Moissanites or white sapphires are most comparable to a diamond. While there are visible differences, these gems will look the closest to a diamond while offering a more affordable price. These stones are also high on the Mohs scale of relative hardness, making them suitable for everyday wear.
White Zircon. Not to be confused with synthetic cubic zirconia, zircon is a natural mineral. With its excellent brilliance and dispersion, it has a long history as a diamond simulant. In terms of appearance, zircon comes closer to diamond than any other mined gemstone.
The diamond alternative includes lab grown diamonds, cubic zirconia, moissanite, peridot birthstone, emerald, amethyst, sapphire, and garnet gemstones. Diamond alternative jewelry is a good choice when you neither want to compromise budget nor quality.
Buying White Sapphire or Opal Revered astrologers suggest 'Opal' or 'White Sapphire' as the best astrological substitute for diamonds. These are natural gemstones and are believed to emit positive energy just like diamonds.
Moissanite has more fire and brilliance than diamond – it isn't as noticeable in smaller stones, but in stones over 5mm, it's much more noticeable. Moissanite is known for its “disco-ball” effect because rainbow light quickly flashes around the gem.
Moissanite: The Second Hardest Mineral in Nature after Diamond. The colors seen in moissanite from the Mount Carmel area of northern Israel range from dark blue to light green. photo by Aurélien Delaunay. Moissanite is the name given to naturally occurring silicon carbide and to its various crystalline polymorphs.
With a brilliance refractive index of 2.65 to 2.69, moissanite is the world's most brilliant gemstone. This means the speed of light refracting in moissanite is 2.65 to 2.69 times slower than the speed of light in the air.
Moissanite has unparalleled sparkle! It has a higher refractive index than diamond, resulting in greater brilliance than diamond. Moissanite also has greater dispersion (fire) than a diamond, so you will notice more rainbow flashes of light.
Scientists have found a mineral stronger than diamond. They say lonsdaleite could be used to fortify industrial tools like drill bits and saw blades - AND teach us about the evolution of earth.
Zodiac Signs and the Diamond
If your zodiac sign is Aries, Pisces or Scorpio, you should not wear the diamond because according to astrology, diamonds can bring disharmony to your life. Diamond is the gemstone for those who are born under Virgo and Libra as it bestows good luck and prosperity.
Tanzanite is a shocking 1000 times more rare than a diamond. Discovered for the first time in 1967 and only found in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, these gemstones go for about $1,500 per carat. Tanzanite has the ability to change color depending on the angle of light it is in.
Moissanite. In the last few years, moissanite has become one of the most popular diamond alternatives, and it's not hard to see why. Not only does moissanite strongly resemble a diamond, but they come in at a fraction of the price of the latter, and they are almost as durable.
While both gems come in a variety of colors, they are often sought-after in their purest forms, which have a bright white or transparent hue. White topaz appears clear and glassy, just like a diamond, which is why these two stones are easily confused at first glance.
Emerald. Rarer than diamonds, emeralds are also more expensive than the same quality diamond. Their colouring ranges from green to blue-green, and the darker the colour, the more expensive they are.
Carat is the unit of measurement for the physical weight of diamonds. One carat equals 0.200 grams or 1/5 gram and is subdivided into 100 points. For comparison, in units more familiar in the United States, one carat equals 0.007 ounce avoirdupois. Which would require over 2,265 carats to equal 1 pound!
Simulated diamonds are also known as diamond simulants and include things like cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite, and YAG.
Jade can cost more than diamonds in certain areas when it is of higher quality like the Burmese Jade. Burmese Jade remains one of the highest quality variations of this gemstone known for its firmer, denser, and more lustrous shine.
The Rarest Birthstones
For example, April's diamond, though pricey, is less rare than rubies, emeralds, and alexandrite. While on the topic of alexandrite, this is currently the rarest gemstone on the birthstone list and can come at quite a cost. Black opals are also incredibly rare.
Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades.
As Moissanite is grown in a laboratory, they do not have the usual cost of digging, shipping and the discovery of a common mineral diamond. So, the Moissanite rings and jewelry cost less per carat than a diamond engagement ring, yet they are a little better. This means a lot of bang for your money.
Rose quartz has long been known as the stone of self-love, so it's no surprise that it's associated with beauty and confidence.
Diamond. The most heavily marketed gemstone is that of the diamond. The diamond is the hardest of all the gemstones rating a 10 on the Mohs scale. There are many different things to consider in what makes a diamond valuable including the four C's (cut, clarity, color, and carat.
A brilliant is a diamond or other gemstone cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to have exceptional brilliance. The shape resembles that of a cone and provides maximized light return through the top of the diamond.