[Rockhounds] Which are rarer: diamonds or emeralds?

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

Sparkling diamonds and verdant emeralds are some of the most coveted and
priciest gemstones. But which precious stones are rarer: diamonds or
emeralds?

In terms of total known deposits, emeralds are rarer. There are 49 emerald
deposits, according to a *2019 review in the journal Minerals*
<https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/2/105>. In comparison, there are about
1,000 rock formations that contain diamonds, although there are only 82
operating diamond mines, according to a 2022 article in the journal *Reviews
in Mineralogy and Geochemistry*
<https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/msa/rimg/article/88/1/1/614951/A-Review-of-the-Geology-of-Global-Diamond-Mines>.
But it's hard to compare numbers of diamonds with other gemstones because
the industry is more established.

Diamonds are produced by international mining companies with complex
pricing structures and commercial partnerships to meet global demand. There
are *100 million to 150 million carats*
<https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/minerals-mining/mining-data-statistics-and-analysis/minerals-metals-facts/diamond-facts/20513>,
or about 22 to 33 tons (20 to 30 metric tons), of diamonds produced
worldwide each year, according to Natural Resources Canada.

In comparison, between *7,000 to 9,000 kilograms*
<https://gemfields.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Global-Emerald-and-Ruby-Supply-Analysing-Market-Data.pdf>,
or about 7 and 10 tons (6 to 9 metric tons), of emeralds were produced in
2015 from the main producing countries (Columbia, Zambia, Ethiopia,
Madagascar and Brazil), according to 2022 market research data compiled by
the British mining company Gemfields.

Tracking the global production of any gemstone other than diamonds is
difficult because mines are spread across the globe and are mined primarily
by small companies that don't have strong reporting systems in place,
Gemfields noted.

But those numbers don't tell the full geologic story. Both gemstones form
through complex processes.


https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/which-are-rarer-diamonds-or-emeralds