The creation of diamonds are a unique event in nature that science still has yet to fully understand. However they can be understood in value through four important characteristics, color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. These four factors combined helped to evaluate the overall quality of the diamond.
Valued by people since ancient times gold has been sought after because of its luster and beauty. It can be easily molded to create extremely intricate designs, it won't tarnish and is unaffected by most chemicals. Gold is measures in Karats, 24 being the highest purity.
While still rare and desirable silver is much more common that gold. Sterling silver or 925 is the most common found in jewelry, the 925 meaning that the item has 7.5% other metals.