The difference between diamonds and sapphires

Diamonds and sapphires may look very similar to the untrained eye but are incredibly different gemstones. Both stones are very important and a popular choice for jewelry, including wedding rings, engagement rings and Solitaire pendants. They’re both used to symbolize love, faith, commitment and trust. So, how do you tell the difference between these gems when you’re buying or selling diamonds and sapphires? Here’s a look at the differences between these two gems in terms of structure, training and money.

Structural differences

While this difference is not visible to the naked eye, diamonds and sapphires are very different structures. A diamond consists of pure carbon that crystallizes in cubes. This compact structure makes the hardest gem diamonds on Earth with a hardness of 10 on Moh’s scale. Diamonds are pure carbon absolutely colorless, although their structure can contain small amounts of other elements that produce diamonds yellow, Brown, blue, pink, red and green. Sapphires, on the other hand, have a hexagonal shape composed of aluminum oxide crystals. Sapphires are the second hardest gemstone on Earth with a hardness of 9 on the Moh scale. Sapphires also come in many colors, when other elements make their way during the crystal formation.

Differences in training

These precious gems form in completely different ways. Sapphires form naturally in a hexagonal shape in rocks such as granite, gneiss and schists due to heat and pressure. Can be found in igneous rocks (magma cooled) and metamorphic rocks (processed). The Sapphire color is derived from the presence of other minerals. Iron produces yellow or green sapphires, vanadium and titanium produces purple sapphires creates blue sapphires. Sapphire gems can also be red, even though they are called no sapphires, rubies.

Diamonds, on the other hand, require very precise conditions to form deep in the Earth with extreme pressure and relatively low temperature. There are two places on Earth where it can form diamonds: deep in the Earth’s mantle lithospheric and points where a meteorite hit the Earth. These gems are slowly road surface through volcanic pipes and diamonds which are mined today are anywhere from 1 billion to 3 billion years.

Price difference

The price of these gems is determined by their weight in carats, cut, clarity and color, if you’re buying or selling diamonds and sapphires. In general, the sapphires tend to be much cheaper than diamonds, because they are easier to mine and more abundant on the Earth’s surface.

Two gems make beautiful jewelry, so choosing between them depends on your preference and budget. If you intend to buy and sell diamonds, however, it is important to make sure you’re not getting colourless sapphires that do not usually worth much.

South Florida jewelry buyers (SFJB) was founded in 1983 as a wholesale distributor and manufacturer of loose diamonds and diamond jewelry. SFJB is owned by a GIA certified gemologist with over 25 years of experience as an international diamond dealer. When you want to sell gold jewelry in Miami, along with gold and diamonds, choose South Florida jewelry buyers free to enjoy at home or in-store consultations and an on-site cash offer for your gold. South Florida jewelry buyers remains the main place for selling gold in Miami and the major areas.