You might be thinking, “Emeralds are green and sapphires are blue, right?” But there’s so much more to their tale! They each have their own unique flair, but they also share some fantastic qualities.

This article will take you on a journey through the depths of our planet to discover the incredible stories of these gems. We’ll dig deep (pun intended!) to uncover the differences between emerald and sapphire and recognize their similarities, too.

Whether you’re a budding geologist, a curious rockhound, or someone who simply loves the sparkle and allure of gemstones, there’s a lot to learn and even more to love about these two natural wonders.

Get ready, because by the end of this adventure, you’ll see emeralds and sapphires in a whole new light!

Emerald vs Sapphire – The Major Differences

Equally stunning and breathtaking in their own rights, emerald and sapphire share a handful of major differences that’ll make it easier for you to tell one from the other. Below are the characteristics that set them apart:

Color and Appearance- Emerald is always green

The main color that pops into your mind when you think of an emerald is green. And that’s right! This green can vary from a light, almost grassy hue, to a deep, dark forest green.

Sometimes, if you look closely at an emerald, you might even see tiny lines or marks inside. These are called inclusions and they give each stone its own unique character.

Now, let’s switch gears to sapphires. While most people think these gems only come in blue, that’s not entirely true. Blue is the most famous color for sapphires, and it can range from a pale sky blue to a deep navy.

But sapphires can also be pink, yellow, purple, orange, green, and even clear. Unlike emeralds, sapphires usually have fewer marks or inclusions inside them. This makes them appear more transparent and clear.

Crystal Structure – Sapphire has a trigonal crystal structure

Emeralds belong to the gem family, beryl. If you were to peek inside this gem on a tiny, microscopic level, you’d find that its atoms are arranged in a hexagonal shape. It’s like a beehive that’s made up of hexagons.

This hexagonal pattern gives emeralds their unique appearance and beauty. When you see this gem, you might notice it has a certain glow or shine to it, and its structure plays a big part in that.

On the other hand, sapphires are from the corundum family. Instead of a hexagonal structure like emeralds, sapphires have a trigonal crystal structure. Think of it as triangles all linked together in a tight pattern.

This structure makes sapphires super tough and durable. It’s one of the reasons why this gem is one of the hardest gemstones around.

Cleavage – Emerald has one direction of imperfect cleavage

Cleavage refers to how a crystal breaks when you apply force to it. It’s kind of like a natural breaking point. Some gemstones break easily along certain lines, while others are more resistant.

Emeralds have one direction of imperfect cleavage. It simply means that if you tried to split or break it, it would most likely break in one particular direction. However, this cleavage isn’t perfect, so it might not break cleanly every time.

This is one of the reasons why cutting and shaping emeralds can be tricky for gem cutters. They have to be super careful not to apply too much pressure in the wrong direction.

Meanwhile, sapphires don’t really have a specific cleavage direction. Instead, they can sometimes show what’s called parting. This means they can break, but it’s not along a predictable or regular line.

Because sapphires don’t have a standard cleavage direction, they’re often easier for gem cutters to shape and polish.

Composition – Sapphire is made of aluminum and oxygen

The main ingredients that make an emerald are beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. What gives it its famous green color are tiny amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.

Sapphires, on the other hand, come from a different recipe. Their main ingredients are aluminum and oxygen.

As we mentioned above, sapphires come in many colors. Just like with emeralds, tiny amounts of other elements can change its color. For example, if you add a bit of iron and titanium, you’ll get a blue sapphire. If you add chromium, you get a pink one.

Density – Emerald is lighter in density

Imagine you have a box of cotton balls and a box of marbles, both of the same size. If you pick them up, the box of marbles will feel heavier, right? This idea of “heaviness for size” is what’s called density.

Emerald’s density is usually somewhere between 2.6 to 2.9 grams per cubic centimeter. This is lower than that of sapphire, which means a piece of emerald the size of a sugar cube is lighter than the same-sized piece of sapphire.

Specifically, a sapphire’s density is typically between 3.9 to 4.1 grams per cubic centimeter. It’s denser and feels heavier for its size.

Hardness – Sapphire is harder than emerald

Have you ever tried scratching a surface with your fingernail and found it was either easy or nearly impossible? This is similar to how scientists think about the hardness of gemstones. Hardness tells us how well a gem can resist being scratched.

Emeralds are quite hard, but not the toughest out there. They can get scratches if they’re not handled with care. Think of them like a hard chocolate bar. It’s solid, but if you press something sharp into it, you can make a mark.

As for sapphires, these gems are seriously strong! In fact, only one thing is harder than it and that’s a diamond. If emeralds are like a chocolate bar, then sapphires are like a brick wall. It’s super tough to make a dent in them.

Formation – Emerald forms deep in the Earth where rocks are heated up

Emeralds form in areas with a lot of action going on. When tectonic plates collide together, rocks get pushed, folded, and heated up. In these dramatic settings, if the right ingredients are around, emeralds can form.

Sapphires, on the other hand, have a bit of a calmer origin story. They usually form in places where rocks are already stable and have been for a long time.

These rocks get baked at high temperatures, and if the right elements are present, sapphires start to form. Instead of big collisions, it’s more like a slow cook in an oven, with everything blending together over time.

Fluorescence – Sapphire sometimes glows with different colors

Fluorescence is all about how certain gems can glow under special lights. How do emeralds and sapphires behave when it comes to this glowy feature?

Emeralds can be a bit showy under ultraviolet (UV) light. When they’re put under it, many emeralds glow a cool red or sometimes a greenish color. Imagine turning off all the lights at night and seeing it softly glowing like a tiny lantern.

