What are The Popular Colorful Gemstones for Jewelry?

Pieces of jewelry are decorative items worn for personal adornment, they are items like brooches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings, and so on. From the perspective of the Western world, the word jewelry is restricted to durable ornaments. Jewelry may be made from a wide range of materials. Gemstones and similar materials such as Amber, coral, precious metals, beads, and shells have been widely used to make jewelry. 

In most cultures, jewelry is used as a symbol of status or royalty, for its material properties, its patterns, or for meaningful symbols.  Jewelry with gemstones as the main stone has been a staple in women's closets for centuries. And the use of colored gemstones can add sophistication and character to jewelry, creating breathtaking pieces that are simply stunning.

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Art-deco ring with amber-colored diamonds

The function of gemstone jewelry

Jewelry is used for special occasions, generally to fix clothing or hair in place. Jewelry is also used as a marker for social status like royalty and also a marker for personal status as with wedding rings. Jewelry can also be a signifier of some form of affiliation, whether ethnic, religious, or social. Many people use jewelry to provide talismanic protection in the form of amulets. Jewelry is used for artistic displays.

 

Jewelry can also be a perfect carrier or symbol of personal meaning such as love, mourning, remembrance, or even luck.

Apart from being an excellent way to adorn yourself, gemstone jewelry also has some other benefits. Recently, many people are convinced that wearing gemstone jewelry can have some positive effects on the body.

According to them, the benefits, powers, and healing attributes of gemstone jewelry vary depending on the type of gemstone embedded in it. Some may bring creativity, while others may protect your body. Wearing gemstone jewelry can initiate relaxing energy while strengthening the wearer's focus and concentration. Specific gemstones can fill your body with positivity and protect against misfortune. Some gemstones can also have a cleansing effect on your aura.

 

Materials used to make jewelry

In creating jewelry gemstones, coins, or other precious items are often used and they are typically set into precious metals. Platinum is one of the most popular metal for jewelry settings and platinum alloys usually range from 900 (90% pure) to 950 (95% pure). The silver used in jewelry is usually sterling, or 92.5% fine silver. In costume jewelry, stainless steel findings are sometimes used.

Other commonly used materials include glass, such as fused-glass or enamel; wood, often carved or turned; shells and other natural animal substances such as bone and ivory; natural clay; polymer clay; hemp, and other similar materials have been used as well to create jewelry that has more of a natural feel.

Beads are frequently used to make jewelry. These may be made of glass, gemstones, metal, wood, shells, clay, and polymer clay. Beaded jewelry commonly encompasses necklaces, bracelets, earrings, belts, and rings. Beads may be large or small; the smallest types of beads used are known as seed beads, these are the beads used for the woven style of beaded jewelry. Seed beads are also used in embroidery techniques where they are sewn onto fabric backings to create broad collar neck pieces and beaded bracelets.

 

The 7 most poular colorful gemstones for jewelry mainstones

Many Precious stones and semiprecious stones are used for jewelry. As the main stone of jewelry, each type of gemstone has a rich history and a deeper meaning. With so many colorful precious stones to choose from, the possibilities for adding a splash of color to your jewelry are endless.

Here, we put together 7 of the most popular and beautiful colored gemstones that are frequently used in jewelry:

  • Emerald

  • Ruby

  • Saphhire

  • Jade

  • Quartz

  • Amethyst

  • Amber

Emerald pendant with double diamond halo

Emerald

Emeralds are one of the three main precious gemstones (along with rubies and sapphires) and are known for their fine green or bluish-green colors. They have been treasured throughout history, and some historians report that the Egyptians mined emeralds as early as 3500 B.C.

The emerald is the birthstone of May, symbolizing the 20th and 35th anniversaries of marriage. This gemstone has long been believed to symbolize love, rebirth, healing, and even fertility. Emerald is a precious and meaningful gemstone that adds a touch of vivid green to every piece of jewelry and is perfect for nature lovers. The beauty of this gemstone goes without saying and is a fine match with simple yet elegant outfits. 

Double diamond halo yellow gold pendant with ruby as center stone

Ruby

Rubies are known for their intense red color and are among the most highly valued precious gemstones. Rubies have been treasured for millennia. In the Middle Ages times, rubies were considered the most highly desired gemstone by European royalty and are still popular today. 

The ruby is the birthstone of July and a traditional gift for a 40th wedding anniversary. Red is the color most associated with passion and desire, and the intense and vibrant deep red color that is the signature of the ruby makes it the ideal gemstone to reflect love, life, and success, making it very popular among those who wish to depict their love and relationships. Many people do not know that rubies are actually red sapphires, originating from the same mineral. While rubies are known for their deep red hue, they also come in a more subtle pink hue.

Flower-shaped blue sapphire and diamond claster jewelry set

Sapphire

The most popular form of sapphire is the blue sapphire, which is known for its medium to deep color and strong saturation. Fancy sapphires of various colors are also available. As the birthstone of September, sapphires come in almost every color of the rainbow, although blue sapphires are the most popular. In the United States, blue sapphire tends to be the most popular and most affordable of the three major precious gemstones.

Blue sapphires are one of the most sought-after gems in the world for use in jewelry. Throughout history, sapphires are believed to represent nobility, truth and loyalty. Sapphires are used boldly and strikingly as the center stone in a ring with a diamond halo, or delicately and discreetly as the center stone in an earring or three-stone ring.

Jade

For thousands of years, people have appreciated the rich color and decorative qualities of jade, properties that have led to its association with royalty, luxury, and beauty. Jade is most commonly associated with the color green but can come in several other colors such as violet, yellow, red, orange, black, and white as well. Jade is closely linked to Asian culture, history, and tradition. It is sometimes referred to as the stone of heaven.

