Mother Nature created gemstones for every color of the rainbow. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of her greatest works. We will start with the Cool Color Palette, consisting of violets, blues, and greens. Qualities associated with each color are noted below. Let’s delve into the fabulous world of gemstones.

Color: Violet – exotic, dreamy, calming, majestic, regal, passionate

Amethyst Geode

Gemstones grow as crystals in a variety of colors. Amethyst is typically found in shades of purple, but as shown above, it also comes in green, which is known as mint quartz.

Amethyst Nuggets

Polished gemstone nuggets serve as decorative home accents and touchstones or may be displayed in jewelry designs by drilling or wiring.

Faceted Oval Cut Amethyst

Gemstones are graded according to several qualities including clarity, hardness (scratch resistance based upon Mohs scale), color, carats (weight), and luster (light reflection).

Purpurite

Colors for this opaque gemstone typically range from reddish purples to deep violets. Both ends of that spectrum can be seen in the photo above.

Sugilite

Although this gemstone is usually seen in soft shades of lilac, it can also be bluish purple or deep violet.

Color: Indigo – mysterious, ethereal, enchanting, intriguing

Tanzanite

Depending upon the viewing angle, tanzanite, which is rarer than diamonds, changes color from exotic violets to indigo blues.

Iolite

Iolite is the perfect marriage of violet and blue. With reflective properties like tanzanite, changes in natural or artificial light transform the color through the full range of blues to violets and back again.

Color: Blue – refreshing, tranquil, playful, inspiring

Lapis Lazuli – Rough Stones

Vibrant blue stones flecked with gold differentiate lapis lazuli from another blue gem called sodalite.

Lapis Lazuli – Polished Stones & King Tut’s Funerary Mask

Historically, lapis lazuli has been a favorite gemstone of royalty. The most famous example is the funerary mask of King Tut, which includes inlaid lapis lazuli, turquoise, and obsidian.

Blue Sapphires

Although blue is the most recognized color, it also comes in several rare varieties including green, yellow, pink, and star sapphire.

Sodalite

Sodalite is a blue stone with white and sometimes black inclusions, which are materials trapped within growing crystals. You’ll see a famous inclusion photo in the next post.

Blue Topaz

Light blue topaz gemstones are called Sky Blue, medium blue is referred to as Swiss Blue, and dark blue is known as London Blue.

Turquoise

Green and blue turquoise typically have black or brown veins called matrix. The most coveted turquoise is Robin’s Egg blue, which has only been found in one location, the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Arizona.

Color: Blue Green – successful, creative, luxurious, exotic

Paraiba Tourmaline

This beautiful blue green gemstone is among the rarest in the world and is highly sought by jewelry designers and gemstone aficionados.

Color: Green – abundant, grounding, renewing, prosperous, fortunate

Malachite

Bold green swirls and striations are hallmarks of this popular gemstone.

Emeralds

Emeralds have been treasured throughout history, but surprisingly they tend to be easily damaged due to the presence of inclusions, which weaken the stones.

Nephrite Jade

This is another ancient gemstone in beautiful shades of green, which can be carved for jewelry as well as decorative figurines.

Peridot

Peridot, the birthstone for August, is also known as Olivine. Inclusions and fractures often found in these stones make peridot more susceptible to damage.

Aventurine

The inherent shimmering quality of aventurine makes it stand apart from all other gemstones.

This completes our exploration of the gemstone cool color palette. I hope you have seen some old friends and met a few new ones. Do you have any favorites? Please let me know in the comments section, and please stay tuned for part two next week.

Thanks for Reading & Happy Crafting!