The purple color is a combination of blue and red. Since ancient times in jewelry, it was associated with kings and queens, with royalty, wealthy individuals showing off their influence and sophistication. Being a combination of warmest and coolest color it also combines their energies – the passion of the red and balancing calming of the blue. Purple is an electric and vibrant color that brightens up the mood after a hard day.

Even though colored gemstones were used for making jewelry since the beginning of mankind, they become more interesting during the past few decades. The sheer number of purple gems is not that high compared to blue, red or green so as expected those stones can be a bit pricier. When compared to pink gemstones, those are somewhat in a similar situation. Most interesting gems that come in this color are diamonds, sapphire, jade, tourmaline, jasper, fluorite, spinel, and amethyst as most popular and abundant.

Diamonds

Purple diamonds are considered as extremely rare, very expensive and exclusive gems. Those stones are created in earth crust only when there is a very high concentration of hydrogen present. That this is not a common case in nature. Because of this, natural purple diamonds are often bought only by collectors or extremely wealthy people. Synthetic and enhanced specimens are much more common and more affordable.

Sapphires

The general situation in the jewelry industry with pink and purple sapphires is pretty similar. Purple gems are pretty uncommon in nature and they are formed when traces of chromium are present during crystal formation. Those stones are found in very vivid color so heat treating or any other kind of enhancing is not needed. Being the second toughest gems available, purple sapphires are often used for making engagement rings. They are extremely resistant to chipping and breaking so there is no need for special treatment and care.

Jade

When you hear about jade you immediately think of a bright green color. As a matter of fact, jade gemstone comes in many more colors including purple as one of the most beautiful. In nature, we find two main types of purple jade gems called Jadeite (those gems are considered to be of higher quality) and Nephrite (that is considered to be less expensive and more abundant).  Natural purple jade is a pretty soft gemstone that comes with a waxy luster.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a gemstone that comes in many different colors. It’s a beautiful gem often used in jewelry for making incredible pieces of jewelry. Interestingly, purple tourmaline is not that popular even though it’s really vibrant and mesmerizing especially when viewed from different angles of light. This gemstone has great durability and with a little bit of care can last for a long time. Enhancing by heat treating is very common when it comes to tourmaline stone so ask your jeweler if your stone went through this process.

Jasper

Although Jasper comes often in red color, specimens that come in the purple shade can be found as well. Jasper is a type of quartz gemstone that comes with interesting matrix inclusions and with patterns that add unique character to this gemstone. Purple Jasper is a very desirable gemstone that is not very durable compared to other gemstones. With a hardness of 6.5-7, you should take care of your gem in order for it to last a long time.

Fluorite

Fluorite is the list durable gemstone in this list with the rating of 4 on Mohs scale of hardness. Even though this purple gemstone has a vitreous luster and comes in every imaginable purple shade, it is not that common in jewelry. It is most often bought by collectors that pay special care for those gems. Highest quality gems should be transparent. If you stumble upon this gemstone used as jewelry, make sure to buy it as pendant or earring as it will last you longer.

Amethyst

Purple amethyst is one of the most popular gemstones used for making jewelry that comes in this shade. Before huge minings were found in Brazil, amethyst was considered just as precious as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. Those mines dropped its price significantly so it is much more common and affordable gem. With a hardness rating of 7, purple amethyst is fairy durable gem that can be used for making all types of jewelry. If you expose this stone to direct sunlight it can fade over time so make sure that you take proper care of your amethyst gems.

Purple gems are used in jewelry for its sophistication and ability to complement both neutral and colorful outfits. It’s professional, feminine, elegant and flattering for all people since it goes amazing with all hair colors and skin types. No matter if you decide to wear a nice pair of earrings or a fancy ring, light purple gems will add softness to your apparel while deep hues will add vibrancy to your style.

Gemstones in this interesting color go really well with all metals that dictate the style of the jewelry. In general, white metals like silver, white gold, and platinum give a modern look with purple gems standing out more in contrast to the metal. On the other hand, yellow and rose gold provide much more vintage appeal when combined with purple stones.

Source: Gemstones by Color: Purple Healing Crystals