Colorless gemstones had been preferred by people for much long and their heritage even dates back to ancient times. Moreover, it is also one of the most common and popular selection. Another, interesting fact about colorless and white color stones is that it could easily get along with any color skin tone or outfit. White color also has its own delicacy and slenderness. Furthermore, this is one of the most common gemstone color preferred in engagement rings.
One of the gemstones that is widely available in this color is none other than the diamond. You may also find other stones like white topaz, white sapphire, and zircon but they all serve only as a surrogate to diamond. There are also other beautiful gemstones available in this color which includes the opals, moonstone, pearls, and white jade.
Diamonds
There is no doubt that diamond is one of the most desired stones among all colorless gemstones. This beautiful stone owns a big share of the engagement ring market. There are a lot of things that makes this stone fascinating.
The first and foremost quality that makes it superior to other gems is its hardness. It has Mohs hardness value of 10 and is very beautiful and sparkly. The word diamond is also used in everyday language as something that represents glisten, strength, and class. This doesn’t mean that you couldn’t destruct a diamond.
Even though it is the hardest substance in the world it also has a side of being brittle. If you struck a diamond hard enough, it could crack. They are also susceptible to chipping at edges. Diamonds are very valuable, even though they aren’t much rare. You would be able to purchase diamonds at different rates, as there are highly priced as well as affordable diamonds in the market. The price of diamonds could be balanced based on your priority in the 4Cs of the diamond.
White Topaz
White Topaz is an abundantly available gemstone which could be considered as a substitute to the diamond. Topaz is often found in nature in white color. This awesome gem, even though regarded semi-precious, is not as much precious as the topaz in blue color, which is considered to be very precious.
This stone too, showcases the beautiful and brilliant look of a diamond that, at times, it is mistaken for a diamond. This doesn’t mean that its hardness is similar to that of the diamond. The Mohs hardness value of topaz is 8. This stone is not as expensive as the diamond.
This stone would look magnificent and sparkly if it is cleaned regularly. You would be able to purchase this stone at various hues that range from white to colorless. Another good side is that you will be able to buy a topaz of high quality at a reasonable rate.
White Sapphire
The White Sapphires could always be regarded as a more affordable alternative to diamond. It will be available in its purest form if it doesn’t have any inclusions or if it is not in contact with traces of other elements all through the time of its formation. The small sapphire stones look so similar to diamond that, it is very hard to distinguish them from diamonds. Nevertheless, the sapphire stones of larger size appear milky and could be very well differentiated from a diamond.
They don’t show off the characteristic sparkle of diamond but, on the other hand, are very tough, hard and less brittle. The Mohs hardness value of sapphire is 9. Since the stone exhibits the property of being less brittle they are tougher than diamond. What is more attractive about this stone is its price. You would be able to purchase this stone at a lower price range when compared to that of diamonds. Even though white sapphires are considered secondary when compared to diamond, they are regarded as one among the four most valued gemstones in the world.
Zircon
Many people, before the availability of synthetic stones, used this stone as an alternative to the diamond. It is used as a diamond alternative even in the present times. However, many confuse this stone for cubic zirconia, which is a cheap stone that resembles the synthetic diamond.
Zircons actually are relatively brilliant and shiny just like diamonds. They have an amazing property to skillfully reflect off the rays of light falling on them, due to their higher refractive index. In account of the same reason, the gem is often faceted for increasing its beauty and shine. This stone could be cut to any desired shape. The Mohs hardness value of Zircon is 6 to 7.5 and therefore, is not very durable. The stone is also brittle.