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 90-150 miles below the Earth's surface at 2,000°F+ from pure carbon, while colored gemstones like sapphire and ruby crystallize at shallower depths from corundum (aluminum oxide) and emeralds from beryllium-rich beryl. Diamond's Mohs 10 hardness exceeds every gemstone; ruby and sapphire tie at Mohs 9. Lab-grown diamonds replicate the same geology in 2-4 weeks.
, 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 jewelry we automatically envisage the centrepiece being a white diamond. But there are many other choices of fancy natural colored diamonds such as black, yellow, red, even pale pink – practically a color for every diamond lover. But is choosing to have a fancy natural colored diamond on your engagement ring or necklace a wise choice when there are so many beautiful colored 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 jewelry? Putting to one side the difference in price between diamonds and gemstones, we look at how diamonds compare to gemstones and if they REALLY ARE a girl’s best friend?
