Natural Stones in Rings: What They Are and How to Choose
A ring takes more knocks than any other piece of jewellery. It meets door handles, desks, keyboards and steel taps all day. So choosing a ring stone comes down to two things: how it looks, and how well it survives your hand.
Jewellers measure the second on the Mohs scale, which rates hardness from 1 to 10. Diamond is 10. A stone at 7 or above resists everyday scratches well, because ordinary dust contains quartz, which sits at 7.
The stones at a glance
| Stone | Colour | Mohs hardness | Daily ring? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapphire | Blue, also pink and yellow | 9 | Yes |
| Ruby | Red | 9 | Yes |
| Topaz | Blue, golden | 8 | Yes |
| Emerald | Green | 7.5 to 8 | Yes, with care |
| Amethyst | Purple | 7 | Yes |
| Garnet | Deep red | 6.5 to 7.5 | Yes, with care |
| Moonstone | Milky white with a glow | 6 to 6.5 | Occasional |
| Opal | Shifting flashes of colour | 5.5 to 6.5 | Occasional |
| Turquoise | Blue-green | 5 to 6 | Occasional |
The hard-wearing ones
Sapphire and ruby are the same mineral, corundum. Red corundum is called ruby, and every other colour is sapphire. Only diamond is harder, which is why both have been ring favourites for centuries.
Topaz is nearly as tough and far easier on the pocket. Blue topaz is the shade most people know.
The one with character
Emerald is hard, but it almost always has tiny internal marks. Jewellers call them the jardin, French for garden. They make each stone unique and also a little prone to chipping. A bezel setting, where metal wraps the edge, protects it well.
The affordable beauties
Amethyst belongs to the quartz family, so it is durable and widely available. Garnet gives a deep wine red at a fraction of ruby's price. Both are good first gemstone rings.
The soft ones
Moonstone, opal and turquoise are loved for effects no hard stone can copy: glow, flashes, that matte sea-blue. But they scratch more easily. Keep them for rings you wear on occasion, or choose them in earrings and pendants, where they take fewer knocks.
Pearls belong here too. They are organic gems, not stones, and softer than everything on this list.
Natural, lab-grown or simulant?
These three words are worth knowing before you buy.
- Natural stones are mined from the earth.
- Lab-grown stones are the same mineral, made in a laboratory.
- Simulants look similar but are a different material. Cubic zirconia is the best known.
None is "fake" if it is sold for what it is. What matters is that you are told clearly.
Most Foramour rings use AAA-grade cubic zirconia in these gemstone colours. We chose it on purpose. It is hard enough for daily wear, and it lets you enjoy emerald green on a Tuesday without saving it for a wedding. See the Toi et Moi Ring in emerald green and white, the Marquise Ruby CZ Ring, or the cluster ring in sapphire and topaz blues.
Where we do use natural stones, we put them where they stay safe. Try the Emerald Huggie Earrings, the Real Turquoise Chandelier Hoops, or the Natural Jade Heart Necklace.
How to choose yours
Pick the colour you keep reaching for in your wardrobe. Then check hardness against how often you will wear it. Browse all our rings to find the one.
