This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

Victoria Emerson Est. 2012

Crystals and Gemstones

Shopping through our site, you've probably seen us use a lot of crystals, and gemstones in our pieces. Sounds super pretty right? But are what crystals? What are gemstones? What's the difference? Let's break it down! 
Amara earrings
Pictured: Amara Teardrop Pavé Gold Vermeil Huggies

What Are Crystals?


Let's start with crystals because we use them in almost everything!

So, crystals are all about how they form. If you were to take one under a microscope and take a look, you’d see a repeating pattern that makes up the crystal. Like snowflakes, these patterns are unique and are what gives them their beautiful shapes.

Tennis Necklaces
Pictured Bottom to Top: Graduated Round Cut Tennis Necklace, Round Cut Tennis Necklace, Crystal Rainfall Open Hoops, Emily Pavé Moissanite Gold Vermeil Huggies, Pip Single Carat Gold Vermeil Ovals Studs

What Are Gemstones?


Gemstones are pieces of naturally occurring stones (precious/semiprecious) or minerals that are being used in jewelry or even decor. They've been cut, shaped, and polished to make the beautiful pieces we buy!

In a Nut Shell... any crystal that's been used for jewelry would be considered a gemstone!


This is where things can get a little tricky. Not all crystals are gemstones but most gemstones are a form of crystal (with a few exceptions).

Turquoise mini cuffs
Pictured: Mini Cuffs Collection

Let's talk about a few of those:

Examples of crystals that are also commonly gemstones: Rose Quartz, Amethysts, and Diamonds all have that repeating crystal pattern for their structure AND are commonly used in jewelry making them both crystals and gemstones.

Examples of crystals that aren’t gemstones: Sugar and salt are made up of those special repeating patterns but we aren’t trying to polish them for jewelry like you would a gemstone.

Examples of gemstones that aren’t crystals: Amber, and opals! Anything that doesn’t have those repeating patterns won’t be a crystal but it can still be a beautiful stone for jewelry. 

crystal on ivory wrap
Pictured: Silver and Cream Crystals on Ivory Wrap 

What about lab made products? 


They are also considered gemstones and crystals! Good quality lab made gemstones and crystals are still made with the same materials as they would have been formed with in nature. Kind of like baking a cake, labs take all the separate components and make these beautiful products in a controlled environment.

Lab made gemstones and crystals are produced quicker than it in nature and because they work with the components, it typically requires less mining to retrieve the raw materials than it would for a fully formed stone or crystals. This makes lab products cheaper and typically more sustainable than their naturally produced counterpart. 

Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia ringsPictured: Forever Collection Rings

There are still imitation gemstones out there!


Depending on what you’re looking for, you’ll still want to keep an eye out for imitation/simulated gemstones. Imitation or simulated are products created in a lab that only look like the original but likely won’t be made with the same materials as a real one.

Imitation gems do have their time and place


There are definitely occasions where imitations are totally normal and used transparently to still achieve a certain look! For example, Moissanites can be used to simulate the look of a diamond. Many people seek out this gem for its affordability, size, and comparable sparkle! The important part is that many KNOW they are buying a Moissanite for this purpose, and not because they believe it’s an actual diamond.

If you’re looking for the real deal for anything from say a diamond to an emerald to an amethyst, if the price looks too good to be true, it’s probably an imitation only made to look like the real thing. 

Crystal earrings
Pictured: Gold Earrings

Affordable Alternatives

We’re all about (transparently) providing top-tier, affordable alternatives to some of the more expensive options out there. We don’t judge and most importantly, we don’t need super expensive things, but we do need nice things.

That’s why we’ve brought in gemstones like Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia for our pieces. You deserve to have high-quality sparkle without breaking the bank.

 

But what are Moissanites and Cubic Zirconia?

Both Moissanites and Cubic Zirconia are crystals that can occur naturally but are extremely rare. Like in the case of Moissanites, from a meteoroid rare! So today they’re manufactured in labs so we can still enjoy all their beautiful benefits in jewelry.

together pave ring and knotted pave ring
Pictured Left to Right: Together Gold Vermeil Pavé Double Ring, Alison Moissanite Gold Vermeil Eternity RingKnotted Moissanite Pavé Ring, Atmosphere Ring

About Cubic Zirconia

Did you know Cubic Zirconia was a competitor for diamonds? Also known as CZ, Cubic Zirconia was the go-to dupe for diamonds before they started creating lab-made diamonds and Moissanites. The gemstone is colorless and reflects light beautifully creating a rainbow of colors. CZ is fairly durable but can be prone to scratches or marks, especially if you work with your hands or are known to be rough with your jewelry. On the bright side, unlike diamonds that always have some form of natural imperfections, Cubic Zirconia gemstones are produced without any inclusions or imperfections for some flawless sparkle.


About Moissanite

Moissanites are currently the biggest competitor for diamonds on the market (other than lab grown diamonds). They’re the closest gemstone to diamonds in both hardness, brilliance, and fire! Moissanites are also lighter than diamonds so to achieve 1 carat in weight, you’ll get a larger stone than you would with a diamond. Perfect for those who love larger rings or lots of sparkle but aren’t looking to break the bank. Looking to learn more about Moissanites? Check out this page for more details -> About Moissanites 

seirra 1 carat moissanite ring vs 0.8 carat diamondPictured: Sierra Round Cut Moissanite Gold Vermeil Ring with Halo

Loving the sound of these gorgeous gemstones and crystals? Check out what we've got! We love using both natural and lab made products to bring the most variety, the most affordable prices, and of course, the most sparkle:

Emerald open hoopsEmerald Rainfall 
Open Hoops
Silver and Cream
Crystals on Ivory 
Knotted Moissanite Pavé RingKnotted Moissanite
Pavé Ring
Gisselle Crystal HoopsGisselle Crystal
Hoops
Sierra moissanite ringSierra 
Moissanite

Ring
Bethan mini cuff
Bethan
Mini
Cuff
Mallory Crystal Pearl StudsMallory
Crystal Pearl
Studs
Lev Baguette Cut RingLev
Baguette
Cut Ring

shop all crystals

1 comment

Serena

Do you use genuine stones/crystals in your cuffs?

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published