Beyond the big four: Finding natural gemstone alternatives

by Samantha Ashenhurst | February 15, 2019 2:37 pm

By Lauriane Lognay

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Whether you have 10 years of experience in the business, 30, or even two, at some point you have probably found yourself in front of a customer having a hard time coming up with natural options for gemstones that fit his/her budget, taste, and dreams.

However, there are plenty of examples of alternative gemstones you can use to replace the big classics (namely diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire). It can be beneficial to have different options for clients who prefer rarity over known gemstones—for example, those who want a colourless stone that is not a diamond, those who like ruby but do not want its slight pink tint, those who would like a peculiar blue that cannot be found in sapphires, or those who love emerald’s colour, but do not have the budget for an emerald without inclusions. By offering alternatives, the jeweller proves to the customer he or she knows about more gems than just the ‘big four.’

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In addition to budget, it is important to consider hardness when working with gemstones. Generally, when designing rings, gemstones with a hardness of at least 7 on the Mohs scale are used. Some exceptions can be made, as with opal and tanzanite, but this results in a more fragile piece.

Another factor to consider is colour. Did your customer see a colour he/she liked on the Internet? What was the colour of her old earrings? What is precisely the colour you need, and which gemstones offer it?

Alternatives can also be necessary with protected materials such as red coral and elephant ivory. The spreadsheets in this article can be used to show your clients a simple way to differentiate between gemstones and make it easy for them to choose.

It should be noted this article only offers natural gemstones as alternatives. Synthetics and imitations were not put into consideration. The hardness of the gems is presented in accordance with the Mohs scale of hardness. Additionally, all the gemstones listed are being generally compared to their counterparts and can differ from the colour descriptions and or general appearance. The gemstone world is a big one!

Diamond

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There are a lot of options in the natural gemstone kingdom to stand in for diamond, but few of them can really take its place. Not everyone can afford diamonds these days, but many people would love to have the qualities associated with them: colourlessness, good lustre and cut, and large size. Having other options can show the client he/she has a choice in the matter and allow you to respect his/her budget without opting for synthetics. Four natural colourless gemstone alternatives are sapphire, topaz, zircon, and quartz (Figure 1). Each offers unique advantages and disadvantages and can fit different budgets.

Budget plays a big part in clients’ decision-making most of the time, but there are also other characteristics they should consider to make the best, most educated choice. For example, sapphire is the second-hardest gem after diamond in this category, but if you want to see fire in the stone, zircon is the best option. It all depends on the feature the client wants most—for example, if he/she desires low cost and good hardness, quartz would be best, while those looking for a long-lasting, hard gem should choose topaz. (Quartz can also be found in Canada, which can appeal to those who want Canadian gems.)

Some other, less-known alternatives include goshenite (colourless beryl), rutile (a rare find), danburite, petalite, and garnet (for more, see the 14^th edition of Guide des pierres précieuses by Walter Schummann).

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Ruby

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The blood-red colour usually associated with ruby is one of the hardest to achieve naturally. Along with sapphire and emerald, ruby offers one of the richest colours in nature. More often than not, it is also included and pinkish in colour when the highest quality cannot be reached. Substitutes for this gemstone are limited, but not impossible to find. Natural alternatives to provide its attractive colour include garnet, rubellite, spinel, and zircon (Figure 2).

Of these options, spinel would be the closest to ruby in colour and hardness, but its prices are also quick to rise—though they are still not at the same level as ruby of the same quality. Following closely behind is zircon with its deep red colour. The only problem with zircon in the long term is abrasions, which appear more easily than with the other choices.

Most of the time, garnet (the low-cost option) has a brownish tone with the red. This does not bother everyone, so it is a good possibility. Rubellite can be found with a deep red, but most often it has a pink tone making it more fuchsia, and it is also frequently a gem that has inclusions.

Red fluorite, bixbite (red beryl), andesine, and dravite could also be strong options.

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Emerald

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Emerald is a classic in the gemmology and jewellery realm. Its reputation and fame gave it a chance to rise amongst the biggest sellers in the modern market despite its mostly included state and fragile composition when it has to be set. Finding gemstones to stand in for it is easier than with ruby, but some lesser-known gemstones might prove a challenge to sell to clients. Possibilities to replace emerald include tsavorite garnet, diopside, sapphire, and tourmaline (Figure 3).

A good technique to start introducing these lesser-known gems to clients is improving your knowledge. Know what you sell and clients will know what to buy. Tsavorite, for example, is an easy introduction—it’s a green garnet. Reassure clients by offering a gemstone they know, but in a new colour. Green sapphire is also a simple one, as sapphire is a well-known gemstone, has good hardness, and is the September birthstone. It is also a bit harder to find, which makes it all the more precious to your customers. Another option, tourmaline, is an appealing rainbow gemstone offering all the tones Mother Nature can create.

