Which Gemstone for Which Colour? The Complete Guide

"I would like a blue stone" — yes, but which one? Every colour of the spectrum is served by several gems, from the great classic to the little-known find. Here is the guide to move from the colour you dream of to the ideal stone.

Blue: from the king to sea water

Sapphire reigns (hardness 9, from royal blue to sky blue), aquamarine brings limpid freshness, tanzanite a violet velvet, blue zircon astonishing fire. → Our blue gems

Red: passion has several faces

Ruby, of course — but also red spinel, never treated and superbly brilliant, and rhodolite garnet with its generous large carats. → Our red gems

Green: far beyond emerald

Emerald for the legend, tsavorite for a vivid, brilliant green with no oiling, green tourmaline for volume, peridot for its aniseed green. → Our green gems

Pink: the colour on the rise

Pink sapphire (almost as hard as diamond), pink spinel from Tajikistan with its neon tones, pink tourmaline and gentle morganite. → Our pink gems

Yellow and orange: sunshine on your finger

Yellow sapphire, imperial topaz, brilliant mandarin garnet, affordable citrine and yellow zircon with its golden fire. → Our yellow gems

Purple: from mystery to velvet

Historic amethyst, tanzanite found nowhere else in the world, mauve spinel and the surprising bi-colour ametrine. → Our purple gems

White: pure brilliance

Unheated white sapphire (the natural alternative to diamond), and moonstone with its bluish sheen. → Our white gems

The dealer's advice

For a given colour, compare hardness (for wear), treatment (for value) and price per carat (for budget): it is often the "alternative" stone that wins. Come and compare the colours in person at an appointment in Paris.