Green Sapphire Engagement Rings

How to choose a green sapphire engagement ring

The centre stone is what makes a green sapphire engagement ring. Green sapphires are not graded on a single universal scale, so value comes down to colour first, then clarity, cut and carat weight.

Colour: mint, teal and forest green

Green in sapphire comes from a mix of iron and, in some material, traces of the same elements that colour blue and yellow stones. That mix is why green sapphires so often show a secondary tone. The main looks are mint or sea-glass green, pale and cool and very easy to wear; teal, sitting between blue and green and currently the most in demand; and deep forest green, saturated and dramatic. Many green sapphires are parti sapphires, showing distinct zones of green, blue and yellow in a single stone. No two are alike, and that is the appeal.

Clarity and cut

Fine needle inclusions, called silk, are normal in natural sapphire and are a sign the stone has not been synthesised. What matters is whether inclusions are visible without magnification and whether they interrupt the colour. Cut matters just as much: green sapphires are cut to bring out colour rather than to fixed proportions, so a good stone shows even colour across the whole face with no dark centre and no washed-out window.

Carat weight and size on the hand

Sapphire is denser than diamond, so compare millimetres rather than carats. A 6.5 mm round sapphire weighs roughly 1.30 ct, while a 6.5 mm round diamond weighs about 1.00 ct. Green sapphire is often available in larger sizes for the money than blue, which is one reason it appeals to buyers who want presence on the hand.

Treatment: usually none

Unlike blue sapphire, where gentle heating is routine, most green sapphire on the market is unheated, because heat tends to push green material towards yellow or blue rather than improve it. Independent laboratories such as the GIA report both colour and treatment. We state the treatment for every stone we sell.

Settings and metals for a green sapphire

Green is a cooler, more muted colour than blue or pink, so the metal you choose has an unusually large effect on how the stone reads.

• Yellow gold – the natural partner. Warm gold against cool green is the combination most people picture when they think of a green sapphire ring, and it flatters mint and teal tones especially.
• White gold and platinum – keep the green crisp and modern, and suit deeper forest tones.
• Rose gold – the most unexpected of the three, and striking with sea-glass and mint stones.

For the setting itself, a halo of pavé diamonds makes a green centre stone read larger and adds the sparkle that green sapphire alone does not provide. A three-stone design with diamond side stones is the most classic option, while a solitaire or bezel puts all the attention on the colour. A diamond band adds light along the shank without competing with the stone.

How much does a green sapphire engagement ring cost?

Green sapphire is one of the best value coloured stones in fine jewellery. At OROGEM Jewelers our green sapphire rings currently run from around €695 to €2 200:

• Around €700 – petite green sapphire rings, ideal as a first coloured-stone piece or a stacking ring.
• €1 100 – €1 500 – cushion green sapphire engagement rings with a pavé diamond halo in 18K gold.
• €1 700 – €2 200 – oval green sapphire halo rings and three-stone designs with larger centre stones.

Compare that with a diamond of the same millimetre size and the difference is substantial, which is why green sapphire lets you buy visibly more stone for the same budget. All prices shown include VAT. If you are weighing up stone, setting and budget, our engagement ring buying guide walks through the whole process.

Where green sapphires come from

Australia is the historic source of deep green and teal sapphire, particularly the Anakie and Inverell fields in Queensland and New South Wales. Madagascar produces a wide range of greens, from mint to olive. Montana in the United States is known for the soft teal and blue-green material that has driven much of the recent interest, and Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nigeria and Tanzania all contribute. Because green sapphire is rarely treated, origin matters less than it does for blue: judge the individual stone.

Caring for a green sapphire ring

A green sapphire engagement ring is made for daily wear. At 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is the hardest gemstone after diamond – a decisive advantage over emerald, which shares the colour family but chips and scratches far more easily. Clean it in warm water with a drop of washing-up liquid and a soft brush, take it off for sport, gardening and swimming, and have the setting checked once a year. OROGEM offers free cleaning and inspection for rings bought from us.

Green sapphire or emerald?

This is the question we are asked most often. Emerald has the more famous green and a deeper, warmer saturation, but it is a fragile stone: typically included, almost always oil-treated, and around 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale. Green sapphire is harder, usually untreated, easier to clean and considerably less expensive at comparable sizes. If you love the colour but want a ring that will survive daily life without special handling, green sapphire is the practical choice. If nothing but true emerald green will do, see our emerald engagement rings.

Other sapphire colours

Sapphire occurs in every colour except red, which is called ruby. Alongside green we also offer blue sapphire engagement rings, pink sapphire engagement rings and yellow and orange fancy colour sapphires. If none of our ready-made designs is quite right, we create tailor-made engagement rings around a sapphire of your choice.