Add a fresh splash of color to your warm weather outfits with a piece of jewelry set with these sprightly precious and semi-precious gemstones.
Amethyst
Amethyst is the violet variety of quartz. Natural amethyst ranges from a light pinkish purple to a rich, darker purple, with “Deep Siberian” purple being the most desirable—and costly. (It’s worth noting: pale amethyst stones can be artificially darkened to appear a deeper shade of purple so inquire if your desired stone underwent any processing before you purchase.) Amethyst offers remarkable style flexibility: it looks sharp set in white or yellow metals and the rich color transitions seamlessly from your spring into autumn wardrobe.
Aquamarine
The birthstone for March is aquamarine, a bright blue gemstone that perfectly suits the start of springtime. Aquamarine comes in a range of blue shades with the darker shades being the more expensive variety. However, for breezy spring, we love aquamarine in a pastel sky blue which feels even more ethereal set in white gold or surrounded by white pavé diamonds.
Citrine
Ranging from a sunny yellow to a bright orange, citrine echoes the cheerful spirit of spring. And given that citrine is a very affordable gemstone, large stones are easier to come by and wallet-friendly, so freshen up your spring look with a piece of statement jewelry that won’t break the bank.
Lapis
Lapis lazuli (or simply lapis) is mesmerizing dark blue semi-precious stone with sparkling golden pyrite inclusions. This breathtaking stone’s appearance has been likened to the midnight sky, complete with twinkling stars. The unique properties of lapis makes is a cool hue to add to your warm weather ensembles and, for the trend driven, looks particularly striking set in rose gold.
Morganite
Morganite is a semi-precious stone on the rise (for more on morganite’s recent boom in popularity, read our post “5 Colorful Precious Gemstone Alternatives to Diamonds” here.) You can also score a statement piece of jewelry with an impressive morganite stone to suit any budget. The romantic peach pink stone looks best set in rose gold or surrounded by pavé diamonds.
Paraiba Tourmaline
Of all the gemstones on this list, paraiba tourmaline is by far the most precious and valuable. Discovered just in Brazil in 1989, paraiba tourmaline usually contains lots of inclusions which cloud the stone’s appearance; in turn, flawless paraiba tourmaline stones are very rare and expensive. While this lavish stone may fall out of budget, its uniquely vivid shades of tropical ocean blue are too beautiful to not include on this list!
Peridot
Springtime naturally conjures imagery of green tree boughs and flora abound. And, to carry on that theme, we look to peridot which comes in a playful shade of lime green. Smaller peridot gemstones (think three carats or less) are common which makes them a budget-friendly jewelry option. But, as the size of the stone scales up, so does the cost.
One notable exclusion from our list of colorful gemstones are fancy diamonds. While we typically think of white or colorless diamonds, “fancy diamonds” in beautiful shades of pink, blue and yellow are increasingly popular as unconventional engagement rings. Learn more about how fancy and colored diamonds are made here!
Main image by With Love Lily Rose.