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THE NEW I DO! WHY A MOISSANITE ENGAGEMENT RING IS PERFECT FOR THE ECO-CONSCIOUS COUPLE
If like me, you’re determined to have as little impact on the environment as possible. Planning a wedding can be a minefield when trying to reduce your carbon footprint. From the minute we got engaged I knew I wanted our wedding to be as eco-friendly as possible, opting for a small ceremony, we held everything at the same venue to reduce the need for travel, our food was all vegan, my dress was handmade and all our flowers grown in the UK, my makeup artist used vegan, cruelty free products, I up-cycled or made almost all of our decorative items and used dried flowers at the venue so I could keep them afterwards. OK it wasn’t perfect and I could have done so much more but I tried to be as mindful as possible. The same went for our engagement and wedding rings. I made sure early on that the diamonds in my engagement ring were ethical conflict-free diamonds whilst Mr T opted for a wooden wedding ring that was crafted from salvaged and sustainable materials.
And it’s not just us, there has been a big change in the way newly engaged couples are planning their weddings as they become more eco-concious and one tradition that’s becoming less and less popular is the need to buy the biggest and most shiny diamond ring. Couples are choosing to ditch the diamonds altogether, in order to avoid buying mined diamonds and instead, looking to lab grown diamonds and gemstones.
Lily Arkwright specialise in lab grown fine jewellery including the very best quality moissanite, lab diamonds and precious coloured gemstone engagement rings.
They set the worlds premium moissanite, Forever One by Charles & Colvard – the original creator of Moissanite and are proud authorised UK retailers. Additionally they set a huge selection of Lumoie moissanite, certified lab diamonds and natural diamonds in a variety of 18K white, yellow, rose golds and platinum precious metals. All their collections are crafted here in the UK and they also ship globally. We spoke with the team at Lily Arkwright and asked them to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about moissanite engagement rings. Read on for their answers, and be sure to include your questions and answers in the comments below:
Why should people consider moissanite engagement ring?
At Lily Arkwright we really respect people’s choice and offer a wide selection of precious gemstones. Simply put, pound for pound moissanite is typically 90% cheaper than an equivalent diamond and is lab grown ensuring no negative mining practices that is often associated with mined diamonds.
Conventionally the vast majority engagement rings on the market are diamond set solitaires and typically range in cost between £2,000 – £15,000 depending upon the colour, cut and clarity. We retail a large collection of solitaires between £400 – £1,000 offering huge savings compared to high street jewellers.
What exactly is moissanite?
Moissanite precious stones are a great alternative to diamonds; Moissanite is a naturally occurring gemstone that was first discovered in the late 19th century and is actually rarer than diamonds. Nearly all moissanite today is lab grown; the laboratory recreates the natural pressures and conditions needed for moissanite to form naturally. This creates a physically identical gemstone to the naturally occurring mineral, lab grown, sustainable and ethically produced.
Diamonds have a brilliance refractive index of 242, while our Charles & Colvard Forever One moissanite stones have a refractive index as high as 269 for the ultimate sparkle. In comparison, rubies, emeralds and sapphires have around half the refractive index of moissanite and diamonds. Moissanite is one of the hardest materials on earth and is rated at 9.25 on the Mohs scale of hardness, just behind a diamond that is rated as a 10, both are incredibly scratch resistant.
The difference between moissanite and diamonds is very difficult to discern unless you’re a practiced jeweller – in terms of lustre, durability and shine, moissanite is just as worthy of gracing your engagement rings as diamonds.
We urge all our customers to consider a moissanite stone for your engagement ring, opting for Moissanite allows you to choose a larger comparable diamond carat and colour variant at a fraction of the price of a mined diamond.
We create some of the most refined moissanite engagement rings in the world at an affordable price. We use the highest quality materials and British craftsmanship to create sustainable moissanite rings.
We’re proud Assay Assured jewellery retails & UK hallmarked all our rings in line with struct UK laws.
Why should I choose Charles & Colvard Forever One?
We retail Charles & Colvard Forever One Colourless D-F Moissanite, the world’s premium moissanite. Charles & Colvard are the leading source and global distributor of lab grown moissanite, whose gemstones rank well above any competing moissanite on the market today.
Forever One moissanite clarity falls between internally flawless and very slightly included offering unparalleled quality obtainable only through Charles & Colvard’s unique patented process perfected over years of experience.
This meticulous production process follows extremely high standards of quality control, with each gemstone tested for quality, cut and purity, examined in detail by professional grading experts to ensure each gemstone is free from imperfections that could decrease optical performance, important to maximising the brilliance and fire moissanite is renowned for.
Each Charles & Colvard stone comes with a limited lifetime warranty which assures that all Charles & Colvard moissanite will maintain its fire and brilliance for the lifetime of the owner.
