Pearls tend to be significantly less expensive in comparison to diamonds, offering a more affordable option for budget-conscious couples.
Diamonds are the king of sparkle, claiming a high rating on the refractive index. They're famous for their brilliance, which splits white light into a mesmerizing array of hues. Pearls feature a luster instead of sparkle. Luster is one of the key qualities to consider when choosing a pearl.
There are many gems that are more valuable than diamonds. Emeralds, sapphires, rubies, garnets, and alexandrite, just to name a few.
Natural pearls are definitely more rarer than diamonds. Natural pearls are formed by mollusks and this whole process is relatively rare. On the other side , diamonds are formed deep down in the earth and the process is more predictable, so the diamonds are more available to us than pearls.
Some of the world's most expensive pearls are so notoriously difficult to successfully produce and harvest that they are 'rarer than gold'.
Gold Pearls
One of the largest and rarest pearls found around the world is Gold in color. They are Golden South Sea pearls, cultured in the Philippine Islands. Golden South Sea pearls have only been available to pearl lovers since the late 1970s, and are known as the “Rolls Royce” of cultured pearls.
The lip determines the pearl color. While the white pearls are also priced by jewelers, the gold pearl variety is the most coveted color. The gold South sea pearl's color can range from creamy white to deep gold, and the darker the color, the more expensive it becomes.
Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades. By the year 2004, there were less than 2 dozens known gemstones.
Emerald. Rarer than diamonds, emeralds are also more expensive than the same quality diamond. Their colouring ranges from green to blue-green, and the darker the colour, the more expensive they are.
Moissanite gemstones are one of the most affordable diamond alternatives. While characteristics like color, shape, and size can largely impact the price point of moissanites, a 1 ct. or 6.5mm equivalent can range from around $400 – $1,000.
Moissanite has unparalleled sparkle! It has a higher refractive index than diamond, resulting in greater brilliance than diamond. Moissanite also has greater dispersion (fire) than a diamond, so you will notice more rainbow flashes of light.
The pink diamond “Pink Star” is the most expensive gemstone in the world. It was bought at a Sotheby's auction by Hong Kong jewelry chain Chow Tai Fook for an incredible $71.2 million. The stone was mined in South Africa and weighs 59.60 carats.
Pearl has long been known as the queen of gemstones. They are one of the most precious gems ever discovered, and are believed to have been revered and traded as long as 6,000 years ago.
However, there's a major difference between pearls and other well-known gems like diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. While these others form as minerals underground, pearls have organic origins. They form within various species of freshwater and saltwater mollusks. Simply put, pearls are gems but not stones.
How Much Are Real Pearls Worth? A traditional strand of white pearls can range from $100 (Freshwater pearl necklace) to $10,000 (Akoya pearl necklace). A strand of large, flawless South Sea pearls could even be valued as high as $100,000+ .
2. Pink Diamond – $1.2 million per carat. The second most expensive natural gemstone on this list is a pink diamond. Pink diamonds, like red diamonds, are classified as fancy-colored diamonds.
Platinum. There are four precious metals used in jewelry: platinum, gold, silver, and palladium. Of the four, platinum is often the most expensive and definitely the most exclusive. It's 30 times rarer than gold and used in a purer form.
Though sapphires are rarer than diamonds, they are often a more affordable diamond alternative or accent. The brilliance, durability and timelessness of diamonds keeps them as the more expensive of these two gems. A diamond of similar carat, cut and quality will cost more than a comparable sapphire.
Gem-quality rubies are significantly rarer than diamonds, though there are certain types of diamonds that are very rare too. If we weigh the most spectacular examples of rubies and diamonds against one another, diamonds that show color are even rarer.
O is a rare silicate mineral, first described in 1978. It was believed to be named after the Chara River, but due to the river being 70 km away from its discovery place, now it is believed to be named after the Russian word chary, meaning magic or charms.
White and Golden South Sea pearls are the largest and most luxurious of all cultured pearl types on the market today. Often called the “Queen of Pearls”, South Sea pearls feature a gorgeous palette of natural Golden and White colors that shimmer with delicate overtones and are simply unmistakable.
South Sea. South Sea pearls are often referred to as the Rolls Royce of pearls. They are the largest and most valuable pearls grown today, with average sizes ranging from 10 to 15 millimeters. South Sea pearls grow in a large pearl oyster native to Australia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia.
It's often assumed that because something's old it must be valuable. That's rarely true and certainly not for pearls. Advances in technology and culturing techniques mean you can buy a much better set of pearls for far less money than in grandma's time.