When you think of gems for your bridal jewelry, rubies, pearls, and amethysts are the most popular choices. Many people just buy diamonds in Atlanta with no additional creative thought. Although they’re timeless and incredibly beautiful, there are thousands of other stones out there that make stunningly unique bridal pieces.
If you want to create one-of-a-kind bridal jewelry, consider using these lesser-known but gorgeous gemstones as the centerpiece.
Agate
A member of the chalcedony family, it’s commonly known for its wide array of vivid colors. Agates come in green, black, yellow, pink, blue, and many more. They’re the result of traces of titanium, iron, chromium, and other elements. This stunning stone is often translucent or opaque, while the rarest ones are completely clear.
If you want something highly versatile, agate is the right choice for you. Apart from its wide range of colors, you can also set other precious stones on top of it. Jewelry designers take advantage of its intricate patterns to create unique and gorgeous pieces.
Agate also has an average market value because it’s abundant, making it ideal for those who want to buy remarkable jewelry pieces on a limited budget. Only the rarer types with specific striations and hues or massively sized ones tend to fetch higher prices.
Citrine
This is the birthstone of November and is known for its burnt yellow color. While this earth-toned jewelry is popular now, it used to be cheap and disregarded because of its abundance. Thanks to home shopping networks that marketed its different shades, people have seen citrine’s true beauty. Today, its rich golden hue is associated with wealth.
Since this gemstone is malleable, jewelers can create intricate cuts, which are perfect for various designs. Although citrine is affordable, it has actually become rare in nature. There are fewer deposits today, with most of the world’s supply coming from the mountains of Bolivia and Brazil.
Sunstone
With its sparkling sheen, golden flecks, and red-brown hues, there’s no wonder why this gem is named as such. The sunstone contains hematite, which reflects light in parallel orientation. It has been known for many centuries but rarely used for wedding rings. Instead, it was valued for bartering and trading.
Sunstone is a very rare material and quite hard to obtain. It can be found in countries such as India, Canada, Madagascar, and Russia.
Onyx
This Leo birthstone roars bravely. A combined form of silica, morganite, and quartz, black onyx is thought to be a mighty chakra healer and is the most popular variety. There are others, however, like sardonyx, which has colored bands of red. Rating a 6.5-7 on the Mohs hardness scale, it’s ideal for jewelry. Alone, it can vary in value from $1 to $500, depending on what it’s set with. For example, white or yellow gold would be more expensive than silver.
Onyx can be found in many places, such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Indonesia, Latin America, Madagascar, UK, Uruguay, Yemen, and various US states. It’s mentioned in the Bible many times and occurs throughout history in many forms. For example, it was used in Egypt to make bowls and other pottery items.
When you get your custom jewelry, go for lesser-known but aesthetically pleasing gems like agate, citrine, sunstone, and onyx. Their extraordinary beauty will complement your choice and stand out from other diamond wedding rings in Atlanta. Visit Essex Fine Jewelry for endless options that will wow your wedding party.