The jewellery industry deals with precious stones that are sometimes so rare that even minuscule quantities cost a huge amount.
The price of diamonds depends upon the size, cut, purity, and source. Various terminologies are used for diamonds that differ on the basis of these characteristics.
Key Takeaways
- A diamond is a precious gemstone, while a solitaire is a setting for a diamond or other gemstone.
- A solitaire refers to a single diamond or gemstone set in a piece of jewelry, while a diamond can refer to any diamond, regardless of how it is set.
- Solitaires are used in engagement rings and other pieces of fine jewelry.
Diamond vs Solitaire
A diamond is a precious gemstone prized for its beauty, rarity, and durability. A solitaire is a type of jewellery with a single gemstone as its centrepiece. A diamond is a precious gemstone that can come in various colours, while a solitaire features a single gemstone.
A diamond is made naturally when carbon deposits are subject to intense high heat and pressure in the inner layer of the earth.
They are then ejected during volcano eruptions or can also be found in coal deposits since coal is also a form of carbon. It is the most complex and most thermally conductive material known to humankind.
Solitaire refers to jewellery that uses a single piece of a precious gem, such as a diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, etc. This type of jewellery involves pendants, lockets, and rings.
Solitaires are costly as obtaining relatively large pieces of precious stones and cutting and polishing them is difficult.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Diamond | Solitaire |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Solitaire refers to a single naturally defined gemstone used in jewellery. | Diamonds are expensive as it takes a lot of effort to mine and fashion them into jewellery. |
| Costliness | They are naturally defined, which makes them incredibly beautiful and costly. | Solitaires are even costlier than diamonds due to their incredible rarity. |
| Size | They are less than 0.30 carats. | Any diamond of more than 0.30 carats is a solitaire diamond. |
| Shape | They have to be cut and polished since they naturally are crude. | A solitaire gemstone is rare since naturally defined stones can’ be formed easily. |
| Rarity | A diamond is one of the most common gemstones found naturally. | A solitaire gemstone is rare since naturally defined stones can be formed easily. |
What is a Diamond?
A diamond refers to a solid carbon substance that,, contrary to popular belief, exists in many colours depending on impurities.
Perfectly pure diamond is colourless and is the hardest substance known to man.
Natural diamonds were formed many million years ago under intense heat and pressure and were then erupted in volcanic eruptions and can be found in igneous rocks.
Diamonds have rare properties like perfect hardness, the highest thermal conductivity, yield strength, tensile strength, etc. Pure diamonds are transparent and colourless, and odourless.
Nitrogen, boron, radiation exposure, etc. can colour the diamonds yellow, blue, and green, respectively. They have a very high refractive index, which gives them their characteristic sparkling appearance.
Diamonds have many applications in cosmetic as well as industrial use.
Industry-grade diamonds are used in glass cutters and grinders. Industry-grade diamonds that are unfit for gem and jewellery making are called bort. Their hardness and high conductivity give them many industrial uses.
Diamonds are predominantly used to create jewellery where they are cut and polished to make them more attractive. Depending on the type of jewellery being made, diamonds or a single piece of a solitaire diamond are embedded into precious metals like gold and platinum.
What is Solitaire?
Solitaire is a term referring to a single piece of precious stone and jewellery with only a single gemstone embedded in precious metals.
Lockets and engagement rings are solitaire jewellery and demonstrate how popular solitaires are. Diamond solitaires are the most famous pieces of jewellery in the market.
Any singular pieces of gemstone was more significant than 0.3 carats are called solitaires. They are also naturally defined and need minimal shaping, skyrocketing their price.
Solitaires are the most expensive pieces of jewellery.
They are scarce in nature as not only do they have to be free from impurities, but they also have to be shaped, sized, and defined enough to manufacture jewellery.
Solitaire diamond rings are colloquially known as engagement rings because that is the purpose they are most used for. They are available in many cuts like rectangular, a princess, etc.
The price also depends on the clarity of the stone. The second most popular solitaire gem is emerald, which has a green sheen and a diamond-like material.
Consumers in the market for solitaire gems should always check for certifications and always opt for reliable shops since solitaire diamonds are also forged because of their exorbitant prices.
Main Differences Between Diamond and Solitaire
- A diamond is a carbon allotrope, whereas solitaires are single pieces of gemstones.
- Solitaire jewellery is much more expensive than ordinary diamond jewellery due to the greater rarity of solitaire gems.
- Diamonds are small pieces that are cut, shaped, and polished together to form jewellery, whereas solitaries are naturally defined and bigger than 0.3 carats.
- Solitaires are much rarer than normal diamonds since large crystallization of carbon is very rare, and the circumstances in which it can be made naturally do not occur normally.
- Solitaire jewellery has only a single piece of precious gemstone in it, whereas diamond jewellery has other precious stones and metals.
- http://www.ikcabstracts.com/index.php/ikc/article/download/1171/1171
- http://journals.christuniversity.in/index.php/ushus/article/view/1941
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
