We can’t argue that diamonds are one of the most impressive precious stones on the market and that every piece of jewelry that includes diamonds looks great.
However, not all of us can afford to buy diamonds and diamond jewelry.
The good news is that there are some great diamond alternatives that can help.
These alternatives look great and in many cases similar to diamonds.
Most of them have excellent properties and are known for their durability.
In this article, we will present a list of twenty three diamond alternatives that you should take into consideration.
1. Alexandrite
Alexandrite
Alexandrite is a trending variety of the popular Chrysoberyl gemstone and a nice diamond alternative.
The most notable thing about this gemstone is that it displays emerald green color when exposed to sunlight, but look red when there is incandescent light in the room.
In other words, this is a stone that can change colors. Alexandrite was first discovered in the early 19th century in the Ural Mountains in Russia.
It was named after Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
It’s interesting that some people give some metaphysical properties to this stone and claim that it helps people boost self-esteem and supports changes.
Keep in mind that if you are looking for a diamond alternative only because of the price of diamonds, Alexandrite won’t help you much because this gemstone is almost equally expensive as diamonds (in some cases more expensive).
2. Aquamarine
Aquamarine
Aquamarine represents a semi-precious stone that is often found in modern jewelry.
As the name suggests, this stone is available in a wide range of ocean blue colors.
It ranges from light green-blue to vivid blue nuances. Today, aquamarine is mined primarily in Russia, Pakistan, China and Brazil although it was discovered first in Madagascar. This is an extremely hard gemstone and has the same rating as diamonds in terms of hardness.
It’s also resistant to scratches which make it perfect for different pieces of jewelry.
Don’t forget that aquamarine stones have very low number of inclusions compared to other diamond alternatives.
Many people consider aquamarine to be a lucky stone which is why you can find many aquamarine earrings, rings and pendants.
They are sometimes used together with diamonds.
Benitoite
Benitoite is a specific type of silicate mineral and a relatively rare gemstone. This means that if you want something as rare as diamonds, you can always count on Benitoite.
This gemstone got its name from the place where it was found – the San Benito River located in California. This exceptional stone is available in a wide array of vivid colors like dark blue, pink and even colorless varieties.
One of the most fascinating things about benitoite is its ability to disperse simple white light into different rainbow like nuances. It’s not as hard as diamonds, but it definitely looks equally well.
Just like Alexandrite, this is a rare semi-precious gemstone which is why its price is relatively high.
The largest Benitoite is around 7.75 carats in weight, but in most cases these stones are found in smaller sizes.
4. Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic zirconia was found back in 1937 by two experienced mineralogists from Germany.
They were part of a Zircon. About 35 years later, Soviet scientists have started growing cubic zirconia in labs.
A few years later, the mass production of cubic zirconia started.
They became an instant hit and a direct competitor to diamonds.
The reason is simple – they look almost the same as diamonds. In fact, they are better in some aspects – for instance they provide more flash of color and more fire, but diamonds have more sparkle.
The most obvious difference between these stones is the fact that cubic zirconia is heavier than diamonds.
Cubic zirconia also comes in a wide range of colors – red yellow, pink, black, lilac, blue and more. The best part is that they are almost 100 times cheaper than diamonds.
5. Garnet
Garnet
There is evidence that garnets were used since the Bronze Age.
These gemstones were known for their brilliance and exceptional beauty. Today, garnet is used in jewelry and in a few industries.
One of the things that make this diamond alternative interesting is that they come in many different colors. In fact, they include the entire color spectrum.
Garnets are mined all over the world from the United States and Canada to South America, Thailand, China and even in northern Europe.
Although it has low hardness level, garnet is still considered to be a hard gemstone.
It’s worth mentioning that in some cultures, garnet is considered to be a healing gemstone.
Generally speaking, garnets are affordable stones which make them an ideal diamond alternative.
6. Jadeite
Jadeite
Jade represents an ornamental mineral. What you should know is that this mineral is available in two forms – jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is the rarer form which is why it is popular as a diamond alternative. Jadeite is available in six different natural colors.
The most used one is the green color.
But, what’s interesting is that jadeite comes in many nuances/hues too like spinach green, grass green, emerald green and even black green. The emerald green (imperial green) is the most expensive form of jadeite. The other colors include black, white, yellow, lavender and red.
Although it can’t be compared to diamonds in terms of hardness, this is still a very hard mineral. The more expensive jade jewelry is based on jadeite.
7. Jeremejevite
Jeremejevite
It may be a little bit difficult to pronounce this mineral, but the truth is that it looks great.
Jeremejevite is one of the most sought-after minerals among serious collectors focused on diamond-like minerals and stones. The odd name of this mineral is based on the person who discovered it – Pavel Jeremejev.
He found this mineral back in 1883 in the Transbaikal region in Russia. This is an extremely rare mineral and we can tell this by looking at the next time when this mineral was found and that was 90 years later. Jeremejevite looks similar to aquamarine – it has clear crystals that come in pale yellow or blue color. Besides Russia, jeremejevite was also found in Namibia, Tajikistan, Germany, and Russia. The most respected minerals are mined in Namibia.
