How Diamonds Compare To Gemstones
‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend ’sang Marilyn Monroe in the iconic 1953 movie ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ’
In short: Diamonds form 150-200km below Earth's surface from pure carbon under extreme heat and pressure, then rise via kimberlite eruptions. Other gemstones (sapphire, ruby, emerald) form in metamorphic and igneous rocks at shallower depths. Lab-grown diamonds replicate the deep-Earth conditions in CVD or HPHT reactors over 6-10 weeks — identical chemistry, different timeline.
, and there is no doubt that the love affair that women have with diamonds has survived decades. Diamonds have an irresistible charm and a fascination that lasts eternity (even beyond a relationship in some cases!) as the lyrics of this song illustrate: “Men grow cold / As girls grow old / And we all lose our charms in the end / But square-cut or pear-shaped / These rocks don’t lose their shape / Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” When we think about an engagement ring or special piece of jewellery we automatically envisage the centrepiece being a white diamond. But there are many other choices of fancy natural coloured diamonds such as black, yellow, red, even pale pink – practically a colour for every diamond lover. But is choosing to have a fancy natural coloured diamond on your engagement ring or necklace a wise choice when there are so many beautiful coloured gemstones available such as stunning blue Sapphires, the passion of deep red Rubies, the delicate beauty of an Emerald etc., that can also look beautiful set in a ring or piece of jewellery? Putting to one side the difference in price between diamonds and gemstones, we look at how diamonds compare to gemstones and if they REALLY AR a girl’s best friend?
