Are you seeking a detailed list of gemstones by color? Well, your search ends here, with this blog! The tradition of wearing gemstones to augment one’s beauty or appearance, and to gain astrological benefits has been practiced and followed by millions of people for over a thousand years. Gemstones are a creation of nature treated with human hands to get the desired look in jewelry, and color plays a pivotal role in determining the cost of a gemstone. But before we get into the different types of gemstones according to their color, let us answer the question- ‘What is a gemstone’.
Defining a Gemstone
Geologically, a gemstone is a mineral crystal, a rock found naturally on earth which is treated by jewelers to make ornaments of different types. In ancient times, gems were considered a status symbol and were admired for their healing power. The main feature of a gemstone is its beauty, defined by a color or a colorless appearance. The other qualities of a gem include asterism, chatoyancy, pattern, and luster. Another essential quality of a gemstone is its durability- A gemstone must retain the polish and withstand gradual wear and tear.
There has been a strong belief among many civilizations worldwide that gemstones inherit some mysterious power. Different gemstones contain different astrological qualities and people can enjoy certain benefits by wearing them.
Also Read: Gemstone Treatment Methods and What They Mean
Gemstones are categorized as precious and semi-precious stones. All precious stones are judged by their quality, rare nature, and mesmerizing natural beauty. Sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, and rubies come in the category of precious stones. This is because they are the hardest and the most durable. The remaining gemstones are categorized as semi-precious stones. Sometimes semi-precious stones’ value tends to be higher than precious stones, and an Alexandrite is a beautiful example of this.
Though the number of natural gemstones is more than 2000, out of them, only 100 are considered jewels. By and large, gems are minerals or a combination of them. Rocks which are minerals, come with specific characteristics. A mineral could include more than a single gem. Sometimes gemstones are produced by living organisms. Pearl is an example of an organic gemstone. They are marked by their softness but are less durable than inorganic gemstones.
Types of Gemstones by Color
The different types of gems are organized based on their types like beryl, quartz, corundum, etc. and their variety which includes sapphire, ruby, spinel, topaz, etc. Usually, this method is applied most of the time, but at times, it becomes convenient if you divide the gemstones by color.
Organizing a chart on gemstone color allows better analysis of the entire range and could also work as a recognition of the rare gemstone colors such as blue and red. We have created separate segments of gemstones based on their unique features such as the cat eye effect, color change, and multicolor.
1. Red Gems
Red is considered to be the most unusual gemstone color. For example, pure red is hard to find. Red ruby is a classic example of a red gemstone. It comes with an intense red color with a slight impression of purple, sometimes termed pigeons’ blood. Its strong red color is because of the presence of chromium. Ruby reflects the vibrancy of red to purple-red. Sometimes it also comes with a slight hint of orange.
Most of these red gemstones are found in these colors:
- Orangey-Red: Spinel is a hard stone found in multiple sizes and shapes. It could be in intense pink or red, orange, blue, purple, bluish-green, and sometimes violet. It is considered a rare gemstone and the color plays an important role in determining its price. Red spinel is the rarest and most expensive, while blue spinel also comes in the rare category.
- Pinky-Red: Garnet usually comes in red, but it could display purple, yellow, orange, and bright green as well. It can change color under different lighting conditions. This is a gemstone that has been popular since the Bronze age. The name garnet is inspired by the Latin granum, which is supposed to represent pomegranate. It is also linked to the heart and can soothe and balance the overall aura and personality of the wearer.
- Purplish-Red: Rubellite comes from the tourmaline family of gemstones. It is a high-value gemstone because of its rare and unique quality. It is a transparent gemstone in dark pink and purplish red, purplish pink, violet, red, etc.
Also Read: Which Are the Best Red Gemstones?
2. Blue Gems
Blue is one of the most popular gemstone colors. However, you can find only a handful of gemstones in a pure saturated blue hue. For example, sapphire is the only gemstone set in blue color. Tanzanite is another example. Some shades of blue gemstones are:
- Grayish-Blue: Spinel is a grayish-blue gemstone because, as it is seen, most often, gray spinels have either a blue tone or a purple tone. Benitoite is an expensive gemstone that comes in a rich blue shade. It could also be grayish-blue, colorless, or yellowish in appearance.
- Greenish-Blue: Aquamarine comes in the color blue to slightly greenish blue. It is a highly transparent gemstone. The watery-blue shade of aquamarine is related to tranquility and clarity. Blue zircon is a semi-precious stone known for its transparency, fantastic shine, and mesmerizing blue-green hues. Apatite usually comes in green, but at times it comes in blue as well. Blue Brazilian apatite is the rarest of gems and is highly expensive. Gem silica comes between green and blue colors. It is a precious variety of chalcedony.
- Pastel Blue: Aquamarine is a prominent gemstone that comes in the color of blue to slightly greenish blue shade. It is a highly transparent gemstone. The watery blue shade of aquamarine is related to tranquility and clarity. It promotes harmony and growth in an individual’s life. Brazil is the chief source of production of this gemstone. Topaz is a multicolored stone that comes in shades like brown, yellow, blue, white, red, green, pink, etc. The commonly found shades are gray, brown, and pale yellow. The highest valuable topaz color is imperial topaz, including colors like golden, yellow, and orange.
