The Best Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring in 7 Steps

What is Pink Sapphire?

Pink Sapphire is – wait for it – the pink variety of a gem family called Corundum (its sister is Ruby!). Sapphire is one of the most durable gems out there at a 9/10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which makes it a great choice for an engagement ring. This pink stone symbolizes tranquility and the gaining of knowledge.

7 Easy Steps to Choosing the Best Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring

1. Choose Natural vs Lab-Created Pink Sapphire

The first step in choosing a stunning Pink Sapphire engagement ring is selecting whether you want a Natural or a Lab gem. Couples choose one or the other for various reasons, including cost, sustainability, and tradition.

Natural Pink Sapphire

Natural Pink Sapphire is mined from the Earth. It naturally occurs in various shades of pink, from light to dark, and from orangey to flamingo pink, to slightly purplish. It is a rare gem and considered one of the four “precious gemstones.” Couples choose Natural gems for several reasons, including:

1. Mystique. They love the mystique of something so bright and beautiful being made by our planet.
2. Rarity and Value. Natural stones are also often chosen for legacy purposes. In other words, couples want their engagement ring to be something that’s handed down generation after generation. So, they choose something that is rare, which they believe will retain value better.
3. Tradition and Prestige. Choosing a Natural stone also continues traditional practices, whereas Lab stones are a newcomer to the market. For example, the Royal engagement of Princess Diana and Princess Eugenie are Natural Sapphire Engagement Rings.

Lab-Created Pink Sapphire

Scientists create Lab Sapphire for our pleasure! Lab Sapphires have the exact same chemical and visual properties as the natural kind. So, it’s still a 9/10 in hardness, and it still comes in a variety of pink shades. Also, Lab Sapphire is eye clean and comes in a bigger variety of sizes and shapes than its natural counterpart. Couples choose Lab gems for several reasons, including:

1. Sustainability. Production of Lab Pink Sapphire by scientists is a much more sustainable practice than mining gems (which often requires tunneling and digging into the Earth).
2. Size and Shape. Because humans control how large to grow Lab Pink Sapphire crystals in our labs, we also get to pick out how big our finished gems are. This is unlike natural gems, which comes in whatever shape and size the Earth gives us. So, the flexibility of shape and size is another reason some couples choose Lab Pink Sapphire.
3. Cost. Making Lab Sapphire in a laboratory is much less expensive than mining a natural stone. As a result, Lab Sapphire is sold at a much lower price.

2. Choose Pink Sapphire Color

After choosing Natural or Lab, the next step is choosing the color. Pink Sapphire comes in a variety of them! The most valuable Natural Pink Sapphire color is a medium (not too dark, not too light) Pink, with no purple hints. Padparadscha Sapphire is an orangey-Pink lotus blossom color and is also highly desirable. Most people know right off the bat the look they’re going for. And, it’s usually something like “baby pink,” “pink,” or “hot pink.” Am I right? Cool. Let’s look at some options:

Light

Good news! Light Pink Sapphire is less expensive than darker shades! So, the more important thing to think about with a light pink stone is the quality of its cut and its eye clean clarity (more on that below!). Natural Light Pink stones can have hints of purple or orange in it, so consider if you want “pastel pink,” “lilac,” or “peach.” Lab Light Pink Sapphire, on the other hand, comes in only one shade: a peachy-pink “champagne.” 

Medium

Medium-toned Pink Sapphire is the most common color you’ll see. It is an even, pretty rose hue. Just as in all shades of Pink, medium-tone Natural Sapphires can have orangey or purplish hints, which some people love. Others prefer a simple, bright Pink. People often call Natural Medium-tone stones simply “pink,” “lavender,” or “coral.” Those choosing Lab Sapphire will get a beautiful pure Pink gem.

Dark/Hot Pink

While most gemstones have “dark” tones which near black, because Pink is really just red+white, such a dark version of Pink doesn’t really exist. As a result, most people refer to “Dark Pink” as “Hot Pink.” This passionate shade can also look “raspberry” or “strawberry.”

Pro Tip! Natural Pink Sapphire can sometimes have a brownish tint to it (gemologists call this “low saturation”). These gems are not nearly as valuable as those with clean, clear color. 