In many cases, jade is cut into cabochons for jewelry or other accessories. On other occasions, jade can be cut into round beads and often strung together with other beads of similar color tones and sizes. Since it is difficult to find jade beads with matching colors, longer and bigger jade beads strands can be very expensive.

Quartz

Different types and colors of quartz as center stone of rings

Different types and colors of quartz as center stone of rings

Of all the gemstones on earth, quartz is one of the richest in mineral deposits and can be found all over the world. Although quartz gemstones may be common, it does not necessarily mean that they are lacking in diversity. Quartz refers to a family of crystalline gemstones of various types, colors, clarities, and sizes. 

Among the well-known types of quartz is rose quartz which has a delicate pink color, and smoky quartz ( which comes in a variety of shades of translucent brown). Several other gemstones such as Amethyst and Citrine are also members of the quartz family. Quartz has traditionally been used for both aesthetic and spiritual applications. It is widely used in a variety of jewelry for accent as well as a center stone.

Stunning amethyst ring with diamond halo

Amethyst

For centuries, the amethyst gemstone has fascinated the attention of people. It has historically been the most prized gemstone in the quartz family. Amethyst comes from all over the world and is a semi-precious stone that everyone can afford to enjoy. It is treasured for its purple hue which can range in tone from light to dark. 

Amethyst is the birthstone of February and is believed to provide a calming power, symbolizing love, happiness, and wealth in one's life. The legends of amethyst cover various sayings regarding mystical powers, including its ability to bring wisdom and power to the person who wears it.

Vintage style amber ring

Amber

Amber is an ancient organic gemstone compared to tree resin that has hardened over a long period. The stone must be at least one million years old to be classified as Amber, and some Amber can be up to 120 million years old. 

As a gem material, amber is quite common and easy to work with. It usually comes in various shades of yellow, orange, and brown. Amber is also available in a wide range of transparency. Transparent stones are almost exclusively used in jewelry. Amber is often polished for beads and used in pendants, earrings, and rings. 

Diamonds: the best precious stone for timeless jewelry

Not surprisingly, diamonds top the list of the most popular precious stones for jewelry. There is no doubt about the allure of diamonds. Carbon, a simple element, is transformed through long periods of intense pressure and heat to produce one of the most desired gems on the planet. Reputed to be the hardest natural material on the planet, diamonds are valued for their beauty and brilliance and have been highly prized for thousands of years. They are believed to have mystical powers and have been used for healing purposes, to cast out evil, and to protect the wearer from enemies in battle.

Diamonds come in a wide range of colors, including pink, yellow, blue, black and green, with red diamonds being the rarest, but the most popular are the sparkling colorless diamonds. Diamond is adored for its brilliance, shimmer and durability, and as a symbol of forever-lasting love, it is always the dream gemstone of many future couples. 

As one of the best gemstones to be used in jewelry, diamond jewelry such as diamond necklaces, diamond bracelets, diamond earrings and especially diamond rings are popular choices. One of the most classic and timeless styles for diamond rings is the solitaire style, which features a single diamond mounted on a simple but elegant band, secured in a prong, bezel, or tension setting, and emphasizes the maximum brilliance of the diamond.

Natural diamonds

Diamonds were first mined in India. In the year 2005, Australia, Botswana, Russia, and Canada were ranked among the primary sources of gemstone diamond production. The British crown jewels contain the Cullinan Diamond, part of the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found (1905) it weighs 3,106.75 carats (621.35 grams). 

Most natural diamonds have ages between 1 billion and 3.5 billion years. Most were formed at depths between 150 and 250 kilometers (93 and 155 mi) in the Earth's mantle, although a few have come from as deep as 800 kilometers (500 mi). Under high pressure and temperature, carbon-containing fluids dissolved various minerals and replaced them with diamonds.

Lab-grown diamonds

Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Using modern technology, we are able to simulate in the laboratories the environment where natural diamonds are formed from carbon, while largely shortening the time needed for diamond growth.

Lab-created diamonds can be grown from high-purity carbon under high pressures and temperatures or hydrocarbon gases by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). High Pressure, High Temperature(HPHT) is also a method used in making synthetic diamonds.

Gorgeous blue memorial diamond ring

Memorial diamonds

Memorial diamonds, also known as cremation diamonds, are lab-grown diamonds made out of carbon extracted from cremated ashes or hair in memory of a lost loved one, a beloved pet, or even for celebrating a special event in one’s life. As already mentioned above, people use jewelry as a symbol of personal meaning such as mourning or remembrance, and memorial diamonds, with a huge sentimental value, can be a perfect center stone for a one-of-a-kind jewelry keepsake

Memorial diamonds are now very popular in the United States as they are seen as a perfect choice to be used in unique and personal jewelry as well as a solid form of remembrance. There are several memorial diamond companies that provide services to turn cremated ashes or hair into diamonds. However,  the price range and jewelry option they offer varies. Among these companies, EverDear™ offers the best prices in the market, creates high-quality GIA-certified memorial diamonds, and provides a variety of diamond color, cut, and size options as well as a wide range of different jewelry setting choices for their clients. 

From pendants with healing crystals to fancy-colored gemstone rings with stunning beauty, there are all kinds of gemstones for jewelry and it might be difficult to determine or emphatically claim which particular gemstone is the best.  Whether it is precious stones provided by mother nature or Man-made semi-precious stones, one thing that can be agreed on is that the best choice is always the one that fits your needs. So, if you are looking for the best gemstone for a piece of sentimental jewelry that can be passed on from generation to generation, consider dazzling and colorful memorial diamonds which are forever, special, meaningful, and truly one-of-a-kind.

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