Sapphires, meanwhile, sometimes glow too, but they might not always act the same way as emeralds.

Depending on where it comes from and what’s inside it, it can glow different colors under UV light. Some might glow a bright blue, others orange or even green.

Location – The best emeralds come from Colombia

Emeralds love tropical and mountainous places. One of their favorite spots is Colombia in South America, which is known for producing some of the world’s most beautiful emeralds.

These green gems also hang out in Brazil, Zambia, and even Afghanistan. Each place gives its emeralds a slightly different shade of green, making each location’s gems special in their own way.

Sapphires, on the other hand, have a broader travel diary. While they can be found in many parts of the world, some of the most famous sapphires come from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). These sapphires are known for their rich blue color.

They also chill in Sri Lanka, Australia, and Madagascar. And since these gems come in lots of colors, you might find pink, yellow, or even green sapphires depending on where they’re from.

Price – Sapphire’s value and price depends on its color

Emeralds are like the stars of a big movie. Because they’re a bit rare and can be tricky to find in top quality, they can sometimes have a hefty price tag.

Factors like where they come from, their color, and how clear they are can make a difference in the price of emeralds. A gem with a deep green color that’s clear without many marks inside can be super pricey!

In contrast, the value of sapphires changes depending on their color. Blue sapphires, especially the deep blue ones from Myanmar, can be very expensive. Other colors, like yellow or green, might be a bit more affordable.

Just like with emeralds, the clearer the sapphire and the fewer marks inside, the more valuable it can be.

Emerald vs Sapphire – The Similarities

When it comes to the likeness of emerald and sapphire, you’ll be surprised that they share quite significant common traits with each other.

Below are some of the factors where you’ll find similarities when comparing sapphire vs emerald:

Luster – Both emerald and sapphire have a vitreous luster

Luster is all about how gemstones reflect light. It’s like when you see the sunshine on a pond, making it sparkle.

Emeralds and sapphires both have what’s called a vitreous luster. Vitreous is a term that means “like glass.” Imagine looking into a clear glass window and seeing the light shine through it. That’s the kind of shine we’re talking about!

When light hits an emerald, it reflects off in a bright and glassy way, making the gem look lively and shiny. The deep green color combined with this luster makes emeralds look like magical forest ponds sparkling in the sunlight.

Sapphires, no matter their color, also have this glassy shine. Whether it’s a blue, pink, or yellow one, the light dances off the surface in a similar glass-like way. It’s like each sapphire is a tiny mirror, reflecting light back to our eyes.

Streak – Sapphire and emerald both have white streaks

Streak is about the color mark rocks leave behind when they’re rubbed on a special white plate. Think of it like using a crayon on paper.

Both emeralds and sapphires have something in common when it comes to streak— they both leave a white streak. Even though emeralds are green and sapphires can be different colors, they both surprise us with a white mark.

The streak test is one of the many cool tricks scientists use to learn more about gemstones. Even though a gem might look a certain color to our eyes, its streak can tell a different story.

Magnetism – Both emerald and sapphire are non-magnetic

Magnetism is about how things are attracted to magnets, kind of like how metal sticks to a fridge magnet. So, what’s the magnetic story for emeralds and sapphires?

Well, both of these gemstones aren’t really magnetic. That means if you took a magnet close to them, they wouldn’t jump up and stick to it like a metal paperclip would.

But why is that? It’s all about what’s inside these gems. The materials, or ingredients, that makeup emeralds and sapphires don’t respond to magnets. So, even though they have many wonderful qualities, being magnetic isn’t one of them.

Conductivity – Sapphire and emerald are both insulators

Conductivity is kind of like how water in a hose moves from one end to the other. But instead of water, we’re talking about electricity.

Both emeralds and sapphires are not very good at conducting electricity. If you tried to pass an electric current through them, they’d act like a door that’s mostly closed, letting very little through.

Like their non-magnetic quality, their being insulators is because of what they’re made of. The ingredients inside these gems don’t carry electricity.

This non-conducting feature is pretty useful, especially for people who wear these gems as jewelry. Imagine wearing a ring or necklace that conducts electricity well. That wouldn’t be safe around certain electrical items.

The Easiest Ways To Tell Emerald and Sapphire Apart

Knowing the key similarities and differences between emeralds and sapphires is key to telling them apart. But if you’re holding a specimen that you suspect is either an emerald or sapphire, how do you tell for sure what it is?

In this section, we’ll share with you some practical tests and observations you can do to tell these two natural wonders apart:

Color is key so check it first

Emerald is famous for one main color: green! If you’re looking at a gem that’s green, from light to deep shades, you might be looking at an emerald. The richer and clearer the green, the more valuable it often is.

On the other hand, while many people think of sapphires as blue, they can actually come in a rainbow of colors. However, if you see a red sapphire, that’s a special case. We call those rubies! So, if it’s not green and it’s not red, it could very well be a sapphire.

Do a scratch test

If you do a scratch test, you’ll know that emeralds are softer than sapphires. They’re still pretty hard, but they can be scratched more easily.

Meanwhile, sapphires are super hard! In fact, only diamonds are harder than this beautiful gemstone. So when you’re doing a scratch test and the specimen doesn’t get scratched easily, it may probably be a sapphire.

Look inside

When you peer closely at an emerald, you might see some tiny lines or inclusions inside. It’s natural for this gem to have these little marks, and some people say it gives them character.

In comparison, while sapphires can also have inclusions, they might look a bit different. Some pieces of this gem might look clearer and have fewer marks inside than emeralds.