We’ve all heard of both diamonds and quartz – but the real question here is what makes these two similar – and what makes them different. Both of these rocks are pretty popular in the world at the moment, but for different reasons, and that’s what we’ll be discussing today.
Besides, the dichotomy of diamond vs. quartz is quite well-known, and many are interested to know the real difference between those two – and how they rank compared side to side.
As you can all see, there are a lot of questions related to this topic that require some answers. So, without further ado, let’s jump in and see what these two rocks are hiding behind them!
How To Recognize A Diamond
Diamonds are among the most well-known precious stones out there – if not the most famous gemstones of all time. Their value and the ever-growing demand on the market are proof of that.
But are they easily recognizable? We wouldn’t say so – at least not the untrained eye.
Case in point: There are many people who make a living off of selling fake diamonds that – to the naked and untrained eye – might look like genuine diamonds. Sometimes the copies are so good that even people who know a lot about diamonds can’t spot minor inconsistencies.
Scary, right?
Because of that, we’ve decided to tell you all about how to recognize diamonds and make sure that somebody isn’t selling you a copy that merely looks like a diamond – but isn’t.
Quartz is also sold in large quantities these days, and it is widely available – but we’ll talk about how to recognize it soon enough.
One thing that separates a natural diamond from the fake ones is its hardness, which can’t be replicated – no matter how much these con artists may try.
The best way to tell a diamond from any other material or stone is to see how it performs on the Mohs scale of hardness. Remember, diamonds are the only gems with a level 10 grade on that scale.
They’re the hardest substance we know.
Otherwise, diamonds are characteristic in the sense that the majority of you will probably only see them polished and cut – rather than raw and uncut. But since these replicas are carefully shaped and processed, this probably wouldn’t tell you much.
That’s where technology comes in: You can use diamond testers to authenticate real diamonds and to find out whether the diamond that’s in front of you is real or fake.
The only issue is that you can’t tell diamonds that were grown in a lab apart from diamonds that occur naturally with a diamond tester.
But that minor issue aside, the best way to tell genuine diamonds from the fake ones – and other gemstones – is to have a diamond tester nearby or test it for hardness.
Related Read: Will A Lab-created Diamond Pass A Diamond Tester?
How To Recognize Quartz
Quartz has gained in popularity over these past few years.
People who are into gemstones (for different reasons – some ritual and spiritual, and others for decoration-related purposes only) have heavily contributed to the popularity of quartz crystals.
This stone has a distinct color that may vary based on what type of quartz we’re talking about here. The most well-known quartz is the rose quartz which has a characteristic pink hue to it that’s quite hard to replicate.
There are other variants of quartz out there, though – including white, citrine yellow, amethyst purple – which are all popular, just not as popular as the rose quartz variant.
All of these rocks do look and feel expensive, but in reality, they aren’t – at least not compared to diamonds.
A 1-carat rose quartz costs around $100, which isn’t cheap, but it’s nothing compared to price tags that you can find hanging off of 1-carat diamonds. We’re talking hundreds – and thousands – of dollars worth of difference here.
Other than the price separating these two from one another, there are quite a few other things that make quartz different from diamonds.
For starters, there’s an obvious difference in their structure. Diamonds are carbon in its purest form – and quartz is composed of oxygen and silicon.
One of the tell-tale signs of quartz is its glassy luster, a number 7 rating on the Mohs scale, and the characteristic white sediment found on its surface.
But one thing that separates quartz from diamonds, or any other crystal in general, is the way they’re cut. Quartz is usually either left uncut and raw as a decoration or cut in specific shapes that diamonds aren’t ever cut in.
Granted, there are some instances where quartz is cut similarly to those used on diamonds – but in 99% of cases, quartz will have a much different shape than a diamond.
Diamond & Quartz – Similarities
Sure, these stones have similarities and differences – but for now, it’s time to look at what makes diamonds and quartz similar. Some of you wouldn’t assume that these two aren’t similar at all, but you would be wrong.
The only type of quartz that’s mistaken for a diamond – or could even look anything similar to a diamond – is clear quartz. It’s a semi-popular crystal and can be found all over the shops that specialize in these kinds of stones.
The most significant similarity between clear quartz and a diamond is their looks. Both of them are see-through – and can be mistaken for one another, although in rare instances.
Of course, this all depends on the clarity of the diamond and how it looks since diamonds can have different colors and clarity levels – which may separate them from the clear quartz.
