Firstly, congratulations are in order! You’ve found that special someone and today you will need to find an gemstone for your proposal.

Discovering the right ring is definitely an overwhelming process, trying to fully capture your love and admiration for the other person whilst balancing style, the latest trends and cost, is thwart with difficulties. Don’t worry, this comprehensive gemstone guide will tell you all the critical steps to make sure you find the perfect gemstone that’ll be treasured forever.

The 4C’s

Cut

The cut of the gemstone identifies it’s symmetry and proportions, not the actual shape of the gemstone. The cut will affect how many facets each stone has and the quantity of light that is dispersed and reflected from the stone, this influences how much your ring sparkles.

Colour

We stock the worlds premium moissanite, Charles & Colvard, Forever One. We use the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) scale of colour, to put it simply, this ranges from D, to a Z rating.

A “D” rating has the least amount of colour, whilst a Z rating has a light yellow colour, truly colourless diamonds (D) are prized because of their rarity.

All our Forever One gemstones are graded as DEF and are colourless.

Clarity

The clarity of the stone depends upon the quantity of inclusions, the fewer inclusions the higher the clarity of the stone. It’s common for those gems to obtain natural flaws, these often appear to be tiny crystals, clouds or feathers.

Lily Arkwright Moissanite Engagement Rings are graded by a qualified gemologist (gemmological Institute of America) by using a 10x jewellers loupe to ensure each stone has no visible inclusions.

Carat

All our gemstones are measured in carats, this denotes the weight not how big is a gemstone. In some instances rings will have accompanying secondary stones, side stone and melees, they are always contained in the overall carat weight of an ring.

One of the primary great things about choosing a moissanite gemstone from Lily Arkwright is the amazing price of every ring, it can save you a lot of money when buying a moissanite stone compared to an all natural diamond. This enables our customers great flexibility whenever choosing what size carat stone they might need without being restricted by cost.

Typically an equivalent 1ct diamonds solitaire retails from £4000 – £10,000, at Lily Arkwright you can buy a 1ct, Charles and Colvard, Forever One moissanite stone from £740.

Gemstone Shapes

Now we’ve covered the basics, what gemstone condition to choose? This is absolutely an individual choice, the original & most popular of which is an excellent round cut shape. Symmetrically cut and faceted to maximise the incoming light which is then dispensed throughout the stones perfect proportions, each facet reflecting against each other to increase that special sparkle.

A brilliant round gem can be set is a number of different ring styles like a solitaire, three stone setting or halo. A brilliant round cut is typically the most popular stone cut on the market today, a genuine classic that suits any setting and ring style.

Or, perhaps a princess cut shape. A square with pointed corners created in the 1970’s, square at the very top narrowing into a cone at its base radiating fire and brilliance, a vintage option to the brilliant round gemstone. Typically this is defined in a princess cut solitaire ring.

Alternatively, an oval gemstone is a popular choice, similar to an excellent round stone but with a modern day elongated finish. Set with or without side stone melees.

Cushion cuts are a favorite choice with celebrities and have, a rounded square shape which displays the stones brilliance. Set with or without side stone melees, or perhaps a halo.

Emerald cuts are another hugely popular choice, a rectangular form which carries over a more substantial surface, this cut really displays a stones clarity. Set with or without side stone melees.

Metal Types

At Lily Arkwright we offer a variety of engagement rings in a range of metals including white gold, rose gold, yellow gold & platinum.

Your choice of metal really depends upon your partners preference, an ever ever more popular choice is white gold or a platinum band. Traditionally a yellow gold band or alternatively a rose gold band offers a modern day style.

It is important to remember your wedding band metal should match your engagement ring to make sure you avoid wearing or scratching.

Sustainable & Ethical Jewellery, UK Hallmarked & Warranty

Lily Arkwright are proud to create sustainable luxurious jewellery at a realistic price point, it’s important to us that your jewellery is ethically sourced and conflict free. We craft all our rings within the UK and every single piece is tested and UK hallmarked ensuring you obtain British craftsmanship and unrivalled quality.

You can be confident all our moissanite stones come with a limited lifetime warrantee and we stock Charles & Colvard premium, colourless, Forever One range. All our products come with free UK delivery as standard.