Best alternative to diamond I : Getting to know diamond

Would you agree that "Diamonds are a girls best friend"?
As for me, it's my all-time favorite stone! May and I have been working with numerous types of gemstones and we still get excited everytime we work with real diamonds.
However, with the current economy, diamond jewelry may not be the first choice for many. And for some people, wearing diamonds everyday or on a trip makes them feel 'unsafe'. There are alternatives to diamonds and I will attempt to exposed some new ideas for you.

2 types of diamond-like stones
1. Synthetic stones e.g. Cubic Zirconia, or the so-called CZ, Synthetic Moissanite, etc
2. Natural stones e.g. White Sapphires, White Topaz, etc

Apart from the above examples, there are many more stones that are similar to diamonds. I will focus on the most popular ones in my blog.

One of our biggest creation : 1.7 carat center stone.  

Natural diamond on 18K white gold

Certified Diamond by HRD

3 unique "practical values" of diamond
1. Diamonds are natural. All diamonds are at least 3.3 billion years old. The age of a diamond is more than two thirds the age of the earth itself. And that's why it's so expensive.

For people who truly love jewelry, the natural property is one of the most important criterias because natural stones are a better investment and have an emotional value.



2. Highest hardness of all stone. Stones are measured by their hardness in a 1-10 scale ("mohs scale"). The hardness of a diamond is 10, which means it can scratch glass and all stones that have the hardness level from 1-9. In general, the harder the stone, the higher the price. Diamonds are used in glass industry for cutting. The window in your house is probably cut by synthetic diamonds! In this picture below from www.allaboutgemstones.com, you will see that softer stone can be scratched easily by knife, glass, coin, or even nail.

Hardness is important feature for practical reasons. Hard stone will not scratch easily so its beauty is long-lasting. If you love to wear jewelry everyday, hard stones like diamonds or sapphires or rubies are a more practical option for you as they won't be wear out easily.


3) High brilliance and luster. Of all gems, diamonds have the highest refraction index and the highest dispersion, emitting pretty glittering "rainbow" or "fire" that you always see.

This is one of the most important aesthetic values of diamonds and gemstones!
Stay tuned for more...

Our sis-in-law's ring made by us

1.0 carat centered stone

Certified diamond by HRD

Why White Sapphire is the best alternative to diamond?

In my opinion, I think the best alternative to diamond is "White Sapphire".

1.  Its hardness level is 9 on the Mohs scale.  It's a very very strong stone only second to diamond.  

2. Good quality white sapphire has a nice fire!  If you compare a nice white sapphire to an average quality diamond, sometimes you can't really see much difference in term of the fire.

3. White sapphire is an expensive stone but the price is still affordable.  

We love working with white sapphire and our customers often gave a big compliment on how the stones look in the setting.  Most consumer wouldn't be able to differentiate our white sapphire from diamond!  We source and only use nice quality white sapphire.

Visit our diamond and white sapphire jewelry here

2mm white sapphire eternity ring, view

4mm white sapphire solitaire ring, view

5mm white sapphire earrings + small sapphire detachable rings, view

To see all our "handmade" customized diamond and white sapphire jewelry, please visit our store 360Diamonds.etsy.com