With diopside, on the other hand, the best colour comes from the chrome element in the stone, so chrome diopside is deep forest green. The most attractive specimens are often five carats or less and melee is used to accent bigger gemstones on jewellery. The low price and the fact diopside is a collectors’ stone give it an advantage on other gems if the client wants something different. It can also be found in Canada.

For customers seeking additional alternatives, retailers could offer gems such as peridot, green beryl, fluorite, dioptase, or kornerupine.

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Sapphire

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The sapphire, part of the corundum family like ruby, made its place in our world as a pillar of the jewellery industry. Its hardness (just after the diamond) and its wide range of blues, from light to dark and from royal to Kashmir, have made it a must-have in any collection. Finding natural gems similar to sapphire is no easy task, but any gemmologist loves a good challenge! Spinel, tanzanite, indicolite tourmaline, and kyanite are all great options (Figure 4).

Spinel will always be a good choice as an alternative to sapphire or ruby, due to its similar chemical composition and colour. It was often misidentified as corundum in the past. The second best in colour would be kyanite, but its low hardness makes this stone difficult to set in anything other than earrings. Tanzanite has always been a good option to propose to clients who like blue, but do not really know anything apart from sapphire and want a unique gem from a unique locality. Tourmaline is in the middle: middle prices and middle colour with a slight grey in the blue. It can also be like London blue topaz in colour, but comes with good hardness and a vast range of tones.

Lesser-known alternatives include iolite, London topaz, benitoite, cordierite, and zircon.

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Red coral

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Red coral, or noble coral, is an aquatic plant used in jewellery (for more, see The Sisk Gemology Reference by Jerry Sisk, 2016). The downside of this beautiful organic ‘gem’ is hunting for it harms the ocean and its reefs[12]. Some of the most important sources of coral are the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, Morocco, and Italy. Coral houses a small animal called a polyp that feeds on plankton carried by the currents and creates a whole ecosystem in the coral reefs, which house hundreds of different types of plants and fish. Something as simple as the stress caused by tourism can kill the plants and end an entire reef. Over-fishing and hunting coral reefs, while seemingly simple, can damage the delicate balance and biodiversity in the ocean.

This means strict laws exist concerning this material. Many countries have put in place solutions to lower the hunt on red coral. All of this makes it difficult for jewellers wanting to replace a client’s broken piece, for example. However, you can tell your clients there is an alternative: carnelian.

This gem offers a pleasing burnt orange to red colour similar to coral, as well as good hardness at 7 on the Mohs scale. It comes at very low cost and generally high quality, although it can be transparent. Carnelian is considered a good alternative in part because of its hardness—coral’s hardness is only 3 ½ to 4 on the Mohs scale, so carnelian is much more durable and resistant to higher temperatures, acid, and perfume.

Pink/orange shell, rhodocrosite, rhodonite, jasper, and some commercial-quality fire opal could also be used instead of coral.

Ivory

Elephant ivory is a delicate subject most people tiptoe around, but this material still exists. While it is mostly illegal to sell ivory, it is not illegal to own it. Some clients may have historical pieces dating from before the ban of the material and have papers to prove it. What do you say to a client wanting to replace a broken piece and wishing for the same colour and appearance in his/her jewellery?

One solution is the corozo nut[13]. Also known as vegetable ivory, ivory-nut, or tagua nut, it is roughly 4 to 8 cm (1 ½ to 3 in.) tall and offers a simple organic solution preventing elephant poaching. These nuts grow in trees. Then, when they are harvested, they are dried and sold on the market. If they are not dried correctly, they may crack. The corozo nut stimulates the economy in South America and can be treated, cut, and carved like normal wood.

Carvers say the nut has similar hardness to ivory (2 ½ on the Mohs scale), although this has not been officially tested. It offers a white to creamy yellowish colour resembling ivory as well. However, overheating it will turn it yellowish or black. It comes at generally high quality for very low cost.

Other options to replace ivory include bone, horn, jasper, and mammoth ivory.

Planning for the future

The world is changing, and we must change with it or risk being left behind. People today are more conscious of the environment and jewellers have to be ready to put forward different alternatives for clients in order to stop the hunt for ivory and coral. Jewellery is currently not the most environmentally friendly trade, but we can make it better with knowledge. Know where to buy, how to buy, and the story behind your gemstones. People today want to buy a story, not just any gem.

We must put forward new ideas and new gemstones that can fit perfectly with the colour, budget, and hardness the client desires, keeping in mind synthetic is not always the best solution. I encourage the industry to stay natural, stay knowledgeable, and stay conscious.

[14]Lauriane Lognay is a fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (FGA), and has won several awards. She is a gemstone dealer working with jewellers to help them decide on the best stones for their designs. Lognay is the owner of Rippana Inc., a Montréal-based company working internationally in coloured gemstone, lapidary, and jewellery services. She can be reached via e-mail by contacting rippanainfo@gmail.com[15].

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