CS on here seem to KNOW their stones -- their provenance, their cutters, their jewelry makers. In the process, we are able to make well-informed choices on who we support, and that's pretty amazing.

My first custom ring has a sapphire that I got from Sri Lanka from a dealer who goes to mining sites, which are well-regulated in the country. My tsav I got via Allyce Kosnar from one of the first deposits of tsav mined in the 1970s. And the ring is being made by a local goldsmith who does exceptional work but has no internet presence except a website.

I know most of you are the same way -- heck, you all are where I learned to do what I'm doing -- and I wonder what percent diamond-wearers can say the same about what they wear?

(Disclaimer - there are absolutely beautiful, unique, exceptional diamond rings out there ... not ones I can afford, though )

 

[sydneyatl]

GASP. NEW GOALS.

It's a lot cheaper and more realistic than my dream of a rainbow set of gemstones.

 

[hiratop]

I heard Eightstar cut a large Fancy Vivid Blue round diamond.

Not that I know of. They cut a half carat deep blue, though.

 

[wordie89]

It's the color... definitely the color. And PS is my enabler of choice! It makes me happy to see the color on my finger. Since I lost my original wedding band I wear whatever suits my mood on my left hand; these days its colored stones with diamond accents. I agree with Kenny; if I could afford it colored diamonds would be on the list. too.

 

[kenny]

Not that I know of. They cut a half carat deep blue, though.

Thanks, I stand corrected.
But, what a gem of a gem that is!

I wonder who has it, and whether it lives in a safe deposit box or a finger.
Do you have a link where I could learn more about this Dream-FCD?

 

[jordyonbass]

For me when I first developed an interest in gemstones it was because of the differing geological processes that formed colored stones. The processes that make FCDs also interests me but as for colorless diamonds - well they're still yet to interest me.

It's no secret that I'm an Opal lover and they are my #1, however other colored stones interest me more and ignite my rockhound passion more than diamonds.

 

[hiratop]

Thanks, I stand corrected.
But, what a gem of a gem that is!

I wonder who has it, and whether it lives in a safe deposit box or a finger.
Do you have a link where I could learn more about this Dream-FCD?

It's unmounted and obviously in a safe place. The GIA report number is 13565128.

 

[leslie1956]

I avoid yellows and oranges because I think that they make me jaundiced (I have fair skin, green eyes, and silvery grey hair. I love greens, blues, and purples the best, but have been opening up to vivid pinks and reds recently.I have a modest pair of diamond posts, but mostly prefer diamonds as melee or for eternity rings. I consider my CS jewelry my form of visual self-expression

 

[LilAlex]

Perfect color, perfect clarity, perfect cut diamonds all look the same. They only differ in scale! They are sparkly but not interesting, imo. Plus, they are commoditized -- like gold or old coins. I bought one as an e-ring a long time ago and we're happy with it. And I'll never buy another e-ring but if I did, it would be a blue sapphire.

Colored stones are all unique, look different in different light, have flaws that can actually be interesting -- like color-zoning.

I have seen some oddly colored diamonds that are weirdly interesting. Recently saw a very old ring with 1ct slightly yellowish-greenish-orangish (if that makes sense -- it was not brown) that I would never guess would be beautiful -- but it really grew on us. Just so unique. Not like a pure-hue colored diamond (which would be miles out of my league).

 

[eapj]

I like diamonds as accents but I think rings in all diamonds are boring. Colored stones have character and no two are the same. One might say the same about diamonds but I feel like it’s harder to tell the difference between them, at least it is for me. I enjoy looking at the diamond forums on PS but enjoy the unique diamonds more than the near perfect ones.

And color! I love the variety of color!

 

[Rubybrick]

I don’t have a preference of CS per se, but I am also not into upgrading my ering, so CS is a great way to add variety, and just pretty to look at!

 

[Gemobsessed]

Everyone has diamonds. They are almost commodotized. I’m Indian by origin and every woman around me has so many diamonds and frankly they all look the same. Now I know diamonds can look distinctive in incredible designer settings but those are incredibly expensive. To the naked eye most good quality diamonds look similar.

I love CS because not only do they have more character but they change character with the environment. Even CS rings I’ve owned for a while catch my attention all the time, they never get old. And absolutely no one around has CS, if they do it’s usually a bad quality sapphire.