Diamond vs White Topaz: The pros and cons in jewelry

I am a diamond expert, here to tell you that white topaz is an excellent alternative to diamonds when you know what you’re looking for in your jewelry.

The pros and cons of diamond and white topaz in jewelry come down to their cuts, size, cost, durability, and refractive indexes. White topaz and diamond can have similar cuts, but white topaz can be larger than the average diamond. Diamonds are more expensive, more durable, and more shiny than white topaz.

Selecting the right gemstone for your jewelry can make the difference between a family heirloom or a trip to the pawn shop. I will explain the pros and cons of diamonds and white topaz to help you make an informed decision.

Diamond vs white topaz: The pros and cons in jewelry. — Pros and Cons of Diamond vs White Topaz by Gem

So which is better, diamond or white topaz?

So which is better, diamond or white topaz? Both diamond and white topaz can be cut into similar styles, but the average size of a white topaz gem is typically larger than what you will find with a diamond.

Maybe taking a serious look at some unique alternatives to a diamond can help you save for the next upgrade to your home. Diamonds can break the bank and white topaz is generally more affordable, while also being an excellent alternative.

If you need ultimate durability and the extreme shine of a ~2.42 refractive index, then a diamond is the perfect candidate. Keep in mind though, white topaz is still very hard and has a respectable shine, with an average refractive index of ~1.60.

So, is one gemstone better than the other? Neither one is better than the other because the answer is subjective. Whether you pick diamond or white topaz, the decision is an individual choice, based on your lifestyle and what you want in your gemstone.

“Neither diamond or white topaz is ‘better’ than the other. Each gemstone has unique differences to be compare to find the right fit for you.”
Gem

What cuts can white topaz have that diamond cannot?

Topaz and diamond can be shaped into virtually all of the same cuts. The major difference is what gemstone cuts will be found most commonly in retail stores.

The most common cut you will find a diamond shaped into is a round cut. Data from multiple vendors indicates that about 78% of online buyers are searching for round diamonds. Other common shapes for diamonds in retail settings are oval, cushion, emerald, and marquise cuts.

You have your typical cuts, the “classic” and “tried and true” that fit neatly into established categories. Endless skill, mathematics, and optical physics goes into properly executing any gemstone cut properly. If the angles do not line up just right, the light will be out of focus and the potential for brilliance will have been diminished or even ruined in some cases.

“Even though a diamond can be cut in hundreds of ways, topaz can go thousands of times further!”
Gem

Arguably the biggest catch between cutting white topaz vs diamond is that diamonds can be shaped only by using diamond dust or laser technology because of how hard they are. This means that white topaz, which is not quite as hard as diamond, can be more easily shaped into spectacular feats of art and science called fantasy cuts.

Fantasy cuts are marvelous products of highly skilled artists taking full advantage of science and technology to create. A gemstone could be cut into the shape of a dolphin or abstract beauties; almost anything your heart desires!

Sunstone cut by Alexander Kreis, Photo by Robert Weldon

Ametrine cut by Michael M. Dyber, Photo by Robert Weldon

“Dreamscape” Citrine cut by John Dyer, Photo by Lydia Dyer

Clear Quartz cut by Dalan Hargrave, Photo by Robert Weldon

You will rarely find a fantasy cut in your average retail jewelry store. Typical jewelry stores buy their gemstones from suppliers when the stone has already been cut and then set the stone into styles of jewelry that have sold well in the past. To get a fantasy cut, you will likely need to work with a jeweler who works directly with a cutter who both do custom work.

White topaz gemstones are bigger than diamonds

Do you want your rock to be the biggest on the block? Do you need to have “the hunker”? Some individuals place the most importance in their jewelry or ring on the gem size and can be critical when picking out what types of stones you want to be wearing.

Rule number one: when size goes up, price also goes up. If size is an important factor to you then you need to be prepared for a larger price tag, especially with diamonds. The larger the diamond, the more rare it becomes at an exponential rate. For reference, a flawless diamond that is 10x bigger than a second flawless diamond will cost more than 10x the price.

Rule number two: cutting any gemstone for jewelry will cause it to lose carats as it is shaped into its final cut. The largest diamond discovered in 1905, the Cullinan Diamond, was about 3,100 carats (slightly above 600 grams). That was before it was cut. After the cutting process, the Cullinan Diamond became 9 large stones and 96 small gemstones. It lost 2/3s of its original carat weight in the process of making the diamond wearable.

Rule number three: There is a limit to how big different gems and crystals grow and it’s extremely rare, if not impossible, to find a diamond as big as your fist before it is even cut. In the last 100 years, we have yet to find an even bigger diamond than Cullinan’s rock. White topaz grows differently than diamond and is often found in larger crystals than diamond. After cutting and polishing, the largest topaz in the world (31,000 carats) weighs 10x as much as the Cullinan diamond did before it was even touched.*

So what does this mean for the biggest ring you dream of? Since you’ll likely get more bang for your buck, perhaps white topaz is the direction you want to go.

*The largest topaz is the El-Dorado Topaz (about 31,000 carats) is golden.

Diamonds cost more than white topaz

The price of a gemstone is decided on several factors, but the most influential thing dictating the final price is supply (usually how rare it is) and demand (how many people want it). So are diamonds rare? Much like the housing market in 2021 and 2022, the constant demand for diamonds automatically inflates its value. But unlike the housing market, the supply of diamonds is being intentionally reduced to increase the price.

