Investing in Emeralds, Rubies or Sapphires | BNT Diamonds
Diversifying your diamond investment portfolio

Investing in Emeralds, Rubies or Sapphires

07 Jul 21
  • What are precious gemstones?
  • What are the characteristics of rubies, sapphires and emeralds?
  • Why does diamond still make for the most interesting investment?

How do you add enough diversity to your investment portfolio? If you want to invest smartly, you would do well to spread your portfolio, as buying diamonds or other gemstones is a great addition to securities and real estate. You already know that buying diamonds is a good idea and a great investment, but what about investing in emeralds, rubies and sapphires?

What are precious gemstones?

There are hundreds of kinds of gemstones, but not every gem is precious. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds are the most precious. How precious they are depends on many different factors. Of course, the carat weight plays a large role, but colour, rarity and shine also determine their value.

Hardness is another important factor. Diamond is the hardest rock on Earth and scores a 10 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. This scale expresses the hardness of certain mineral types. Ruby scores a 9 on that scale.

For diamonds, the combination of the so-called 4 Cs determines how valuable the particular diamond is. For sapphires, rubies and emeralds, we look at similar properties, but each gem also has separate factors that determine the price.

Blue emerald cut diamond

What are the different characteristics of rubies, sapphires and emeralds?

As mentioned above, red rubies score 9 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale - a very high score. In general, rubies are rather small. You are not likely to come across rubies with a high carat weight (higher than 3 carats) because those are very rare. In general, rubies are rarer than diamonds. Rubies are always red, although different hues exist. The brighter the blood-red colour, the more precious that ruby is.

Sapphires come in many colours, just like diamonds, but the iconic blue sapphires are the most precious and have the highest value. Just like rubies, sapphires are generally small and weigh less than 4 carats.

Thanks to their strong inclusions, emeralds are unique and easily distinguishable for experts. Very bright green emeralds with a high clarity level are the rarest and thus the most prized among collectors, so investing in emeralds could be a great option. In early 2018, an emerald at an auction of Christie’s sold for 5.5 million USD.

The property that rubies, sapphires and emeralds have in common is that they are coloured. This has worked to their advantage in the last few years, as the gemstone market is shifting towards coloured gems.

Why is diamond still the most interesting investment?

Buying and selling diamonds is regulated by strict national and international legislation. This was necessary to protect both investors, traders and jewellers. The most important protective measure is the certificates. At BNT Diamonds, we only offer diamonds with certificates. For investments in sapphires, rubies and emeralds, there is currently no fixed, international legislation.

In addition, the prices of sapphires, rubies and emeralds are subject to stronger market fluctuations. In other words, just because the future of those gems looks bright today, this might not be the case in a few years. But if you buy these gems for investment purposes, that bright future is exactly what you need. That gives these gems a higher risk than buying diamonds as an investment. For the last few decades, the price of diamonds has seen a rather stable upward trend. Almost all experts predict this will not change in the upcoming years.

At BNT Diamonds, we want to help every type of investor, which is why we strive to increase the accessibility of buying diamonds. Our experts are happy to advise you on the different types of diamonds that fit your investment strategy.

Thinking of investing in emeralds? Want to know where you can buy diamonds safely? Get advice via email or chat on your possible investment from the diamond experts at BNT Diamonds or speak with our team directly by calling +32 3 201 24 90.

Fabienne Rauw
About Fabienne Rauw
BNT Diamonds Antwerp

Fabienne, manager of the German market is able to guide every client with finding the right jewel. She takes care of most of the German orders, but also takes other task on her plate. Thanks to her six years of experience at BNT Diamonds she acquainted well with the product and the marketing around it. Her degree in PR ensures that BNT Diamonds is well presented across all media channels. For anyone looking into a new investment opportunity, Fabienne is the perfect guide in this process. No question will be left unanswered, and she will help you every step of the way.

With this article, BNT Diamonds strives to inform you thoroughly about investing in diamonds. No investment can be guaranteed to be without risk or fully according to your expectations. That is why we recommend to research the risks and aspects of investing in diamond properly to ensure that you make the right choice for your portfolio.