Are you thinking of buying a ring (or another piece of jewelry) featuring a precious stone, and wondering which stone could replace a diamond? This guide will help you learn about the different types of precious stones and their key characteristics, such as hardness and brilliance.
What is the most precious stone after the diamond?
The diamond is one of the four precious stones recognized worldwide, along with the emerald, the sapphire and the ruby. Although a diamond may be slightly tinted, it is considered a white, brilliant stone, which makes it the essential stone for an engagement ring.
The other precious stones are colored.
The green emerald is considered the second most precious stone after the diamond because of its great rarity. It even gave its name to a color: emerald green.
Its formation requires very specific conditions of pressure and temperature, which makes it very rare and therefore very precious. It results from the combination of two elements that are, in theory, incompatible: chromium and beryllium.
The main mining locations are in Russia, Zambia and Brazil, but above all in Colombia, said to be the source of the finest stones.
Depending on its quality and the number of impurities, its price per carat can sometimes be higher than that of a diamond. However, it often contains inclusions that make it difficult to cut. In jewelry, and rings in particular, the emerald even has a cut named after it: the emerald cut. This is a rectangular or square cut (a rectangle with cut corners).
Symbolically, it is the stone of the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries, which makes it the ideal gem for a ring on these occasions.
It is also the birthstone for May, a symbol of renewal and the arrival of spring.
Historically, the emerald has been associated with royalty and power. In Egypt in particular, Cleopatra was especially fond of this stone.
What are the 4 precious stones?
The diamond and the emerald, mentioned above, have historically belonged to the family of precious stones, along with the sapphire and the ruby.
Note that this "precious stone" designation was officially abolished in 2002, but it lives on in popular culture. It is also worth knowing that it is not based on scientific criteria.
Other stones are also considered precious today and are used in fine jewelry. We will come back to them later. Here is a quick guide to the precious stones we have not yet discussed:
The diamond
It is considered the eternal stone, a symbol of longevity, because of its exceptional hardness (10 on the Mohs scale, the highest level). This makes it the ideal stone for engagement rings, especially the round diamond cut. Its second asset is its spectacular brilliance, as a diamond refracts light perfectly.
The sapphire
Like the ruby, it belongs to the corundum family and comes mainly from Thailand and Sri Lanka. Its royal blue color makes it a highly prized stone, although sapphires exist in other colors, including orange. Its hardness is 9 out of 10 on the Mohs scale, making it the second hardest stone after the diamond. Associated with wisdom and loyalty, it is the birthstone for September.
The ruby
It belongs to the same family as the sapphire and comes from the same places: Thailand and Sri Lanka. Its red color makes it the most worn precious stone after the diamond. It is used to create rings, earrings and necklaces. Associated with love and passion, it is the birthstone for July. Like the sapphire, its hardness is 9 on the Mohs scale, making it the hardest stone after the diamond.
There are also other precious stones used in jewelry, which are also called semi-precious stones (in French, "pierres fines").
Other precious stones used in fine jewelry
Garnet
Coming mainly from Madagascar and India, it is a semi-precious stone widely used in fine jewelry. Often compared to the ruby, it can be red, orange or green depending on its origin. Green garnet, also known as tsavorite, or demantoid garnet, is one of the rarest. Nicknamed the emerald of Russia, it was used by Carl Fabergé when he worked for the Russian imperial family, notably for the world-famous "Fabergé eggs."
Aquamarine
Coming mainly from Brazil and Madagascar, aquamarine changes color depending on the angle from which you look at it. Its tones can therefore range from deep blue to pale blue, all the way to transparent. The blue color is sometimes enhanced by heating the stone to 500 degrees. Aquamarine was a great favorite of Queen Elizabeth II, after she received from the people of Brazil a set of jewelry covered in it.
Topaz
Mined mainly in Sri Lanka, Brazil and Nigeria, topaz comes in a range of colors (violet, red, blue…) that is appealing for fine jewelry. It is a mineral species of the silicate family, just like the next stone.
Tourmaline
Like topaz, it is mainly mined in Brazil and Sri Lanka, and offers a range of colors that is appealing for jewelry making.
Tanzanite
As its name suggests, it comes exclusively from Tanzania. This makes it one of the rarest stones in the world (1,000 times rarer than diamond), since the only mine is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro and covers an area of 20 square kilometers.
It comes mainly in shades of blue or violet, although orange, yellow and green tanzanites also exist.
Amethyst
Nicknamed the "bishop's stone," it is often associated with the Catholic faith. Vatican bishops often wear rings set with amethyst as a sign of devotion to the Church. It leans toward violet or fuchsia tones and is one of the most famous semi-precious stones in the world of fine jewelry.
Citrine
Like amethyst, it belongs to the quartz family and is sometimes called "yellow quartz." It comes in yellow and orange citrus colors. The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Stéphanie de Lannoy, wore a tiara set with pearls and citrines for her wedding.
Which stone sparkles more than a diamond?
Incredible but true: there is a gemstone that sparkles more than a diamond. Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond, thanks to its silicon carbide composition.
It is also much less expensive, making it a good alternative to the eternal stone.
It is also interesting in terms of hardness, at 9.5 on the Mohs scale (compared with 10 for diamond).
There is a single holder of the patent for producing this stone: the Charles & Colvard laboratory in the United States.
Note that other types of stones can also replace a diamond, such as white sapphire or cubic zirconia. However, they don't match moissanite in terms of brilliance.
