If you're a fine jewelry aficionado, you've likely heard of precious and semi precious gemstones. But what do they actually mean, and which gems earn the title? Keep reading for a complete guide to precious and semi-precious gemstones, including: pros and cons, which stones are durable enough for engagement rings, which gems to avoid for everyday wear, and the underhyped yet stunning stones that should definitely be on your radar.
Precious vs semi precious gemstones
There are only four precious stones on Earth: diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. Everything else is considered semi-precious. But what makes a stone "precious"? Originally, when they were first named, these faceted gems were rarer, more valuable, more durable, and more in-demand than other stones.
Fast forward a few centuries, and the gem game has changed. Discoveries of new gemstones and deposits have blurred these once-clear lines. Take emeralds and aquamarines for example - both stones come from the mineral beryl, yet only emeralds are deemed a precious gem. And some semi-precious stones, like tsavorite garnets and spinels, are actually rarer than their "precious" peers.
Bottom line: labels are just labels - don't let them limit you. You can find stunning precious and semiprecious stones, so choose what you love and what fits your lifestyle and aesthetic best.
Precious Gemstones
Diamonds
The most in-demand and expensive precious stone for a reason, diamonds are the hardest material on Earth and can only be scratched by another diamond. With incredible sparkle and light-reflecting properties, diamonds shine like no other gem and can last forever. Learn more about diamonds in our blog.
Sapphires
With a hardness of 9 and a rainbow of colors to choose from, sapphires have it all. They're durable enough for everyday wear, have blinding sparkle, can be cut in every shape, and have a color for every aesthetic - even bi-color, color-shifting, and opalescent sapphires! Learn more in our Complete Guide to Sapphires.
Emeralds
The green variety of beryl, emeralds are beloved for their vibrant, velvety green hue. With a 7.5 - 8 hardness, they're fairly durable but should be cared for carefully. Almost all natural emeralds have inclusions and they often add to their allure. Learn more and see our favorite emerald rings in our Guide to Emeralds.
Rubies
Rubies are made from corundrum - the same mineral that creates sapphires - the name ruby just refers to its red color. Coveted for their incredibly rich red hues and their delicious sparkle, rubies are also very durable, coming in at a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale - wear-forever engagement ring approved.
Semi-Precious Stones
All gemstones other than diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald and are considered semi-precious stones. They range from inexpensive crystals like rose quartz and lapis lazuli to fine jewelry favorites like spinel, tourmaline and tanzanite. Keep scrolling for a rundown of our favorite semiprecious stones found in OOAK, custom, and ready-to-ship rings at Gem Breakfast.
Spinel
One of the rarest gemstones in the world, spinel is among our favorite engagement ring stones. With incredible color shifting properties and available in almost every color of the rainbow, spinels are the sparkling chameleons of the gem world. And with a hardness of 8, they're durable enough for everyday wear and will last a lifetime. Learn more about spinel in our blog.
Tourmaline
Often mistaken for sapphire, tourmaline is a vibrant (and inexpensive) semiprecious stone found in a rainbow of colors. As a pleochroic gem, tourmaline shows two or more colors when viewed from different angles (multiple gemstones in one, anyone?) And with a hardness of 7 - 7.5, they're durable enough for engagement rings. Learn more in our blog.
Zircon
The oldest mineral on Earth, Zircon dates back 4.4 billion years. With an incredible diamond-like sparkle, zircon is found in vibrant blue, champagne, and pink tones and can be heated to a colorless tone. Rated a 6.5 -7 on Mohs hardness scale, Zircon is a fairly durable stone that can be worn daily with care. Not to be confused with cubic zirconia, a faux knockoff.
Topaz
Available in a plethora of colors including colorless (hello, diamond lookalike), topaz is a versatile and striking stone we love. Often found as very large crystals, this is the stone for seriously sizeable statement jewelry. As a pleochroic gem, topaz displays different colors from various angles, and with a hardness of 8, it's ideal for wear-everyday jewelry.
Tanzanite
Found only in a small, area in Tanzania,tanzanite is an incredible blue-violet gemstone that shows three different colors depending on the angle. Rated 6-7 on the Mohs hardness scale, it should be cared for carefully to prevent damage. Learn more in our Tanzanite Guide.
Iolite
Another stunning purple gemstone, iolite is lesser known but is gaining attention for its pleochroic quaities and vibrant violet hues. A less expensive alternative to tanzanite, iolite has a hardness of 7-7.5 and is rarely heat treated, which many collectors love.
Amethyst
The purple quartz, amethyst is the least expensive purple gemstone and is usually free of visible inclusions. If size, price, and purple are your priorities, amethyst wins on all fronts. With a hardness of 7, it's a wear-sometimes stone with fair durability.
Moonstone
A magically moon-like gem, moonstone's light-refracting properties create its signature ethereal glow. Rated a 6-6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, moonstone is an inexpensive and prismatic occasional-wear stone that truly glows.
Garnet
Most well known for its rich, ruby-esque red hues, garnet also comes in orange, pink-orange, purple-red (rhodolite garnet) and a rare green tone known as tsavorite garnet. Rated 6.5 - 7.5 on Mohs hardness scale, it's a relatively durable stone that can be worn regularly with care.
Morganite
A variety of beryl (the same mineral as aquamarine and emerald), morganite runs from ballerina pink to vibrant salmon tones. Though it has a hardness of 7.5-8, we don't recommend it for engagement rings as it shows dirt and oils very easily, creating a cloudly appearance.
Citrine
The yellow-orange variety of quartz, citrine is a rare yet inexpensive gem that feels like liquid sunshine. With a hardness of 7, it's a decently durable gemstone that should be worn with care. Many gems that look like citrine are actually heat-treated amethyst, as natural citrine is very rare - beware of pretenders.
Chrysoberyl
A lesser known stone, chrysoberyl runs from yellowish-green to brownish-yellow ro completely colorless. With a hardness of 8.5, it's ideal for engagement rings and wear-everyday jewelry. When it has color change properties, it's known as alexandrite and is extremely rare.
Your precious vs semi-precious gem questions answered
What is a semi-precious gemstone?
All gems besides diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies are considered semi-precious gemstones.
Is amethyst a precious or semi-precious stone?
Amethyst is a semi-precious stone.
Are semi-precious stones worth anything?
Many semi-precious stones like tanzanite, spinel, alexandrite, tsavorite garnet, and tourmaline are very valuable and a few semi-precious gems are actually more valuable than their precious gemstone counterparts.
Shop all our in-stock and made to order precious and semi-precious gemstone rings here or book a free virtual consult to chat about creating custom!