Grandidierite This beautiful, translucent blue-green colored gem was discovered in 1902 by Frenchman Alfred Grandidier, after whom is was subsequently named. Until the present day, the stone has been found only in a specific mine in the south of the island of Madagascar.
Benitoite. This rare stone exceeds diamond's rarity as well as its "fire" or dispersion. Combined with its often sapphire-blue color, it's no wonder this is a highly sought rare gem. Gem-quality benitoite occurs only in San Benito County, California (and thus a natural choice for the California state gem).
Scientists have found a mineral stronger than diamond 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.
There are many gems that are more valuable than diamonds. Emeralds, sapphires, rubies, garnets, and alexandrite, just to name a few.
Quartz. As one of the most common gemstone minerals, quartz or rock crystal makes a very affordable diamond alternative. While its beauty will never rival that of a well-cut diamond, some lapidaries can polish a quartz so that it looks better than a mediocre diamond.
Moissanite is actually more brilliant than a diamond!
Brilliance, which refers to a stone's ability to reflect white light, is a good measure for how much a gemstone will 'sparkle'. Moissanite's brilliance is higher than diamond's due to its higher “refractive index” (Diamond's is 2.42, whereas Moissanite's is 2.65).
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.
Jubilees have a hierarchy of years: silver (25 years), ruby (40 years), golden (50 years), diamond (60 years), sapphire (65 years), and platinum (70 years). Wedding anniversaries extend the jubilee hierarchy with various sequences of substances filling in many of the gaps between the same major milestones.
Tanzanite. 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.
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. By the year 2004, there were less than 2 dozens known gemstones.
Of all the white gemstone alternatives, moissanite looks and behaves the most like diamond. When viewed side by side, diamond and moissanite are typically indistinguishable.
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106 carats (621.20 g), discovered at the Premier No. 2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa, on 26 January 1905. It was named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine.
Flawless is the top grade in the GIA Clarity Grading System. Diamonds graded Flawless don't have visible inclusions or blemishes when examined under 10-power (10X) magnification by a skilled and experienced grader. As clarity increases, and if all other value factors are equal, diamond price per carat also increases.
Ruby. Ruby tops our colossal list of gemstones for beauty and confidence and we have umpteen rock-solid reasons to back up our statement. Ruby is the uncrowned king of precious gemstones with unparalleled beauty and robust healing properties.
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.
Blue Diamond – $3.93 million per carat
The most expensive and rarest gemstone in the world is a natural blue diamond. That explains the price of $3.93 million per carat. Blue diamonds were discovered in India and later displayed in a London collection in 1839.
Now, researchers have confirmed the existence of a celestial diamond after finding it on Earth's surface. The stone, called lonsdaleite, has a hardness and strength that exceeds that of a regular diamond.
Sapphire Durability
After diamonds, sapphire (with rubies) are the second hardest gemstone. They're also much tougher than diamonds and are ideal for daily wear.
Simulated diamonds are also known as diamond simulants and include things like cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite, and YAG. They can also include some natural clear gemstones like white sapphire, white zircon or even clear quartz.
Quartz Crystal gets its name from the Greek krystallos, meaning ice, as it was thought that Clear Quartz was actually ice formed by the Gods and the word Quartz is attributed to the German word of Slavic origin Quarz, meaning hard. The best Clear Quartz specimens have the clarity and shimmer of crystal clear water.
Cubic Zirconia
They're so commonly used as a diamond look-a-like that many people will cite that all non-naturally occurring diamonds are fake diamonds are called cubic zirconias. Cubic zirconia is a lab-made synthetic substance composed of zirconium dioxide.