Emeralds, Diamond's Best Friend

Here are some notable facts about emeralds and diamonds.

Emeralds and diamonds are both earthly minerals. They form over billions of years under the Earth's surface, a process called mineralization. For example, diamonds take approximately 1 billion to 3.3 billion years to mineralize, corresponding more or less to 25% to 75% of the planet's age respectively. No wonder "diamonds are forever".

Emeralds are a variation of the mineral beryl. Emerald is characterized by its green color, cause by trace amounts of vanadium and chromium in the mineral. Emeralds are brittle compared to diamonds. The word emerald came from the Semitic word izmargad, meaning "green".

Diamonds are more precious minerals. In mineralogy, the carbon atoms of a diamond are arranged in a face centered cubic structure called diamond lattice, making it the second sturdiest form of carbon behind graphite. Diamonds are extremely rare—3 billion years is a long time—and valuable. They are worth a lot of money in the gemstone market.

If you want something unique, you can opt for emerald cut diamond rings, the diamond being cut in the shape of an emerald. Emerald cut diamonds are in general cheaper than diamond jewelries.

Let's compare the prices of two diamonds available at certain a jewelry shop.

Emerald cut Round Brilliant cut
Carat (weight): 1.00 Carat (weight): 1.00
Clarity: VS2 Clarity: VS2
Cut: Very good Cut: Very good
Color: F Color: F
Price: $4,543 Price: $5,994

The round brilliant cut diamond is $1,451 more expensive than the emerald cut diamond. That's a huge difference.

A diamond is a lady's best friend. It's no secret that diamonds are one if not the most valuable mineral in the world. It's all got something to do with its rarity and, well, diamonds simply look good on rings, earrings, and other jewelries. But if a diamond is too much for your budget, a set of emerald jewelry looks good, too.

By:
Ashley Diener
http://emeraldsdiamonds.com/