One of the questions I am asked most often when someone is considering a custom piece of jewellery is, "How do I choose the right gemstone?"

Whether it's for an engagement ring, a significant milestone, or a piece that marks a chapter in life, the gemstone often becomes the heart of the design.

It's a good question.

After all, there are so many options. Sapphires in every colour imaginable, tourmalines, spinels, garnets, diamonds, aquamarines and countless others. It can feel overwhelming if you're not looking at gemstones every day.

What I have learned over the years is that the answer is rarely found by starting with a list of gemstones. Instead, it starts with the person.

Many clients come to me convinced they already know what stone they want. Sometimes they have seen a photograph online. Sometimes a friend has a particular gemstone they admire. Sometimes they have read about a stone's meaning or rarity. And sometimes, after seeing a selection of gemstones in person, they choose something completely different.

There is something about seeing a gemstone with your own eyes that photographs simply cannot capture. A gemstone isn't just a colour. It has depth, movement and personality. It changes in different light. It reveals itself slowly. What looks perfect on a screen can feel surprisingly flat in person. Equally, a gemstone that seemed unremarkable in a photograph can suddenly come alive when it catches the light.

That moment is one of my favourite parts of creating bespoke jewellery. When a client sees a stone and immediately connects with it, there is often very little discussion needed after that. They simply know.

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There is no "best' gemstone

People often assume there is a hierarchy of gemstones. That diamonds sit at the top. That rarity determines value. That expensive automatically means better.

In reality, the best gemstone is the one that resonates with the person who will wear it.

For some people, that might be a deep blue sapphire that reminds them of the ocean. For others, it might be a soft green tourmaline, a rich pink spinel or a beautifully coloured garnet.

The gemstone that becomes meaningful is not always the rarest or most expensive. It is the one that feels right.

Many people are surprised when I say that choosing a gemstone is not about finding the most valuable stone.

Diamonds are wonderful gemstones. They are durable, beautiful and have earned their place in jewellery history.

But they are not the only choice.

One of the joys of creating bespoke jewellery is discovering the incredible variety that exists beyond what we see in traditional jewellery stores. Natural sapphires, spinels, garnets, tourmalines and many other gemstones offer colours and character that simply cannot be compared to a diamond.

The question is rarely "Which gemstone is best?" The more interesting question is, "Which gemstone feels most like you?"

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The search is part of the story

One of the reasons I love creating custom jewellery is the opportunity to source gemstones specifically for each project. When we begin a commission, I often spend time searching through parcels of gemstones, contacting trusted suppliers and looking for stones that fit both the design and the person.

Sometimes the perfect gemstone appears immediately. Sometimes it takes patience. Occasionally a gemstone arrives that is technically everything we were looking for, yet somehow isn't quite right. Then another arrives and everything falls into place.

Those moments never lose their magic.

Even after all these years, opening a parcel of gemstones still feels a little like Christmas morning.

The search itself becomes part of the story of the finished piece.

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Colour matters more than most people realise

When choosing a gemstone, colour is often far more important than size.

A beautifully coloured gemstone will always draw the eye.

This is one of the reasons natural coloured sapphires have become increasingly popular for custom jewellery, engagement rings and future heirloom pieces. They offer an extraordinary range of colours and individuality that allows each piece to feel personal.

No two stones are exactly alike.

For many people, that uniqueness is part of the appeal.

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The right gemstone is the one that means something to you

When I think about the custom jewellery pieces that clients treasure most, it is rarely because the gemstone was the largest, rarest or most valuable.

It is because the stone represents something.

A place.

A memory.

A milestone.

A relationship.

A version of themselves.

The jewellery we keep for a lifetime is seldom chosen with logic alone.

The pieces that become part of our story are often chosen with our hearts.

And perhaps that is why finding the right gemstone is never really about gemstones at all.

It is about finding a small piece of the natural world that feels as though it was waiting for you all along.

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