Buying an Engagement Ring in Bali? Here's What You Should Know.

Our 18K gold starts with traceable, mercury free gold sourced from artisanal women miners in Indonesian Borneo. We work directly with mining communities and pay a premium for gold produced without mercury or cyanide. 

Mercury is commonly used in artisanal gold mining to separate gold from other minerals. It is toxic to people and can contaminate surrounding rivers, soils and ecosystems.

Working with miners who don't use mercury helps support safer mining practices and creates a market for responsibly produced gold.

You can read more about our ethical gold sourcing and meet Ibu Gineng, one of the women behind our gold.

Our silver jewelry is made with recycled sterling silver. Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver, with the remaining 7.5% consisting of other metals that give it additional strength. We use recycled silver, since we haven't found a reliably ethical source for newly mined silver.  

For everyday engagement rings, we generally recommend 18K gold over silver if your budget allows, particularly for delicate designs or valuable gemstones. Gold offers greater resistance to wear and deformation, although the design and alloy matter too.

We work with natural gemstones rather than lab grown alternatives. Our diamonds include stones mined in Indonesia (Java and Kalimantan), and we also source from countries such as Australia, Canada and Botswana.

Knowing where a diamond was mined isn't the same as knowing its color or clarity grade. It means having information about the people and businesses involved in its journey.

We want you to know more about your gemstone than its carat weight.

Gardens of the Sun became a Certified B Corporation in 2023. B Corp certification evaluates a company's social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. It isn't a certification that guarantees every individual ring has zero environmental impact, but it does mean our commitments are assessed beyond our own marketing claims.

We believe an ethical jeweler should be able to explain their material sourcing, provide evidence where available, and be open about what they do and don't know.

That's the kind of transparency we'd encourage you to look for wherever you buy your engagement ring.

Not always. Just because a jeweler tells you a ring is 14K, 18K, 22K or even 24K gold doesn't mean that's what you're actually getting. And a hallmark stamped inside the ring isn't proof either.

Real 24K gold is almost pure gold, which makes it relatively soft. It scratches, bends and deforms more easily than lower karat gold alloys. So if a jeweler tells you a very thin, intricate engagement ring is made entirely from 24K gold, we'd certainly ask some questions, even if only for the long term wear consequences. 

There are some worrying stories from travelers who've bought jewelry in Bali. In this Reddit discussion about engagement rings in Bali, one commenter describes encountering cases where people bought supposedly 18K to 24K gold in Denpasar, only to return to Australia and discover it tested below 9K, or worse: simply gold plated.

In another Reddit story, a traveler bought what they were told was sterling silver in Ubud. After returning home and having it tested, they reported finding mostly copper and zinc underneath a silver plating.

These are personal accounts, not independently verified laboratory findings. But they're good reasons to shop from reputable places or asking for verification of the gold content. 

There are two common methods jewelers test gold purity in Bali. The first is scratch testing (touchstone and acid testing). The jeweler rubs the gold against a dark testing stone, leaving a streak of metal. Different acids are applied to the streak, and the reaction is compared with gold of known purity. It's inexpensive and widely used, but only provides an approximate result. It depends on the tester's experience and can be misleading with plated jewelry.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) testing involves directing X-rays at the jewelry and measuring the signals emitted by the different metals. It can identify gold, silver, copper, nickel and other elements, and calculate their approximate percentages. It's faster, non-destructive and generally more precise than scratch testing, especially when properly calibrated.

But even XRF has limitations. It primarily examines the metal near the surface, so a thick layer of gold plating can sometimes hide a lower purity alloy underneath. In fact, GIA documented exactly this problem in 2025. One pendant submitted as solid 18K gold turned out to have a 10K gold base underneath an 18K gold plated surface. The plating could even cause an XRF instrument to overestimate the gold purity.

This isn't a problem unique to Bali. It happens elsewhere in the jewelry industry too.

Our advice? Buy from a reputable jeweler who knows the composition of their gold, can explain how it was tested, and is willing to show you proof in the form of test results.

At Gardens of the Sun, we're happy to share the laboratory report from our latest gold testing and explain exactly what was tested. Because when you're paying for 18K gold, you should be getting 18K gold.

You may notice that gold jewelry sold in Indonesia and other parts of Asia often has a stronger yellow color than gold jewelry you're used to seeing in Europe or the United States. In many Indonesian jewelry traditions, rich yellow gold is associated with high purity, and that influences the colors customers prefer.

But color alone isn't a reliable indication of gold content. Yellow and rose gold commonly contain copper and silver. More copper tends to create a warmer, pinker or redder tone, while silver, zinc and other metals can lighten the color.