3. Green Gems
- Green is one of the most favored gemstone colors in the world. The color green is caused by chromium and vanadium, and at times, iron. Peridot is a fine example of this.
- Peridot comes with a green shade with a slight yellow hint, which can be compared with the color of grass in springtime. The finest peridot color is pure green without any brown or yellow hint. Those peridots that have a brownish appearance are less expensive. It is rare to find pure peridot; most of them come with yellowish green. The amount of green is determined by the presence of iron in the gemstone.
- Emerald shades are green, bluish-green, and yellowish-green.
- Jadeite is a rare, green-colored gemstone that is quite expensive. However, it is highly valued for its spiritual qualities.
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4. Pink Gems
- Tourmaline: The high-quality pink gemstones are kunzite and tourmaline. The latter one reflects the highest range of pink shades. One of the affordable options for pink gemstones is kunzite, which is equally popular among jewelry lovers and is mostly available in large-sized stones. Tourmaline is also found in multiple colors green, pink, blue, yellow, black, white, purple, etc.
- Kunzite: The kunzite gemstone comes in pink to violet colors. Even though it is rare, you could also find kunzite in yellow or light green hues. The most common color however is pale pink.
5. Yellow Gems
- The most expensive yellow gemstones are imperial topaz, sapphire, yellow beryl, and citrine. One rare variety is the yellow tourmaline as well.
- Imperial topaz is a rare precious color of topaz, ranging from pink to golden orange.
- Sapphire also comes in shades of yellow and gold.
- Yellow beryl comes in a mix of yellow and golden colors.
- Citrine could be pale yellow and sometimes it is brownish orange.
6. Orange Gems
- Sapphire is usually blue, but sometimes it could be orange as well.
- Spinel comes in a rare orange color, which has excellent value.
- Tourmaline in orange color is rare and expensive.
- Mexican fire opal comes in red-orange.
7. Violet/Purple Gems
- The number of purple and violet gemstones is few when compared to others. The most celebrated in this category is the amethyst. However, sometimes sapphire and spinel can be found in shades of violet as well.
8. White/Colorless Gems
- Diamond is the reigning gemstone in the list of white gemstones. Some other famous colorless gems are pearls, white sapphire, white zircon, white beryl, petalite, and danburite.
- Pearls usually come in white but also reflect many colors like blue, black, green, pink, gold, grey, brown, and blue.
- When it comes to jewelry with birthstones, diamonds are one of the most popular choices.
9. Multicolored Gems
- One of the most popular multicolored gemstones is the opal. Ametrine and turquoise are also a couple of examples that make it to this list.
- Opal is found in different color tones but comes in a wide range of colors. It is said to represent all the colors of the rainbow. Sometimes it displays the colors individually and sometimes incorporates all of them together. The black opal color is the most valuable and rare.
- Ametrine comes in yellow and purple hues.
- Turquoise is a combination of blue and green. It changes its color from whitish blue to intense blue and from a bright dark green to a yellowish green.
Also Read: 13 Gemstone Legends That will Blow Your Mind
10. Color Changing Gems
Color-changing gems are a rare category of colored gemstones, as these stones tend to change color when the lighting changes according to different angles. Alexandrite is one such gemstone that comes under this category. In the daylight, this gem gives off a brown or green hue, while in artificial light, it becomes purplish red.
11. Star And Cat’s Eye Gems
The specific gemstone features such as the cat’s eye effect or chatoyancy and the star effect or asterism are rare.
- Star sapphire’s color ranges from black, grey, and purple with tones of pink and blue.
- Star rubies’ color varies according to the proportion of chromium and iron. It could be brownish red, pink, red, or purplish red.
- Cat’s eye chrysoberyl color could vary from yellow-green to dark honey. Moonstone is an example of this type of gemstone. It tends to be transparent as well as opaque. This unique reflection of light is like the effect on the eyes of a cat.
Also Read: GIA-Certified Gemstones – What Makes Them Special?
Conclusion
The complete list of gemstones by color makes it clear that color is a significant attribute of a gemstone and plays an important role in determining its cost and value. Gemstones with richer and deeper hues tend to cost more, while gemstones with lighter or paler hues are considered to be more affordable. The diamond, however, is an exception to this. There are many complexities when it comes to colors related to precious and semi-precious stones. If you love vibrant and bold gemstones, then you may want to consider an emerald, aquamarine, or ruby. Regardless of what you pick, every gemstone is unique and comes with plenty of healing properties, which can be beneficial for the wearer.
FAQ
Tourmaline, as a gemstone, reflects different hues. It forms colors in many combinations and hence is considered a valuable possession. For example, the watermelon variety displays color combinations of pink, green, and white.
Some popular gemstone colors are blue, white, yellow, orange, and red. However, some of the rarely found colors are green, purple, pink, and brown.
Red is the rarest color in gemstones. Blood-colored rubies are also very rare. An orange-red is a unique color that can only be found in a spinel gemstone, while a pinkish-red one can be found in a stunning garnet gemstone.
