Care About Clarity? Don’t Get a White Sapphire Engagement Ring

What Is A White Sapphire?

Sapphire is one of the most popularly used natural stones in jewelry making and has been for decades, coming in a variety of naturally occurring colors which each relate to differences in chemical properties. Blue sapphires have been featured on the ring fingers of many notable women; like the blue sapphire in Lady Diana’s engagement ring – one much more beautiful than the marriage – and also in that choker she wore with the revenge dress.

Are White Sapphires Good For Engagement Rings

White sapphires are potentially the closest natural stone you can get to a diamond without parting with diamond-level cash, I mean it’s a recession after all right? They are sparkly and strong and are flexible enough for any jewelry piece to be made, to be passed down for generations. For all the crystal lovers, sapphires are said to have major spiritual significance for things like protection and good fortune, and tbh couldn’t we use all the fortune we can get?

Why You Shouldn’t Get A White Sapphire Ring

Not to be a hater, but sapphires just don’t compare to diamonds. We know they’re less sparkly, and they also get cloudy or yellow-y over time – and not in a ‘could be a canary diamond’ way either. This means more upkeep than washing the dishes with your diamonds on. Even fresh out of the box, a white sapphire just won’t sparkle or shine as bright as a diamond; so not one if you’re looking for a dupe. It’s also a mined stone, and so the environmental and social strain that mining communities have to endure is no different than those which result from diamond mining.

The Best White Sapphire Engagement Ring Setting

Like other stones, white sapphires can be set in any metal and with any setting. Because the decision to use a white sapphire as opposed to a diamond is usually an economic decision [no judging] and because it doesn’t sparkle as much as diamonds, it is a stone suited to big carat weight and with a contrasting metal color to offset any of that yellow-ing which may occur. That being said, the price is relative to the quality, and white sapphires are cheap compared to diamond simulants and moissanite.

How Does a White Sapphire Compare To Diamond, Moissanite, And Cubic Zirconia?

White Sapphire vs Diamond

There’s a reason Rihanna said ‘shine bright like a diamond” and not shine bright like a white sapphire, that’s not to say it doesn’t sparkle at all – but it’s more of a silvery glow than that firey flash when a diamond hits the light. This is because diamonds have a high refractive index, basically meaning they give maximum *sparkle*. Hopefully, by now, you know that diamonds are one of the hardest substances to exist with a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale but are closely followed by sapphires at a 9 – and so both are durable options for jewelry to be worn daily – though diamonds will look better in the long run.

White Sapphire vs Moissanite

Moissanite is a stone that is lab created, and much like lab diamonds behave extremely similarly to diamonds. Again, it’s durable [even more than sapphire] with a 9.25 on the Mohs scale and has that added benefit of having a high refractive index so we’re going to be shining – again better than a white sapphire at least. Moissanite is also lab-created so the environment and social aspect that often dulls the sparkle of a diamond [or sapphire] is avoided. The stone is the next best thing from a diamond or lab diamond when weighing up the durability and refractive index, and coupled with the affordability (moissanite is around a tenth of the price of a diamond) it blows competing stones out of the water.

White Sapphire vs Cubic Zirconia

Cubic Zirconia doesn’t really deserve to be on this list, or anywhere that sells real jewelry (sorry not sorry). CZ is the softest stone out of all we have explored [an 8 on the Mohs scale], and so is prone to scratches and chipping; I mean imagine rolling over on a Sunday morning and realizing you’ve chipped your engagement ring on a wild girl’s night – eek. CZ is also incredibly flawless and has a high refractive index, which makes them look almost too good and is a giveaway for a diamond imposter.