Hardness is the first filter. Sapphire and ruby sit at 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond at 10, which is why they appear so often in pieces meant to be worn every day. A sapphire bracelet can go to work, run errands and come home without much worry.
Hardness is not everything, though. A hard stone can still chip if it takes a sharp blow on an exposed edge, so the way it is set matters almost as much as the gem itself. Think of the stone and the setting as one decision.
Emerald is about 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale and more brittle than sapphire or ruby, so it needs a protective setting and gentler wear. That does not rule out an emerald bracelet; it changes which design and which occasions suit one.
Pick a design that frames each emerald in metal rather than leaving its edges exposed, since a protected stone copes far better with the knocks a wrist takes and keeps its rich green looking its best.
If you love emerald green but want something for weekday wear, one option is to keep the emerald piece for evenings and choose a harder stone, or a plain metal bracelet, for the office.
On a wrist, the most protective choice is a bezel, a thin rim of metal around the whole stone that leaves no edge exposed. It suits softer gems and active days, with slightly less light reaching the stone than open prongs allow.
Prongs show more of the color and let more light through, which flatters bright sapphires and rubies. If a bracelet uses pear or marquise shapes, look for V prongs at the points, since tips are the most fragile part of any stone. Low settings that sit close to the metal also catch less than tall ones.
Metal changes how a colored stone reads. Yellow gold warms up rubies and makes green emeralds look rich and classic; white gold and platinum give blue sapphires a cool, crisp contrast. Rose gold, which gets its pink from copper, softens pastel stones.
Want a matched look? Coordinate your bracelet with gemstone earrings in the same stone and metal, or carry the color to your hand with gemstone ring settings. If you prefer a smooth, protective line, browse bezel set bracelets too.