Planet Earth has a lot of treasures in store and most of them remain unexplored. Among the many treasures discovered by man, gemstones are the most stunning and precious. There are several gemstones that have been discovered centuries ago and are in use till today. Some of the most common gemstones that are primarily used for jewellery making include pearls, diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Among these gemstones, diamonds and sapphires are more popular than the others.
Diamonds are the precious gemstones that are known for their sparkling nature and is therefore loved by people worldwide. It is used in industries for cutting purposed and for making jewellery. The most commonly used diamond are the colourless diamonds because they sparkle the most. However, coloured diamonds are also available and you can find them in a variety of shades such as pink, blue, green and yellow. Recently, lab grown diamonds have also been introduced in the market and they have become very popular with the people over the years. They are also available in a variety of shades and can be customized according to a customer’s preference.
Sapphires on the other hand are gemstones which primarily have a brilliant blue colour and have been the favourite gemstones of the royals since a long time. When it comes to having a coloured gemstone as a part of jewellery, then sapphires are the most commonly preferred gemstones because of the intense blue colour that is very attractive to the eye. They are also available in other shades such as red, pink, and green and yellow.
Even though diamonds and sapphires are available in a variety of colours there is a stark difference between the two gemstones. The main difference is the way they are formed. Diamonds are formed under the surface of the earth under conditions of high temperature and pressure over billions of years. They come to when the layers of soil above them get eroded. Sapphires on the other hand are formed because of the metamorphosis of rocks which is very different from how diamonds are formed.
Both diamonds and sapphires show some rich colours but differ in the amount of light they reflect. While diamonds are extremely brilliant, sapphires do not shine as much as the diamond. This is because diamonds disperse light to a great extent and emit a rainbow like flash. Sapphires do not exhibit as much dispersion as the diamonds. Diamonds are the hardest substance known to man and are therefore extremely durable and resistant to scratching. They score a 10 on the Moh’s hardness scale. Sapphires are not far behind and hard and durable but rank less when compared to the diamonds because they score a 9 on the Moh’s hardness scale.
When it comes to the cost, coloured diamonds are more expensive than sapphires because they are rarer. A coloured diamond engagement ring from Hatton Gardens Jewellers will cost you more than an engagement ring made of the blue sapphire stone.