The wedding industry might be doing its very best to convince us that we need a diamond engagement ring, but there's been a serious uptick in coloured gemstones when it comes to engagement ring trends [1]. Kate Middleton definitely played a part in the popularity of sapphires [2], but emeralds and rubies also make an appearance in our gallery. Don't want to stray too far into costume jewellery? That's where coloured diamonds come in. You could even opt for a raw diamond [3] for something totally unique.

Why opt for a gemstone? Well, there's the obvious answer that you usually get more bang for your buck. Of course, if you pick a massive rare sapphire, you'll still pay millions, but a large aquamarine or tanzanite is going to cost much less than a diamond of a similar size. Not every bride wants the traditional engagement solitaire, and given that it's a piece that's worn every single day for the rest of someone's life, it's far better to go for a gemstone in a colour that they love and will cherish forever. Scroll through our gallery of gorgeous coloured gemstone engagement rings (including some celebrity picks) for some inspiration that includes every shade of the rainbow.

Kate Middleton's Sapphire Ring

One of the most popular gemstone engagement rings is definitely Kate's, which previously belonged to Princess Diana.

Blake Lively's Pink Diamond

When Ryan Reynolds [4] popped the question, it was with a pink diamond ring rumoured to be worth $2.5 million.

Halle Berry's Emerald

Halle's striking emerald, given to her by Olivier Martinez, is one of a kind.

Carrie Underwood's Yellow Diamond

The yellow diamond is a stonking five carats alone.

Kelly Clarkson's Yellow Diamond

Kelly is another singer who opted for a yellow diamond.

Elizabeth Hurley's Sapphire

Shane Warne proposed to Elizabeth with a sapphire ring, with the central stone weighing in at nine carats.