Gemstones by color: buyer's reference

Blue gemstones

Red gemstones

1. Ruby — Mohs 9, $50 to $500+ per carat (commercial). Pure red corundum. Heated is standard. Unheated Burmese commands 5x to 10x premium.
2. Garnet (almandine/pyrope) — Mohs 7 to 7.5, $10 to $80 per carat. Dark red, widely available, excellent value. Often the best ruby alternative.
3. Red spinel — Mohs 8, $50 to $500+ per carat. Historically confused with ruby. Intense red without the treatment concerns of corundum.
4. Carnelian — Mohs 6.5 to 7, $3 to $15 per tumble. Orange-red chalcedony, one of the most common and affordable red-range stones.
5. Red beryl — Mohs 7.5 to 8, $3,000 to $15,000 per carat. Utah-only, ultra-rare, collector item.

Green gemstones

1. Emerald — Mohs 7.5 to 8, $50 to $500+ per carat. The classic green gem. Jardin (inclusions) are expected and accepted in fine emeralds. Most are oiled.
2. Jadeite jade — Mohs 6.5 to 7, $20 to $30,000+ per carat (Imperial grade). Vivid green to pale. One of the most valued gems in East and Southeast Asian markets.
3. Green tourmaline — Mohs 7 to 7.5, $20 to $200 per carat. Wide range of greens. Chrome tourmaline is the most vivid and valuable variety.
4. Peridot — Mohs 6.5 to 7, $10 to $50 per carat. Distinctive lime-yellow-green. Only gem formed in the mantle rather than the crust.
5. Green aventurine — Mohs 7, $3 to $12 per tumble. Fuchsite-spangled quartz with subtle shimmer. Best value in the green range for crystal practice.

Purple and violet gemstones

1. Amethyst — Mohs 7, $3 to $30 per carat. The most available purple gem. Fades in direct sunlight; avoid prolonged UV exposure.
2. Tanzanite — Mohs 6.5, $30 to $200+ per carat. Blue-violet with strong pleochroism. Single-source rarity makes it a collector's gem.
3. Purple spinel — Mohs 8, $30 to $200 per carat. Underappreciated. Vivid purple without the fading concerns of amethyst.
4. Purple fluorite — Mohs 4, $3 to $20 per specimen. Soft, striking purple, perfect for display. Too fragile for rings.
5. Lepidolite — Mohs 2.5 to 3, $5 to $25 per tumble. Lavender mica, distinctive sparkly texture, beloved in crystal practice.

Yellow and orange gemstones

1. Citrine — Mohs 7, $10 to $30 per carat. Most commercial citrine is heat-treated amethyst. Natural pale citrine exists but is rare.
2. Imperial topaz — Mohs 8, $50 to $300+ per carat. Golden orange, from Brazil and Sri Lanka. One of the most elegant yellow gems.
3. Carnelian — Mohs 6.5 to 7, $3 to $15 per tumble. Orange-red chalcedony, versatile for both jewelry and crystal practice.
4. Spessartine garnet — Mohs 7 to 7.5, $30 to $150 per carat. Orange-red to mandarin orange. Fanta-orange material from Namibia and Nigeria is particularly vivid.
5. Sunstone — Mohs 6 to 6.5, $10 to $50 per carat. Spangled feldspar with metallic schiller. Oregon sunstone is a distinctive American gem.

Pink gemstones

1. Rose quartz — Mohs 7, $3 to $15 per tumble. The most available pink crystal. Cabochons show a gentle asterism in fine quality.
2. Pink sapphire — Mohs 9, $50 to $300+ per carat. Corundum in pink, durable for all jewelry use. Heat treatment standard.
3. Pink spinel — Mohs 8, $50 to $300 per carat. Vivid pink, undervalued alternative to pink sapphire. No treatment concerns.
4. Morganite — Mohs 7.5 to 8, $20 to $100 per carat. Peachy-pink beryl, popular for rose-gold engagement rings.
5. Kunzite — Mohs 6.5 to 7, $10 to $60 per carat. Pale to vivid pink spodumene. Sensitive to heat and prolonged sunlight.

Black gemstones

1. Black tourmaline (schorl) — Mohs 7 to 7.5, $3 to $15 per tumble. The most used black stone in crystal practice. Protection associations.
2. Obsidian — Mohs 5 to 5.5, $3 to $20 per tumble. Natural volcanic glass, not a true mineral. Available in black, mahogany, rainbow, and snowflake varieties.
3. Black onyx — Mohs 6.5 to 7, $3 to $20 per cabochon. Almost all commercial black onyx is dyed chalcedony. Durable for jewelry when disclosed.
4. Hematite — Mohs 5.5 to 6.5, $3 to $15 per tumble. Iron oxide with metallic silver-black luster. Most magnetic hematite is synthetic hematine.
5. Shungite — Mohs 3.5 to 4, $5 to $30 per piece. Carbon-based mineraloid from Russia. Matte black. Distinctive in crystal practice for grounding associations.

White and colorless gemstones

1. Diamond — Mohs 10, $2,000 to $20,000+ per carat (natural). The hardness standard. Lab-grown at 60 to 80% lower cost.
2. Clear quartz — Mohs 7, $2 to $15 per tumble. The universal crystal. Extremely common and durable.
3. White moonstone — Mohs 6 to 6.5, $5 to $30 per cabochon. Adularescent feldspar with a floating blue or white sheen.
4. Howlite — Mohs 3.5, $2 to $10 per tumble. White with gray veining. Often confused with — or deliberately passed as — other stones.
5. Selenite — Mohs 2, $4 to $20 per wand. Transparent to translucent gypsum. Fragile and water-soluble but visually striking.

Frequently asked questions