8. Moissanite
Moissanite
Moissanite is a relatively rare mineral that looks very similar to diamonds.
This mineral was first found by Henri Moissan, a scientist who was doing research about unusual rocks.
He collected these unusual rocks in Canyon Diablo in Arizona, a site that was believed that was hit by a meteor in the late 19th century.
Due to its transparent color, and barely visible yellowish-greenish color, Moissan thought that he was looking at diamonds.
It took years and intensive research to conclude that this is a specific mineral that contains silicon carbide.
Today, it’s believed that moissanite is found only in places on our planet that were hit by meteors.
Moissanite jewelry became available in the early 1990s when this mineral was developed in a lab too.
If want to read more about Moissanite, read our comparison guide along with infographic Diamond vs Moissanite.
9. Musgravite
Musgravite
Musgravite is a gemstone that comes at half of the price of diamonds. It represents a very rare oxide mineral that is frequently used as a gemstone. The origin of its name can be traced to Musgrave Ranges, South Australia where this gemstone was found for the first time back in 1967. It belongs to the taaffeite mineral family. One of the most recognizable characteristics of this gemstone is that it is very hard ranging between 8 and 8.5 points on the Mohs scale. The purple-colored musgravite is the most popular one. Besides Australia, musgravite is mined in Sri Lanka, Antarctica, Tanzania, Greenland and Madagascar.
Once again, we should point out that this is a very rare gemstone.
10. Morganite
Morganite
Morganite is a great-looking beryl mineral crystal. You can find this gemstone under different names like cesian beryl, pink emerald, rose or pink beryl.
Similar to most of the diamond alternatives we have listed in this guide, morganite is a rare gemstone.
This is also one of the gemstones that were discovered relatively late in the early 20th century in California.
In this case, the name was given by the world-renowned gemologist George Kunz. A few studies have shown that morganite is actually a prehistoric form of beryl. With a simple heat treatment, jewelers can get the hue that they want. Morganite comes in different shades and what is even more important is that this gemstone is drastically cheaper compared to diamonds.
11. Red Beryl
Red Beryl
Red beryl is a popular and very rare variety of beryl that comes in specific red color. This gemstone was known as scarlet emerald and red emerald in the past. The stone was officially described in the beginning of the 20th century. It is crucial to understand that red beryl is an exceptionally rare stone that can be discovered only in a few places in the United States in the states of Utah and New Mexico. This is a very hard gem that comes in nuances ranging from pink to deeply saturated red. Red beryl is very popular among collectors and jewelers. The best specimens of this gemstone come at a price similar to the price of diamonds.
12. Rutile
Rutile
Rutile is actually a naturally occurring mineral that contains different elements. Yet, most of its content goes to titanium dioxide. This mineral and gemstone got its name from the Latin word for red – rutilus. Whenever rutile is exposed to transmitted light it shows its beautiful red color. This gemstone is available in few other colors – blood red, reddish brown, golden and black. Scientists have started creating synthetic rutile in 1948. This form of rutile has exceptionally high refractive rating which is why it’s used as a diamond alternative. The only downside of this gemstone is the fact that it’s not very hard. So, after the initial success, its popularity dropped, but it’s still used in jewelry. Rutile often forms inclusions within other interesting minerals like quartz.
13. Spinel
Spinel
There are some gemstones that are unfairly discriminated and spinel is one of them. Similar to other diamond alternatives, spinel is a mineral and a stone that occurs naturally. Some of the most respected places where spinel is mined are found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Cambodia even though there are some fine samples that originate from places like Thailand, Tanzania, Russia, Pakistan, Brazil and even Afghanistan. Spinel stones can be found in a myriad of colors. The most popular color is the red spinel although those looking for diamond alternatives are often choosing white spinel too. What is different about this gemstone is that it is not treated thermally to get specific colors – the colors you see are natural.
14. Taaffeite
Taaffeite
Taaffeite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world. So far, miners were able to get just a few of these gemstones. There are two countries where this stone was discovered – Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The interesting name of this mineral and gemstone comes from the name of its discoverer – Richard Taaffe, a famous Austrian gemologist. When it comes to its properties, taaffeite is known for its double refraction property. It contains aluminium, magnesium and beryllium and looks similar to spinel. Due to its rarity, taaffeite is used in fine jewelry. It comes in colorless, violet red, grayish red, mauve, pink violet, light green and red colors and hues and it is quite hard (8 to 8.5 hardness on the Mohs scale).
15. Tanzanite
Tanzanite
Tanzanite was discovered about 50 years ago which means that this gemstone is relatively new. This stone has a unique colorful appearance that includes bluish and violet hues. The beautiful spectrum of colors that tanzanite has makes it unique. Faceted gemstones of this kind are usually without any imperfections visible to the naked eye. Most of tanzanite comes in small sizes even though the largest one discovered not long time ago weighed 7.5 pounds. Tanzanite doesn’t perform well on the Mohs scale of hardness compared to other gemstone – 6.5. That’s why it should be maintained and cleaned carefully. As the name reveals, tanzanite is mined only in Tanzania, or the Mererani Hills to be more precise. The price per carat is between 400 and 600 dollars which mean that it’s much cheaper than diamonds.
