Should I choose Morganite or Sapphire for my Engagement Ring?

As jewelers in this business for over 4 decades, we often get asked if Morganite or Sapphire is better for an Engagement Ring.  The answer is BOTH!  But there are important things to know about each.  In this blog, we’ll give you the information you need to make the decision that’s best for your Laurie Sarah Ring.

VALUE

When it comes to morganite colored sapphires, we may scour 50 dealers that have hundreds of thousands of different colored sapphires, and find only 5 or 6 that are that beautiful peachy pink.  Because of how rare they are, peachy pink sapphires are very valuable – especially in sizes over 2 carats.  This means their resale value can be higher.  This is a big plus for sapphire!

But for those on a tighter budget, morganite makes sense.  A 5 carat peachy pink sapphire can fetch $10-$30,000 or more, whereas a morganite of the same size will be only a few hundred or so.  So for the budget minded, this is big plus for morganite!

CLEANING

Sapphires are very similar to diamonds when it comes to cleaning.  A nice dip in our Laurie Sarah cleaner shines them right up!  They do not hold onto cosmetic product residue much at all.

Morganite is like many other colored gems that take a little more care.  While morganite itself does not become “cloudy”, its chemical composition is such that it tends to hold onto cosmetic product and soap residue which can leave a film on the gem.  Again, a nice bath with Laurie Sarah Jewelry Cleaner usually does the trick.  When the film is stubborn, a professional cleaning will restore everything back to its original beauty.  For those that love the meaning of morganite, or love its budget friendly price, a little extra care is no problem!

CLARITY

Morganite grows in large pieces, so it is much easier to find flawless pieces within the crystals.  Every Laurie Sarah morganite piece is therefore made from AAA morganite which means with the naked eye, you won’t see any inclusions.

Sapphires grow in very small pieces.  It is industry standard that it is ok for sapphire to have some visible flaws – or “birthmarks” as Laurie Sarah likes to call them.  The reason why it is acceptable is because it’s almost impossible to find a completely flawless peachy pink sapphire.  If you see a completely flawless one, it is either a fake, lab created, or if it is genuine, it will fetch a very, very high price.

Many people believe a gem should be flawless, however, as one customer put it, “No one can ever change out my sapphire without my knowledge, because it will have different birthmarks.  I like the tiny birthmarks in my sapphire because I know it’s uniquely mine.”  Because of how rare peachy pink sapphires are, these tiny birthmarks mean that each individual sapphire is truly a one-of-a-kind – no one else will have a sapphire exactly like yours – a big plus for sapphire!

MEANING

While we at Laurie Sarah love every colored stone and diamond created, many of our clients choose between Morganite and Sapphire because they are attracted to the meaning associated with the gem they choose.

HARDNESS

On the MOHS scale (a scale that rates the hardness of all gems and diamonds) diamonds rate the highest in hardness at 10.  Sapphires rate second only to diamond in hardness, coming in at 9. So they are an EXCELLENT choice for everyday wear.  It is very hard to chip, break, or scratch a sapphire – thumbs up for sapphire!

But that doesn’t leave morganite in the dust.  It is only slightly behind sapphire, coming in at 7.5-8 in hardness.  So it is still a very durable gem for every day wear.  As jewelers, because we know that morganite is a little behind sapphire, when we custom design our rings for you, we make sure morganite has just a little extra gold to protect it even more.  Thumbs up for morganite as well on this one!