OK you’ve got a May birthstone to consider as you design your own mothers ring. That means you’ll be looking for an affordable semi-precious stone as you customize the mothers ring. Here are some things to know:

May Birthstone

The Emerald, among the most precious of gemstones, is the May birthstone for mothers rings. It is most known for its dazzling green color and even prompted the special “emerald cut” look now used to cut diamonds and other precious stones. The emerald, owing in part to the green time of year with spring, is thought to symbolize fertility, rebirth and growth. It is also linked to patience and wisdom.

Emerald Birthstone Advice

When looking at emeralds, look for color as the most important indicator of value; even a larger stone with poor green color won’t be worth as much as a smaller stone with a dazzling bright green. In the end, cut on emeralds matters less because many are so dark that they don’t get the dazzling sparkly as seen with well-cut diamonds or other precious stones.

May Birthstone Cost

Emeralds, for a precious stone, can be affordable depending on the color. Some emeralds are so dark in color they have little clarity and can be had for well under $100. A small stone with nice color but poor clarity can still be had for about $100. At the other end of the spectrum, dazzling green emeralds that are 2 carats or more typically cost about $7,000 or more.

Budget Helper: Synthetic Emeralds

Synthetic emeralds – those grown in a lab – have become increasingly popular for May mothers rings because they are in fact, real emeralds of the same mineral makeup. The challenge is they are too good – with virtually no cracks and very vibrant colors very rarely found in nature, so they would be considered extremely rare and valuable if they were not man-made. The good news is they typically cost 90 percent less than a natural emerald of the same size. Look for words such as "man-made" or “synthetic” to differentiate when shopping.

May Birth Flower

May mothers rings are bets given along with the flower of the month for May, Lillies of the Valley, symbolizing hope, fertility and a return of happiness.

In the end, the dazzling green look of emerald birthstone rings look fantastic against both a sterling silver mothers ring setting and a traditional 14K gold setting, so regardless of your budget a May birthstone mothers ring will be the perfect family keepsake for generations.