Battle of the Gems

The crowd is roaring impatiently.  They have been ready for this fight forever!  In the ring, in one corner, we have Emerald. You know him by his green gloves.  To his right, in blue, is Sapphire and to his left, red and angry, is Ruby! They are cut, polished and ready to fight!  Who will take the ring? The bell rings. BAM! Emerald delivers a left jab to Ruby. Ruby responds with a right cross. BOOM! Sapphire jumps in and delivers a left uppercut. Emerald is now chipped and down for the count. Ruby is really red and delivers a right hook to Sapphire. WHAM! Sapphire responds with a right jab and left uppercut. They start to grapple.  Round and round they go. No gem is going down! The crowd wants more action and starts booing. After what seems like forever, the judges call the fight a draw. 

Let’s recap what just happened here: Emerald went down first and let me explain why.  Emerald has a hardness of 7.5 according to the Moh’s scale that ranges from one to ten. It’s just not a tough stone. It was a bit overconfident to get into this fight.  The inclusions normally found in emerald can often be fissures and fractures resulting from its crystal growth. To improve emerald durability and appearance, these fractures are clarity enhanced by a process known as oiling, a practice in use in one form or another for thousands of years. Historically, oils, waxes, and resins have been applied to emerald to mask surface-reaching breaks and improve clarity and strength. Lately, there have been emeralds mined that have not required treatment, but those are rare.  Fortunately, we have access to certified, untreated emeralds right here at Green Hills Diamond Brokers. 

How come the judges called a draw in the fight between sapphire and ruby? Because they are actually the same mineral and that mineral is called corundum!  When corundum is red, it’s called ruby, when it is blue, it’s called sapphire.  Surprised? I sure was.  

On the Moh’s scale, the hardness factor of corundum is nine, meaning that rubies and sapphires are the most durable colored gemstone available. Now if the diamond had gotten into the fight, all bets would have been off. Though diamond is a ten on the Moh’s scale (only one point higher than ruby and sapphire), it is actually significantly harder. Diamond would have creamed the competition. It wouldn’t have been a fair fight. Even though emerald is not as hard as diamond, sapphire or ruby, it is still durable enough to be worn in fine jewelry. Remember, you can’t fight physics. Any diamond or colored gemstone ring can chip or crack if you hit it just right, so always take care of your jewelry and try not to wear it in a fight!    

At Green Hills Diamond Brokers,  it’s a win-win! We have a gorgeous selection not only of diamonds but also of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds at broker prices. Gems can be the heart of a design or used as an accent stone to enhance a setting.  No budget is too big or too small. Come see us today!