When it comes to designing and choosing an engagement ring, over 80% include a white diamond. With their incredible sparkle and durability to handle everyday wear, diamonds are the preferred option for an engagement ring. If you’re seeking a different option and better price point see our top 5 alternatives to a white or colourless diamond.
Moissanite
A moissanite is a fantastic diamond alternative. With a hardness of 9.5 on the mohs scale (a diamond 10) with little to no colour or colourless, the two are almost identical. With similar fire and brilliance to that of its counterpart, the only real difference is price. A moissanite of a similar cut, clarity, colour and curate weight of a diamond would be around 80% cheaper per carat. Making is a fantastic budget friendly option.
Picture by GIA
White Topaz
Often mistaken for a diamond, a white topaz has similar characteristics to that of it’s lookalike. A topaz’s hardness is a 8 and while still resilient to most wear and tears, it won’t withstand everyday wear beyond a few years. However it is a cheaper stone to replace should you need to every few years. White topaz also don’t have the fire and brilliance like a diamond making the appearance less sparkly.
Picture by GIA
White Sapphire
White isn’t typically the colour that comes to mind when you mention sapphire. Most think of the royal blue variety however sapphires come in a rainbow of colours. A hardness of 9 these durable stones can be used for everyday jewellery including engagement rings. White sapphires are rare but do not command an expensive price tag. That being said they are significantly less per carat than a diamond. One thing to consider is that a white sapphire will tend to have more inclusions and a softer appearance than its rival. So while the price is right, stick to smaller stones or ones that are “eye clean” clarity, meaning inclusions are not visible to the naked eye.
Picture by Brilliant Earth
Goshenite
A unusual and not well known stone a goshenite is a member of the beryl family. Their popular cousins includes morganite, emerald and aquamarine. These gemstones on first glance are strikingly similar to diamonds however upon closer inspection their lack of fire and brilliance is noted. Ranking 7.5 on the hardness scale, these gemstones are tough to be used in everyday jewellery.
Picture by GIA
White Zircon
Not to be confused with cubic zirconia, a zircon is a natural gemstone and a perfect diamond alternative. White or colourless in colour these beauties have long been used as diamond replica. However these stones only have a hardness of 7.5 making them agile, their cost per carat is very cheap allowing the owner to change the stones often.
Picture by GIA
If budget is a huge factor in your final design these diamond alternatives will most certainly provide you with massive savings. However not many gemstones will replace or replica the fire and brilliance of a diamond. One thing to consider is your overall design and look for your ring, if you are after a softer appearance a diamond alternative would be the way to go. You may even consider a diamond alternative for the interim and swap it out for the real thing later down the road. Which ever you choose know there are options out there to suit all budgets and tastes.