But, if we’re talking about regular diamonds and regular clear quartz, you probably won’t see any differences at first glance, especially if you don’t know much about gemstones.
Both are glossy; both reflect light in similar patterns… the list goes on. Generally speaking, that is because different diamond cuts reflect light in various patterns, but if quartz is cut in the same manner as diamonds, there’s no way of telling the difference at first.
Unfortunately, when it comes to similarities, that’s where it all ends – at that initial glance. These two gemstones are entirely different from one another.
And with that said, let’s discuss some notable differences between diamonds and quartz.
Diamond & Quartz – Differences
When it comes to differences, we have a lot more to talk about here. Although clear quartz and diamonds do look similar, there are many more things that make them different and unique than there are things that make them comparable.
The first thing on the list of differences in the hardness. Although you won’t technically be able to see exactly how hard a material is, you can always test its hardness.
Quartz is strong and durable – but it is brittle (much like diamonds). That said, it’s not as strong or as hard as a diamond.
Let us remind you that diamonds are the only substance that scores 10 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness – which makes diamonds the hardest mineral on Earth.
So, if something looks like a diamond but tests for anything lower than a 10, it’s not a diamond – but it could be quartz! Quartz gets a respectable 7 on the Mohs scale, so that’s quite the jump.
Otherwise, their chemical composition is quite different and from a chemical perspective, these two are different things: Diamonds are made through a process that carbon undergoes that requires immense heat and pressure, while quartz is a totally different story.
As lava cools down and loses its liquid state, quartz forms. That’s an extremely delicate process that isn’t rare in nature but isn’t easy to see and witness.
The fact that these two become what they are in such different ways makes them two entirely different worlds – and makes any further comparison equal to comparing apples and oranges.
From the aesthetical point of view, there are a few things that separate diamonds from quartz. Quartz can vary in color, shape, size – just as diamonds do.
But even though each is unique and different to some extent, diamonds tend to look similar to one another.
Quartz can have a spectrum of colors and even be milky white or clear. That means that if you see a gemstone that’s cut like a diamond but is bright pink or purple, chances are it’s quartz.
Which One Is More Valuable?
We’ve talked about the price of quartz – around $100 per carat at most – which isn’t cheap, but it also isn’t as expensive as diamonds.
On the other hand, diamonds can vary in their price depending on a few things. The first thing is that can impact and influence the cost of diamonds is their size – this is the biggest factor when it comes to price.
Other than size, the clearness, the color, the cut – these are all things that do influence the price of diamonds, and they influence it heavily.
From what we know, the price of quartz is influenced by how they are cut, their size and weight, and what color they are.
The cut of a diamond can mean the difference between a few thousand dollars and more than $10,000 – which is quite a huge difference. When it comes to quartz, the cut doesn’t have that much of an impact on the price.
Quartz can be cut in a few different ways, that is if it’s even cut. People often leave quartz as it is for its characteristic shape and looks. So, not every quartz is cut – meaning that the cut of the quartz isn’t as important.
The size matters when it comes to both of these rocks, though.
Diamonds have a much higher price per carat than quartz – but that doesn’t mean that quartz’s price doesn’t skyrocket when talking about big pieces of crystal.
If you’d like to buy quartz that’s as big as your own palm, you’ll have to be ready for your wallet to take a major hit, much like when shopping for diamonds!
The only difference is that you’ll get much more quartz than diamonds for the same price.
When it comes to color, some diamonds, like yellow diamonds, are highly valued for their color and their price can be much higher for that. Well, it’s the same way with quartz in the sense of its price tag rising when the quartz is in a specific, often rarer, or more “popular” color.
Summary
We’ve said a lot about diamonds and quartz, but it’s time to sum up and see what we’ve learned today.
First of all, both of these stones are pretty valuable in their own regard – and there’s a massive demand for them on the market.
Second, they can look similar under some circumstances, but rarely. Other than the looks, these two are utterly different: Different hardness, characteristics, price, way of forming; everything about diamonds and quartz is different.
That doesn’t mean that one is less valuable than the other, though.
There are people that value quartz very much and put it way above diamonds. It’s a question of personal preference and taste, and the fact that diamonds are worth more doesn’t mean that they’re more precious to some people.
And that means that, in the battle of diamond vs. quartz, there aren’t any winners – but there aren’t any losers, either. Both of these are pretty desirable – and have their respective place on the market!