Ring or Pendant? Matching a Gemstone to How You Wear It

Most of our customers buy a loose stone with a ring in mind, often a men's ring. Some stones are made for that life. Others are happier hanging from a chain. This guide helps you match the stone to the way you will wear it.

Start with hardness

Hardness is a stone's resistance to scratching. Ordinary dust contains quartz, which is hardness 7. Anything softer than 7 will slowly pick up scratches and lose its polish if it rubs against the world every day.

Toughness is different

Toughness is resistance to chipping and breaking. Jade is only around 6 to 7 in hardness but very tough, so it survives knocks well. Emerald is harder but often included and brittle, so a sharp blow can crack it. Topaz has a cleavage plane and can split if struck at the wrong angle. Think about both before choosing.

Settings: bezel or prongs

Bezel

A bezel is a metal rim that wraps the stone's edge. It protects the girdle, which is where most chips start. It also holds the stone firmly and suits active hands. Bezels are the safest choice for softer or brittle stones such as opal, emerald, turquoise and coral. The trade-off is that less light enters from the sides, so a transparent stone can look slightly darker.

Prongs

Prongs, or claws, are small metal tips that grip the stone. They let in more light, so faceted stones like sapphire and topaz sparkle more. Four prongs show more of the stone. Six hold it more securely. Prongs can catch on clothing and bend over time, so have them checked every year or so.

Open or closed back

Many traditional rings in Pakistan leave the back of the stone open so it touches the skin. That is a tradition linked with astrological wear, and many people ask for it. An open back also lets light through, which helps transparent stones. A closed back protects fragile stones and is common for opal doublets.

Metals

• Silver: affordable, easy to work, and traditional for many stones, including Aqeeq, Feroza and Marjan. It is soft and tarnishes, so prongs wear faster. A bezel in silver lasts well.
• Gold: stronger in alloy, does not tarnish, and suits yellow and warm stones. Most gold jewellery in Pakistan is 21 or 22 karat, which is softer than the 18 karat often used for gem settings elsewhere. Ask your jeweller what suits the design.
• Panchdhaat: a traditional alloy of five metals, used in South Asia for rings worn with astrological stones. Recipes vary between workshops. We mention it as tradition; its value lies in custom and taste.

Sizes on the hand

Size is personal, but some ranges work well.

• Men's rings: 3 to 8 ct is the usual range. Dense stones like sapphire look smaller for their weight, so a 5 ct Neelam is modest. Light stones like Aqeeq can go much larger.
• Women's rings: 1 to 3 ct suits most hands and everyday wear.
• Pendants: anything from 2 ct upward. Pendants are the best home for large, light or soft stones, because they take far fewer knocks.

Always check the millimetre size against your finger width. A long oval looks bigger than a round of the same weight. Our ratti, carat and gram guide helps you convert weights you have been given.

Stones that suit pendants

Pearl, coral, malachite and amber are lovely stones that simply do not like daily friction. Pearls in particular are dulled by perfume and sweat as much as by scratches. In a pendant they stay bright for decades. See our soft stone care guide for more.

Cabochon or faceted

A cabochon is a smooth, domed stone with no facets. It has no sharp corners to chip, so it is the sturdier shape for a ring. Opaque stones like Aqeeq, Feroza and cat's eye are nearly always cut this way. Faceted stones sparkle more but carry thin edges and points. If you choose a pear or marquise shape, ask for the tip to sit inside a protective V of metal.

A few practical tips

• Take rings off for gym, gardening, cleaning and washing up.
• Store rings apart so harder stones cannot scratch softer ones.
• Ask your jeweller not to heat the stone while sizing the ring. Many stones dislike heat.
• Keep the stone unset until you have checked it is what you wanted. Our returns apply to unset stones only.