The company responsible is De Beers. The marketing campaign De Beers launched in 1938 was possibly one of the most successful ad campaigns. It was so successful that it wedged its way into the western tradition of marriage through the form of a diamond ring. Their advertisements even dictated the amount you had to spend to win over that special someone. De Beers decided that your diamond engagement ring needed to be two month’s salary.

Frances Gerety wrote “A Diamond Is Forever” which became immortalized in all of De Beer’s ads and western society.

In addition to their extremely aggressive marketing, the corporation bought all the diamond mines and diamond gems they had access to. They quickly established a near monopoly on the diamond market, reducing supply and hyper-inflating their price.

So let’s talk about that two month’s salary; what you bring in every month multiplied by two. Most people who responded to a survey about diamond prices said they expected the average diamond ring should be over $1,000 but under $3,000. However in 2018 the average ACTUALLY spent on the average diamond ring was $7,829.

And remember, a diamond ring is more than just a diamond. You still have to pay for the metal and labor. Yikes! White topaz on the other hand is usually a few dozen to a few hundred dollars. There is a large supply of topaz with a larger variety of colors and sizes to choose from, including white and clear.

So, if diamonds are so expensive, how are most of us supposed to ever afford one? Remember how size influences rarity? If you get a whole bunch of smaller diamonds to cover a ring, it will be cheaper than one single stone that has the weight of all the other diamonds combined.

At the end of the day, beauty differs for each of us and the true value of a gemstone is how the owner feels about it.

Diamonds are harder than white topaz

What does the hardness of diamond vs topaz mean when applied to jewelry? Well, diamonds are harder than white topaz with hardness values on the Mohs scale of 10 and 8, respectively. When applying this knowledge to jewelry, it means diamonds are more likely to survive a blow than topaz. Because of their durability, diamonds are better suited for jewelry that runs the risk of being smacked while being worn, such as rings and bracelets.

Topaz might be better suited for other types of jewelry such as necklaces, tiaras, earrings, and other piercings. It’s a similar look for a fraction of the cost with minimal risk of scratches and shattering!

However, boasting an 8 on that hardness scale is no joke. When compared to other gemstones, white topaz sits just under sapphire (9 on the Mohs scale) and just over emerald (~7.5-8 on the Mohs scale). To learn why Gem and myself almost NEVER recommend emeralds for rings, read our article “Why Emerald Rings are Risky and Better Alternatives”.

Contrary to popular myth, diamonds are NOT INVINCIBLE and care should always be taken when wearing any gemstone! The bottom line: the hardness scale of diamonds outshines (pun sincerely intended) that of white topaz but that doesn’t mean that white topaz can never be set into your ring.

Diamond is usually more shiny than white topaz

Which is more shiny: diamond or white topaz? When measuring the shine of a gemstone, it’s given a value to tell us how brilliant it is in comparison to other gems. This is called the refractive index. The refractive index of diamond is ~2.42 while the refractive index for white topaz is ~1.60. This means that in general, diamonds are more shiny than white topaz. But refractive index is not everything.

Depending on a diamond’s quality and type of cut, a white topaz could absolutely be shinier than a diamond. Different types of cuts can amplify the light that we see, which makes a gem look more shiny. If a diamond has a poor cut and clarity, then it will not appear as shiny as a higher quality white topaz.

Consider for a moment the previous section regarding price. The higher the quality of diamond, the more expensive it is and the harder it is to find. A lower quality diamond compared to a higher quality, shiner white topaz could be similar in price. Maybe more bang for your buck. Eye of the beholder, right?

Are diamonds really forever?

Contrary to the popular saying from De Beers, diamonds are not forever. In fact, the resale value drops from 50% to 75% the original cost as soon as the diamond leaves the store! This drop in value makes diamonds a poor long-term investment.

But it’s a DIAMOND! Why isn’t it a rare and timeless jewel?

De Beers controls the majority of the diamond market and how valuable diamonds are at any given time. The truth of it is that diamonds are not that rare and De Beers has stockpiled their own vault of diamonds. De Beers decides how much supply there will be and when, so it never matches the market demand. It specifically underserves the consumer demand so they can increase these costs. After diamonds leave the mine, more labor, more supplies, and more investments are put into the gemstones and the ultimate price you see in the jewelry shop reflects this.

Other factors also contribute to the low resale value of diamonds. When a consumer tries to sell a diamond back to a jeweler, the diamond is often already set into a ring or some other kind of jewelry. To make anything new out of it, the jeweler would have to remove the diamond from the jewelry and set the stone into something else. This takes time, effort, supplies, and even risks shattering the stone! Yes, it is diamond and they are durable, but almost every time a gemstone is set it could risk shattering the stone. Most jewelers will not want to take on this perilous investment and will not purchase an already set diamond from a consumer.

Bottom line – never expect to resell diamond jewelry for anywhere close to what you paid for it.

If you are perhaps disenchanted by diamonds but are still looking for a great gemstone for an engagement ring, custom or otherwise, Gemandgeode.com has another article specifically about alternatives “Engagement Rings: Unique and non-traditional ideas”.

Adam expertly explains in a comedic way how De Beers came to control the diamond ring industry.

Gem and Geode