Choosing Pastel Coloured Gemstone Combinations for a Graduation Gift

This week I'm looking at different colour combinations for a bespoke ring which will be a graduation present. As well as stone colour, it’s important to consider hardness and resilience of stones, as well as intended use. If you expect to wear your ring every day, whether you’re in the office, washing the dishes or working out in the gym, then it’s important to pick stones that can withstand impact and exposure to chemicals. It doesn’t mean that you can never put certain stones into a ring, but you need to be informed and helped to make choices accordingly. Sometimes the choice of stone setting or overall design of the ring can mitigate certain risks of scratching or wear and tear.  For the green stone, we have been looking at 2 stones.  Peridot, for example, is 6.5 to 7 on Moh hardness scape.  It can be prone to scratching and if it has inclusions it could shatter, though it's not particularly sensitive to chemicals.  Tsavorite garnet, on the other hand, is a little harder (7 to 7.5) and more durable, though it might not be available in the same cuts and sizes as peridot.