3. Choose Shape and Size

So, you’ve now chosen a Natural or Lab Pink Sapphire engagement ring, and you’ve picked out what color you want. Now let’s discuss shape and size.

Common Natural Shapes

Because of the way Sapphire crystals naturally grow, some shapes and sizes are more common. In Natural Sapphire, these shapes are Oval, Emerald, Pear, and Cushion. Round stones can be found in smaller sizes but are not typical in sizes over 1.00ct. Princess cuts are hardly ever faceted above 1.00ct.

Common Lab-Created Shapes

Lab Sapphire is available in every shape and size! So, if you’re looking for a Princess cut Pink Sapphire engagement ring, or perhaps a large Round or Heart cut, a Lab Sapphire may be exactly what you need.

4. Get the Best Pink Sapphire Clarity

Sapphire is a “Type 2” gemstone, which means it naturally has a few internal marks (“inclusions“). In Sapphire, these inclusions are typically “fingerprints” (partially healed cracks in the gem) and “crystals” (tiny pieces of other gems in your stone). However, there are plenty of gems in which these inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. Gem experts call this “eye clean.” So, take a close look at your gem to make sure you can’t see any “fingerprints” or “crystals.” The most beautiful pink sapphires are those which have no eye-visible inclusions! Those choosing Lab Pink Sapphire can skip this step – they’re eye clean!

5. Get Top Cut Quality

While you’re there looking for fingerprints and crystals, lemme have you look at one more thing. You want the facets and color of your Sapphire to be even. “Facets” are the little cuts all over your Sapphire. To look for symmetrical facets, draw an imaginary line down the center of your stone. Then, compare the facets on the left side to the right side. Do they mirror each other? Or are some of them kinda wonky? Slight differences are acceptable (no one’s perfect), but haphazard faceting can be pretty distracting. As a result, you’ll want to look for a gem that has been well cut, with facets that mirror one another.

Gem cutter’s note: Also, make sure that the color of your gem looks even throughout. Poor cutting can also result in “windows.” Windows occur when a gem is cut too shallowly, and it looks like there’s a see-through pool in the center of your stone.

6. Pink Sapphire Treatments (Choose Heat Only!)

Many gemstones undergo certain “treatments” to make them more beautiful or stable to wear. These treatments are not detectable to the naked eye, and often require gem testing to discover. As a result, it is imperative you ask your jeweler if the stone you’re buying has been treated, and if so, how.

Most Natural Pink Sapphire is heated to improve color and clarity before being faceted into the gorgeous stones you’ve been looking at. Heat treating is so common, in fact, that gem experts presume gems are heated unless they’re specifically sold as “no heat.” In other words, if your Pink Sapphire has been heat-treated, it’s nothing to worry about.

On the other hand, any treatment other than heat in your Sapphire is a huge red flag. Treatment that you should be wary of include beryllium diffusion and irradiation. Both of these treatments greatly lower the value of your gem – you don’t want that! Luckily, these types of treatments are pretty rare. Choosing a certified stone, or having a gemologist test the gem, are two additional ways of ensuring your purchase.

7. Pick the Perfect Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring Settings

You did it! You picked the perfect stone. Now let’s set it in a gorgeous setting! One of the great things about Pink Sapphire is it looks great in all metals. Accordingly, you can pick from white, pink, or yellow gold, as well as Platinum and Palladium! I tend to think that colored stones look best with diamond accents. They set each other off! Here are a few of our favorite Pink Sapphire engagement ring settings:

What’s The Best Value in a Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring?

The best value in a Natural Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring can be found by choosing a lighter pink center stone that is well cut and bright. Because the biggest factor which impacts cost in Sapphire is color, choosing a lighter-toned stone will give you the biggest bang for your buck! Another great value is choosing a halo-style ring. This allows you to select a smaller center stone at a better price, while still getting a big look. You can even encircle it with Pink Sapphire too! Finally, couples that want the biggest look for their dollar should consider a Lab Pink Sapphire engagement ring.

Can You Help Me Build the Perfect Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring?

I’d love to! My name is Corinne, I’m the gemologist, and I’m here to help! Email me here or drop me a note here and tell me a little about the ring you’re envisioning. We’ll make you something beautiful (and on a budget!).