Do you also set coloured gemstones, such as Rubies & Emeralds?
We certainly do, all our coloured gemstones are sourced and produced by Chatham, a company founded over 75 years ago who today are the world’s leading source of high-quality laboratory-grown gems. With many unique and distinguishing shapes and cuts, Chatham have strict standards for proportions, faceting and polishing that ensure that all gemstones have maximum brilliance, high clarity, and vivid colour. Chatham employ strict quality
control during production that ensures extremely high standards are met each and every time, even if that means 80% of the rough crystal is lost. Selective picking is a crucial part of Chatham’s reputation and this is reflected by averages of 1 in every 200 lab produced gemstones meeting strict standards for colour and clarity.
Another attractive aspect of our lab grown gemstones mean that we are able to provide a variety of shapes that are almost impossible to find in mined gemstones. Chatham’s production process ensures all gemstones are ethically produced and all gemstones are rich in colour and cut providing that very special sparkle
We stock a wide variety of the very best lab grown Chatham coloured gemstones, including emeralds, rubies & sapphires. Each gem takes in excess of a year to grow, our Ruby gems start with a naturally mined seed of fine Colombian ruby with perfect colour, created within a controlled environment rich in chromium to give ruby gems a rich red hue, flawless in clarity and highly saturated in colour.
Our Chatham lifetime guarantee means you can wear a ruby engagement ring without worry. We think the quality and beauty of our lab-grown rubies make them a better choice than mined.
Can you tell me a bit more about Lumoie moissanite
We use our own brand Lumoie Moissanite stone that we produce directly compared to our standard Charles & Colvard Moissanite stones we stock as standard throughout our range. There’s very little visual difference, both stones are classed as colourless, C&C Forever One is rated as a D-F, whilst Lumoie is a D rating. Neither stone has an official clarity rating, but are both free from any inclusions visible to the naked eye. As we produce our Lumoie stones directly we are able to offer a significant saving compared to our C&C gemstones that we source direct from our partners Charles & Colvard.
Can you explain the difference between a standard round cut moissanite and a round Hearts & Arrows Cut?
Both our standard Charles & Colvard, Forever One and Hearts & Arrows stones have identical colour & clarity ratings, the H&A cut has 58 facets that are precisely cut in order to produce 8 arrows seen through the crown (top) of the stone when viewed under specific lighting conditions. When viewed from the pavilion (bottom) of the stone, 8 perfectly proportional hearts appear.
The H&A cut is a marker of a well cut diamond and your moissanite stone closely resembles a more diamond-like sparkle and appearance. If you want to opt for a diamond alternative and mimic a diamond as close possible, the H&A is a great choice. I have provided a link for you below which will take you to our H&A information page, which has some really useful information about this beautiful cut.
Is it possible to customise one of your ring collections or design a bespoke engagement ring?
Absolutely, customised and bespoke jewellery has become increasingly popular in recent years. You will receive one to one first class support from the conception of your design to delivery. We provide no obligation quotations on all our bespoke rings and you can send across any ideas and inspiration to our team who are always on hand to discuss your requirements.
We pride ourselves on our quick response time to customer queries and the bespoke team will listen and accommodate to your needs. Trends will come and go but something you truly love will always bring you joy. Enjoy the freedom to be able to express yourself through personalisation.
Is Lily Arkwright a trusted retailer?
We are committed to our customers and our extremely knowledgeable team of jewellery consultants work hard to ensure the highest quality service possible, offering expert advice and personalised customer service 7 days a week.
Our jewellery features only the best quality centre stones, from the world’s premium Forever One Moissanite to Chatham gemstones, the world’s leading lab grown coloured gemstones, and only the highest quality certified lab diamonds, to ensure our customers receive the highest quality jewellery possible, produced in an ethical and sustainable supply chain in align with our strong values.
We are proud that all our jewellery is crafted, tested and hallmarked in the UK. Our status as an Assay Assured jewellery retailer guarantees that we exceed all hallmarking standards set by law, so you can trust that you will receive the finest British craftsmanship when purchasing a Lily Arkwright ring.
Lily Arkwright are honored members of the National Association of Jewellers, the UK’s leading jewellery trade association. As a member we have been assessed by the association and abide by a strict code of conduct so our customers can be rest assured that they will receive outstanding service and the highest quality products from a trusted retailer.
We come highly recommended by previous customers, having achieved a glowing 5 star rating on Google, Trust Pilot, Facebook and Yell alongside extensive positive customer reviews.
If you’re looking for an alternative, more eco friendly engagement or wedding ring, head to LilyArkwright.com for ethical and sustainable luxurious jewellery that lasts a lifetime.
