In order to be considered a Gemstone, a mineral must possess three specific qualities:

It must be Beautiful. It must be Durable. It must be Rare.

For generations, the term “engagement ring” has been synonymous with a glittering, colorless diamond solitaire ring. Spectacularly brilliant and of superior hardness, diamond is most certainly a gem worthy of its popularity with couples in love. Their pricing, however, has more to do with their popularity than their rarity. Modern mining and savvy marketing has fed both consumer demand and supply, making diamonds relatively plentiful compared to other fine gems.

For the modern bride with an appreciation for beauty, durability, and rarity in her engagement ring there is an answer:

Sapphire!

Found in small pockets around the Earth, sapphires have distinct characteristics that connect them to their places of origin. Rough gems are cut and polished to best display their stunning hues and unique character – so sapphires are available in an array of beautifully proportioned fancy shapes and a wide variety of sizes, colors, tones, and phenomena. At 9 on the Moh’s scale of hardness (second only to diamond’s ranking of 10), sapphires are very strong and resistant to the rigors of everyday wear. They are, truly, the ultimate choice for a stunning and unique engagement ring.

Sapphire mining is a small-scale community run enterprise. This absence of a control by a single global monopoly ensures a fair pricing model that makes fine gems affordable and attainable at every budget. While sapphires are a more affordable option than diamonds, they are constantly increasing in value. As less than 1% of all sapphires are completely natural in color (unheated or treated in any way) – gems with such rarified pedigree are growing more prized and more expensive every year.

As a leader in the mine-to-market movement, Soho Gem’s partnership with Prosperity Earth in Madagascar enables us to bring the finest natural, gemstones directly to our boutique! Working directly at the source with Malagasy communities means that our customers have access to quality, rare sapphires from one of the richest deposits of sapphire in the world.

There’s never been a better time to design the sapphire engagement ring of your dreams – and no better place than Soho Gem!