Diamondĭiamond is the most luscious mineral primarily and solely composed of carbon atoms. Here’s a brief description of four precious stones that makes them different and unique from semi-precious stones. Moonstone, aquamarine, rose quartz, turquoise, amethyst, garnet, lapis lazuli, etc. Semi-precious stones originate in various geographical areas in Earth's igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic layers. Precious stones are found in different layers of the Earth's crust, particularly the mantle. These are made of either organic materials, minerals, or rocks. These are composed of different elements for example, diamonds comprise carbon atoms, whereas rubies contain aluminum oxide. Less rare, lower value, and less attractive than precious stones. Rare, luxurious, and expensive gems used in jewelry making. General Comparison Between Precious and Semi-Precious Stones:

Some industry insiders still have found the difference between them, described below. In this context, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are precious stones, and all others are semi-precious. Commercially, using the terms ‘precious’ and ‘semi-precious’ based on gems' worth is misleading it is still in use. Moreover, gemologists do not have any objective criteria for classifying gems. Some gemologists also classify gems based on hardness level on a Mohs scale, with diamonds having the highest grade ranging from 8 to 10. It is because many semi-precious stones are more valuable than a few precious stones for example, tsavorite, which belongs to the group of inexpensive garnets, is much more valuable ad pricey than average quality emeralds. Nevertheless, with the advancement in technology, knowledge in gemology, and research on gemstones, it is clear that we cannot classify gems into precious and semi-precious categories depending on their value. At that time, rare, almost translucent, and hardest to scratch stones were considered precious. Classification Criterion:Īncient Greeks first used the terms precious and semi-precious stones depending on their rarity, hardness, and value. The following description explains how jewelry makers classify gems and the difference between precious and semi-precious stones. You might have heard the terms precious and semi-precious stones. Some gemologists classify gems based on hardness despite many criteria upon which stones are now categorized. Gems are mineral crystals, organic materials, or hard rocks, which is why some stones are often referred to as hard stones. Numerous gemstones are found in the different layers of the Earth's crust or underwater. Gemstones are naturally occurring refined and polished pieces of jewels frequently used to embellish metals in jewelry production.

Precious gems in order of value