{"id":178960,"date":"2026-05-13T16:44:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T14:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lionel-meylan.ch\/actualite\/the-origins-of-the-precious\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T16:44:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T14:44:28","slug":"the-origins-of-the-precious","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/lionel-meylan.ch\/en\/actualite\/the-origins-of-the-precious\/","title":{"rendered":"The origins of the precious"},"content":{"rendered":"

How are precious stones created? How are they brought to the surface of the Earth? Where do their supernatural colors come from? To find out, we need to travel back in time. Far, far away, to the bowels of the Earth, where these treasures offered by Mother Nature were created over three million years ago. <\/p>\n

The formation of gemstones is directly linked to the complex geological forces at work in the depths of the Earth, several hundred kilometers beneath our feet. Under the effect of plate tectonics, at extreme temperatures and pressures, a number of rocks and mineral substances come into contact, producing chemical reactions conducive to the birth of precious stones. These very rare conditions also give rise to an extraordinary palette of colors, revealed by the presence of mineral impurities such as oxides or metals like cobalt, iron or chromium. Even diamonds, preferred by jewellers in their colourless variety, are also draped in color in the vast majority of cases. But the occurrence of such phenomena is exceptional, which explains the rarity of precious stones, and therefore their value. <\/p>\n

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This exceptional 5.77-carat Tanzanite was formed in metamorphic rocks. To date, such stones are found only in the Arusha region of Tanzania, where they were discovered in 1967.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A question of alchemy<\/strong>
\nDepending on the family to which they belong, gemstones are born under very specific… and particularly extreme conditions.<\/p>\n

In the corundum family, rubies and sapphires have their origins in the phenomenon known as metamorphism, which occurs when earth forces exert themselves on various rocks at very high pressures and temperatures. The red color of rubies comes from the presence of chromium oxide, while the blue hue of sapphires, the best-known of the family, is obtained by a skilful combination of iron and titanium. <\/p>\n

In the beryl family, emerald is rooted in a hydrothermal phenomenon. Its formation is due to the rare meeting of chromium-rich rocks and beryllium-rich minerals. Finally, diamond is the only precious stone composed of pure carbon. Until very recently, it was thought to be born in the earth’s crust. Scientific analysis has shown that it actually forms in the molten rock of the Earth’s mantle, several hundred kilometers from the Earth’s surface, a relatively modest distance compared with our planet’s radius of 6,400km. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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To reach the Earth’s surface, diamonds were transported by extreme volcanic eruptions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But how do they get to the deposits we know today? Here again, science provides some answers. Geological mechanisms transported them to the surface via highly fluid magma propelled at supersonic speeds of several meters per second. Scientists estimate that the vast majority of eruptions of this type took place around 80 million years ago, with the last one occurring in Tanzania three million years ago. That’s an eternity. But to have the luxury of admiring the extraordinary beauty of these exceptional gems, it was worth the wait… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","blog_category":[1575],"class_list":["post-178960","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry","blog_category-jewelry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe origins of the precious | Lionel Meylan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lionel-meylan.ch\/en\/actualite\/the-origins-of-the-precious\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The origins of the precious | Lionel Meylan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How are precious stones created? How are they brought to the surface of the Earth? Where do their supernatural colors come from? To find out, we need to travel back in time. 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