What is the Difference Between Diamond and Sapphire Gemstones?
It’s simple isn’t it? Sapphires are blue and diamonds are white?
While that may be true some of the time, there are in fact many more differences between the two precious stones.
In fact, both stones come in a huge variety of colours, including rare colourless sapphires which, to the naked eye, can appear almost indistinguishable from traditional diamonds.
A sapphire and diamond ring
What is a sapphire?
Sapphires belong to the Corundum family of stones, and the variation in colour comes from small amounts of metal oxide impurities. You ask, we bring the science. Over time, coloured sapphires have been known as oriental peridot (green sapphire), oriental topaz (yellow sapphire) and diamondite (colourless sapphires). Some, such as pink sapphires, have been thought to have magical qualities, including the ability to ward off ill health and misfortune.
Diamonds vs Sapphires
Of course, diamond engagement rings have been the traditional choice since the Victorian era, because of the sparkling beauty and famed hardness of the stone, which symbolises durability and longevity. However, a question we are often asked at Simon Wright Jewellery is ‘are sapphires good for engagement rings?’ The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, we have written a dedicated journal entry on the subject - Are Sapphires OK For Engagement Rings. Blue sapphires are often chosen as an attractive complementary stone, or eye-catching centrepiece (Princess Diana’s sapphire and diamond cluster ring, anyone?).
A sapphire and diamond halo ring
Sapphire Coloured Stones
Exotic stones from far-flung destinations like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Kashmir were once accessible only to those who owned a Georgian pile and several hundred deer. Today, stones in a stunning array of colours are increasingly available, and as we tend to feel less bound by tradition, couples are choosing to incorporate diamonds and sapphires in shades ranging from champagne to deep reds in their engagement rings. We are often requested to make sapphire and diamond earrings, sapphire and diamond necklaces as well as sapphire and diamond bracelets.
Coloured stones are also a perfect choice for special occasion bespoke jewellery, such as eternity rings, earrings and necklaces. The price of the stone will be influenced by its rarity (for example, colourless sapphires come only from Sri Lanka and are extremely rare), the quality and consistency of the colour, and whether the colour is naturally occurring or has been synthetically created.
A bespoke sapphire engagement ring
Sapphire and Diamond Jewellery by Simon Wright
At Simon Wright Jewellery, we are fortunate to be able to source an extremely wide array of coloured stones, from all over the world. We work with you one to one, to design your dream piece of jewellery, whether it’s a one-of-a-kind engagement ring that stands out from the crowd, or a pair of bespoke earrings to celebrate the most special of occasions. You will get a say in every stage of the design process, from the original sketches, through to selecting the stones and even getting to hold a 3D printed model of your design in your hand, before we start working with precious materials.
Curious to find out more about our stunning sapphires, diamonds and other stones, or about our design process and custom- designed jewellery? Make an appointment with us today. Maybe you’ll find out whether you can tell the difference between a diamond and a sapphire after all!
Be sure to follow our Instagram page to see some of our latest creations, including coloured stone rings, diamond engagement rings and bespoke cufflinks.
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