Engagement Rings - What Different Stones Say About You

In the old days the man would go out and buy a ring himself, without consultation, and then surprise the woman with it. In fact, the woman could more of a surprise than she had bargained for if he lacked good taste in rings. However, in these days of equality, more couples are looking at rings together and then discussing which rings she likes and how much is going to be spent on a ring.

When most people think of an engagement ring they naturally think of a diamond ring. The bigger and more sparkly, the better! However, times are changing and nowadays it is quite acceptable to have mixture of diamonds and another birthstone or a different birthstone on it's own.

Diamond is a birthstone in its own right but there are many other beautiful birthstones to choose from that are much cheaper than diamonds. So, if you are getting married on a tight budget or you just happen to like another stone better than diamonds, there it is perfectly acceptable to choose another type of birthstone.

When it comes to engagement rings, you can choose the birthstone for your birthday or another significant date such as when you first met, when you had your first kiss, when he first told you he loved you, or when he proposed to you. The choice is yours. Remember, there are no rules - so pick what you like.

Here are the birthstones for each month of the year with their meanings, colours, and properties.

January - Garnet

The garnet symbolises constancy and passion. They are hard-wearing and durable. Most people think of garnets as red but they come in many different colours such as green, purple, yellow and even black.

February - Amethyst

The amethyst represents sincerity, protection and peace. It is durable and it will last. It also comes in a range of hues from purple to violet, so you have many colours to choose from.

March - Aquamarine

Aquamarine symbolises beauty, honesty, and loyalty. It is available in a range of hues from a greenish-blue to a deep blue. Not as hard-wearing and it needs to be protected from scratching and sharp blows.

April - Diamond

They are symbols of love, strength, innocence, eternity. Because of it's hardness, beauty, and sparkle, it has become the most popular gem to use in engagement rings. However, it has become very fashionable to mix diamonds with other birthstone such as rubies or emeralds on rings.

May - Emerald

The Emerald represents love, success, and healing. It comes in a range of astounding fiery, green colours, and the emerald is always sure to catch the eye. It is fairly durable but try not to wash the dishes while wearing an emerald ring. The soap could damage it.

June - Pearl

The Pearl symbolises purity love, success, and happiness. Pearls can come in a range of colours from the well-known white to black, green, and yellow. They are not so durable and you need to protect them from acids, humidity, and dryness.

July - Ruby

The deep red Ruby represents love, protection, and harmony. Fiery and durable, it is a show-stopper for any woman to wear.

August - Sardonyx

The Sardonyx (or Onyx) is a symbol of eloquence and married bliss. With it's distinctive brown, red, black, white, and grey bands, it is a very interesting gem. However, it is not so durable and may scratch or chip easily.

September - Sapphire

Sapphire is related to faith, wisdom, and purity. Usually it is blue but it can be found in other colours. Sapphire is very strong and durable.

October - Opal

The Opal suggests hope, purity, and innocence. It can come in white, gray, or black. Not so hard-wearing as other gems and it must be protected from sunlight, drying out, or soaps.

November - Topaz

The Topaz symbolises fidelity and strength. It is most often seen as brilliant blue but does come in a range of other colours such as red, yellow, pink, peach, gold, green, and brown. Very durable and can scratch your other jewellery. It can get paler if you expose it to extensive sunlight.

December - Turquoise

Turquoise represents harmony, happiness, and luck. It is available in colours from blue to green. It is not so durable and needs to be protected from abrasion, sunlight and soaps.

So, before you decide on diamonds, be sure to have a good look at the other birthstones. You may be pleasantly surprised and come to realise that although diamonds may be a girl's best friend - other birthstones can be very good acquaintances.

Michael Breck is a professional Magician and runs an Entertainment Agency in Scotland called The Magic Agency. He has been entertaining at weddings and booking entertainment for weddings for over twenty years. For more ideas about wedding entertainment go to Entertainment For Weddings and Events or Magical Entertainment.