White gold is mixed with metals such as silver, palladium or nickel to reduce the natural yellow color of gold. Nickel can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people, which is why we don't use it in our jewelry. Our 18K white gold uses palladium to create a naturally whiter alloy without needing rhodium plating.

Two rings can both contain 75% gold and look noticeably different because of the other metals in the alloy.

A trustworthy jeweler should know the metals used in their gold and be able to explain the composition.

Read more about white gold and why some white gold rings turn yellow.

Yes, although not every jeweler in Bali sells diamonds with GIA grading reports. The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, is internationally recognized for diamond grading. Its diamond reports can provide information about the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight.

There's no GIA diamond grading laboratory in Indonesia. Some jewelers stock diamonds that have already been graded by GIA, but having a new diamond graded usually means sending it to an overseas gem lab. That involves additional handling, insured international shipping, customs procedures and laboratory fees. Depending on the circumstances, import taxes and other costs may also apply. So expect to pay extra for a GIA certified diamond. 

For natural Indonesian diamonds, local independent gemological laboratories can be a more practical option. We've worked with LPSB, a government owned laboratory in South Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan Gem Laboratory, a women-owned gem lab. Both have GIA Graduate Gemologists on their teams and have provided diamond reports for stones we've sourced.

A report prepared by a GIA-trained gemologist isn't the same as a GIA report. Each laboratory issues its own documentation, and the information and testing provided may differ.

Before purchasing, ask exactly what the report confirms, including whether the diamond is natural, its measurements, and which quality characteristics have been assessed. And remember that a jeweler's own certificate of authenticity isn't equivalent to independent laboratory grading.

If a diamond comes with an existing GIA report, you can check its details using GIA Report Check.

A GIA diamond certificate says nothing about a diamond's origin. A standard GIA diamond grading report describes a diamond's identity and quality. It doesn't automatically establish where the diamond was mined or whether the people involved in mining it were treated fairly.

There are specialized diamond origin verification services, but an ordinary grading report shouldn't be confused with evidence of responsible sourcing.

The same goes for diamonds described as "conflict free". That label alone doesn't guarantee environmentally responsible mining, safe working conditions or fair payment.

If ethical sourcing matters to you, ask where the diamond was mined, how it reached the jeweler, and what documentation supports those claims.

Diamond grading and gemstone traceability answer two very different questions.

You can find natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds and diamond alternatives in Bali. 

Natural diamonds formed deep within the Earth over billions of years. Lab grown diamonds are manufactured using technology that produces the same crystal structure and chemical composition as natural diamonds. Both are real diamonds, but their origins and market values differ.

Moissanite and cubic zirconia are different materials that can resemble diamonds. If you're buying a more expensive natural diamond, ask whether independent laboratory documentation is available.

At Gardens of the Sun, we work exclusively with natural diamonds from known origins, including diamonds mined in Indonesia.

Not necessarily. A ring's price depends on the gold purity and weight, gemstone quality, design, production costs and the jeweler's pricing. You may find affordable handcrafted jewelry in Bali, but don't assume that a gold ring is a bargain simply because you're buying it in Indonesia.

Gold has an internationally traded market value, and diamonds vary enormously in price according to their characteristics. If one jeweler offers an 18K gold diamond ring for dramatically less than another, ask why. It could be a lighter gold band, a smaller diamond, a lower gold purity, a different gemstone, or gold plating rather than solid gold.

Whether you're buying a ready-made engagement ring in Seminyak, browsing jewelry stores in Ubud, or commissioning a custom gold ring in Sanur, these are the questions we'd recommend asking.

Is the ring solid gold or gold plated? Ask what the metal is made from, not just what color it is.

What's the gold purity? Is it 9K, 14K, 18K, 22K or 24K, and how has that been verified?

What other metals are used? Particularly important if you have nickel allergies.

Is the gemstone natural, lab grown or a simulant? Ask about any known treatments too.

When buying diamond jewelry, you can request an independent gemological report. Check who issued it.

Do you know where the gold and gemstones came from? A reputable jeweler should be open about the limits of their sourcing information.

Can the ring be resized or repaired? Some settings and styles are difficult or impossible to resize.

What is included in the final price? Ask about production, resizing, shipping, taxes and after sales services.

Will I receive the materials and specifications in writing? Make sure your invoice or order confirmation records what you're purchasing.

You're buying an engagement ring you'll hopefully wear for decades. It's worth asking a few extra questions now, so you can enjoy wearing it for years to come.