16. White Topaz
White Topaz
Topaz is a semi-precious gemstone that most people know for its blue color. However, the truth is that blue topaz is very rare. In most cases, topaz is a colorless stone. So, white topaz is actually the most common and natural form of topaz. Due to its exceptional brilliance and fire, white topaz is often considered to be one of the best diamond alternatives. As a semi-precious stone that is not quite rare, white topaz is inexpensive. White topaz is not very hard stone and it can get cloudy and scratched quite easily. That’s why it is recommended to polish it from time to time.
17. White Sapphire
White Sapphire
White sapphire is another relatively rare gemstone. In many cases, buyers find white sapphire to be an ideal replacement for diamonds. White sapphires are the colorless variety of sapphires. They are known for their exceptional hardness that reaches 9 on the Mohs scale, very close to diamonds. This gemstone is mined in Tanzania, Madagascar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Australia. White sapphires don’t have scintillation, but they look quite amazing. If you have a chance to choose between natural and synthetic, always select the natural white sapphire. The price of this gemstone is about ten time lower compared to diamonds.
18. White Zircon
White Zircon
Many people confuse cubic zirconia with white zircon. The main different is that the latter is actually a natural pearl stone while cubic zirconia is created artificially in a lab. White zircon has an excellent light refraction and good level of fire. This is also a relatively hard gemstone, but owners still have to be careful because the hardness can’t be compared to the hardness of diamonds. White zircon can be found in the US, Canada, Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, Germany, Sri Lanka, Thailand and few other countries. Due to its colorless appearance, white zircon is also confused with diamonds. In many cultures, white zircon is considered to be a healing stone that improves overall health.
19. Tourmaline
Tourmaline
Tourmaline is getting quite popular these days because this gemstone is available in a wide array of colors. The most popular jewelry stores have at least a few pieces of jewelry that include tourmaline. Tourmaline got its name from the Sinhalese word for mixed – turmali. Tourmaline is available in literally every color found in other gemstones. There are officially over 120 unique hues so far. Green, pink, blue and blue-green gemstones are the most popular ones. The red hues are very rare and a little bit expensive. But, even the rare red tourmaline is still much cheaper than a diamond. Many people use tourmaline as an 8th wedding anniversary gemstone.
20. Ametrine
Ametrine
Ametrine is one of the most interesting gemstones found in this list. The reason is simple – this gemstone includes two different gems in one. So, ametrine includes the amethyst and citrine stones hence the name. It comes with an unusual golden/purple color that comes as a result of iron content. Scientists are still not sure how the oxidation levels of iron can create such an amazing display. Another thing that is great about ametrine is that this gemstone is found only in one place in the world – Bolivia. These gemstones were known to the world since the 17th century. The gemstone was presented on the market in 1980 when it became available commercially. In the past, this gemstone was also known as golden amethyst and trystine.
21. Tsavorite
Tsavorite
You can easily spot a tsavorite gemstone because it comes in remarkable green color. This stone has a relatively good level of hardness (7.5 on the Mohs scale) and when it is properly cut and shaped it can look even better. Tsavorite is another gem that was first found in Tanzania. Tsavorite is known for its extremely high level of brilliance. This is a rare stone that has relatively high level of refraction and dispersion rating. Just like in the case of diamonds, when people are interested in purchasing tsavorite or tsavorite products, they should focus on the 4 Cs that are usually used for buying diamonds. Most people agree that tsavorite looks great on an engagement ring.
22. Prasiolite
Prasiolite
Now here’s another gemstone that comes in a green color, but this time we are talking about specific yellowish green color. Prasiolite is often faceted and cut to deliver exceptional look. This gemstone is actually part of the quartz family. When buying prasiolite, buyers should pay special attention to clarity and intensity of color. The variations of hues include pale yellowish green colors and deep yellow-green colors. This is a durable and hard gemstone that can be used on a daily basis. Prasiolite is an unusual name based on two Ancient Greek words – prason and lithos. The first one means leek which obviously fits the color of this stone and the other means stone. Some people claim that prasiolite bring balance in the lives of wearers.
23. Sunstone
Sunstone
People have been aware of the existence of sunstone for hundreds of years. There are Viking archeological sites when this stone was found and it was probably used for burial ceremonies. The Native Americans have respected this gemstone too. Sunstone comes with an interesting shining sunlight effects. The presence of small metallic inclusions in the stone is creating these effects. In addition, these inclusions are creating sparkling flashes that consists of thousands of particles. In most cases, sunstones are cut as cabochons because this is the best way to provide this effect. In the past, people believed that this stone represents a part of the sun. They have used it to improve mood and fight the bad spirits.
As you can see, there are many great diamond alternatives on the market. Choose the one that suits your desires and requirements the best.
I love diamonds like every woman does, but I like to go beyond and research the topic to the ground.