Color is a result of the way gemstones absorb light. Light is an electromagnetic vibration at certain wavelengths. The human eye can only perceive wavelengths between 380 and 750 nm. Most gemstones are allochromatic, meaning that they are colored by impurities or trace elements in their crystal structure.

Every gemstone has its own unique chemical and atomic structure. Diamonds are made of carbon, rubies and sapphires of aluminium chloride – and so on. This, along with the presence of impurities, leads to the absorption of different wavelengths of light. The result is that gemstones vary in colour.

Alexandrite

Any gemstones that is not a diamond, ruby, emerald or sapphire is a semi-precious gemstone. Calling a gemstone semi-precious does not mean it is less valuable than precious gemstones. Some semi-precious gemstones are not stones at all, but are made of organic material like amber, coral and pearl.

Top 10 gems used for semi precious stones jewelry

• Rose quartz. We know what you are thinking.
• Garnet. The birthstone of January is not only one of the oldest gemstones discovered by humans, but also one of the most popular ones.
• Amethyst.
• Onyx.
• Turquoise.
• Citrine.
• Aquamarine.
• Jade.

Top 15 Most Expensive Gemstones In The World

• Black Opal – $15,000 per carat.
• Alexandrite – $12,000 per carat.
• Red Beryl – $10,000 per carat.
• Musgravite – $6,000 per carat.
• Benitoite – $4,000 per carat.
• Poudretteite – $3,000 per carat.
• Fire Opal – $2,300 per carat.
• Jeremejevite – $2,000 per carat. Jeremejevite.

White Sapphire is the clear winner in terms of a natural diamond alternative. Those choosing White Sapphire should expect white sparkle only as compared with the white and colored sparkle diamond offers.

While a diamond engagement ring certainly sparkles, moissanite has the potential to sparkle more. Diamond’s refractive index caps out at around 2.42. Moissanite, however, caps out at 2.65. This means that they are shinier and more refractive of light than diamonds.

Moissanite

10 Most Affordable Gemstones

• Amethyst. Belonging to the quartz family, amethyst is both abundant and incredibly popular.
• Agate. A member of the quartz family and a variety of the chalcedony, agate gemstones come in a variety of colors.
• Citrine.
• Garnet.
• Hematite.
• Onyx.
• Peridot.
• Rose Quartz.

Heat the stone over a lighter for 30 seconds and immediately drop it into a glass of water. A real diamond will be unaffected by dramatic changes in temperature and it will simply fall to the bottom of the glass. Fake diamonds however will shatter immediately.

If you see 925 engraved on the ring, that means it’s a sterling silver setting. Usually real diamonds won’t be set in sterling silver because it’s too soft. Platinum rings will usually have Plat or Pt marked on them. If the stone is set in gold or platinum, chances are that it’s a precious gemstone.