We all have a special connection to our birthstone or the birthstone of people we love. Color gemstones are an option you should consider for your center stone or accent stones when looking for a unique and meaningful engagement ring.

Diamonds have always been the number one choice for engagement ring centers for many  reasons, but mostly because they are the hardest precious gemstone on earth. Other gemstones come close, which means they can be worn daily.  Several birthstones are too fragile for daily wear and tear and should only be worn for special occasions. For birthstones in the latter category, our editor Severine still managed to  find beautiful settings that protect the center stone such as bezels. However, there’s still a strong possibility that these stones could get damaged overtime. You can take the risk of picking a soft stone as your center and be as careful as possible. Keep in mind that in most cases replacing the center stone is not as expensive as if it were a diamond.

For this feature , we asked the experts at  AGTA (American Gem Trade Association)  to tell us all the facts about each birthstone, how to take care of them and their opinion on whether they should be worn as an engagement ring. Special thanks to their marketing manager, Megan Whitmire for all her help.