Fall in Love with Coloured Gemstones

We’re passionate about helping you find jewellery that’s personal as well as beautiful. While diamonds remain a timeless, classic choice, coloured gemstones are becoming increasingly popular thanks to the individuality, colour and rarity they offer.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular coloured gemstones we use in our bespoke jewellery, and why we love them.

Sapphire

Colour: Best known for their rich blue colour, sapphires are also found in pink, yellow, green, orange, purple and white.

Hardness: 9 on the Mohs scale, making them one of the hardest gemstones and ideal for everyday wear.

Value: Fine natural sapphires, particularly untreated stones with exceptional colour and clarity, are highly sought after and can command significant prices.

Interesting facts: Sapphires belong to the corundum family. Every colour of corundum except red is classified as sapphire. Some sapphires display a star effect known as asterism, caused by tiny needle-like inclusions reflecting light in a six-rayed star pattern. The rarest sapphires, a delicate pink-orange blend, are known in the trade as padparadscha.

Emerald

Colour: Best known for its rich green colour, emeralds range from light, grassy greens to deep, velvety forest tones.

Hardness: 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, slightly softer than sapphire and ruby, so a protective setting is recommended for rings.

Value: Fine emeralds with vivid colour and good clarity are highly prized, and exceptional stones can be worth more than a diamond of the same size.

Interesting facts: Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl, with their green colour coming from traces of chromium, vanadium and iron (iron is what pushes emerald toward bluer green). Emeralds naturally form with inclusions, often described as a “jardin” (French for garden), which are part of the gemstone’s character rather than a flaw.

Ruby

Colour: Known for its rich red colour, ranging from pinkish-red to deep crimson, with the most prized shade referred to as “pigeon blood” red.

Hardness: 9 on the Mohs scale, the same as sapphire, making it extremely hard-wearing and ideal for everyday jewellery.

Value: High-quality rubies with minimal treatment are among the most valuable gemstones in the world.

Interesting facts: Rubies and sapphires are both varieties of corundum – it’s the presence of chromium that gives ruby its red colour. Like sapphires, rubies can occasionally show asterism, caused by fine needle-like inclusions known as “silk”. Star rubies with a crisp, distinct star are especially prized.

Tourmaline

Colour: One of the most colourful gemstone families, tourmalines are found in pink, green, blue, purple and even watermelon (a pink centre with green edges).

Hardness: 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale, making them durable and well suited to everyday jewellery.

Value: Rarer shades, such as vivid green (chrome tourmaline) and blue-green (Paraiba), command higher prices, though tourmaline generally offers excellent value.

Interesting facts: A single tourmaline crystal can contain two or more colours, a feature prized in bi-colour and watermelon stones. Paraiba tourmalines, coloured by traces of copper, produce an intense neon blue-green unlike any other gemstone, and can rival rubies or emeralds in value.

Aquamarine

Colour: Known for its clear, pale blue tones, sometimes with a hint of green or teal.

Hardness: 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, making it a durable choice for rings and everyday wear.

Value: Larger, clearer stones with strong blue saturation are the most valuable, though aquamarine is generally more accessible than sapphire or emerald.

Interesting facts: Aquamarine belongs to the beryl family, the same mineral group as emerald. Crystals can grow to remarkable sizes – the largest on record, found in Brazil in 1910, weighed over 110kg!

Peridot

Colour: Known for its fresh green hues, ranging from yellow-green and olive to vibrant lime green.

Hardness: 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, so it’s best suited to earrings, pendants and rings with protective settings (or rings that don’t need to be worn daily). 

Value: Offers excellent value, with larger, more vivid stones commanding higher prices.

Interesting facts: Peridot is one of the few gemstones formed in the Earth’s mantle rather than its crust, and has even been found in meteorites. In 2005, peridot was identified in comet dust returned by NASA’s Stardust probe.

Find Your Perfect Gemstone

Whether you’re drawn to the rich blue of a sapphire, the vivid green of an emerald or the fiery red of a ruby, we can help you select the perfect gemstone for your jewellery.

Every gemstone is individually sourced for its beauty, quality and character, and our experienced goldsmiths can create a bespoke piece designed specifically around your chosen stone.

Visit us in-store or book an appointment to explore our collection and discover the remarkable world of natural coloured gemstones.

What is spinel?

Red as a ruby spinelWhen you think of red gemstones the first one to spring to mind is the ruby, naturally.  This gemstone is one of the rarest and most valuable, by carat weight, of all precious gems however, which pushes it out of reach of many budgets.  You might therefore want to consider spinel as an alternative.

What is spinel?  Spinel is a gemstone that comes in a variety of colours, from light pink through deep red to mauve, lilac, lavender, blue, green and yellow.  Often mistaken for ruby or sapphire, they are in fact found in the same places, but are of a different crystalline construct.

The most sought after are the deep reds, cobalt blue, bright pink and bright orange stones, with the paler shades less rare and so less valuable.

Spinel has been mined for centuries and one of the most famous spinel gemstones is known as the Black Prince’s Ruby.  This jaw-dropping stone weighs in at a magnificent 170 carats and is cabochon rather than cut, meaning smooth rather than faceted. It is the largest uncut spinel in the world and is set into George V’s Imperial State Crown and is held at the Tower of London.  Its history stretches back to the Middle Ages, when it appears in the 14th century as belonging to Abū Sa’īd one of the last Princes of Granada, in southern Spain.  The spinel was stolen from him by a duplicitous Spanish count, who tricked Abū Sa’īd into meeting with him in Seville, whereupon he was promptly murdered and all his belonging stolen – among them this glorious spinel.  The robber Count – also known to history as Don Pedro the Cruel (sounds like a super chap) found himself under threat by his own brother and in 1367 sought help from the the son of Edward III of England, also known as The Black Prince, possibly due to the black armour he wore in battle. Don Pedro’s brother was beaten and the Black Prince demanded the ruby in exchange for services rendered.

The Black Prince's Ruby is actually a red spinelThe red gemstone isn’t heard of again until 1415, when it appears as one of the gems that encrusted the helmet of Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt.  During the battle Henry was struck on the head with a battle axe, nearly losing both head and helmet.  Luckily the battle was won by Henry’s forces and the Black Prince’s Ruby was saved.   It is believed that Richard III wore the gem in his helmet at the Battle of Bosworth, where it wasn’t so lucky for him and he died, giving control of the country to the Tudors.  And we all know where that took us!

The gemstone is recorded as being among Henry VIIIs royal collection and then disappears again when Cromwell threw out the monarchy and auctioned off the crown jewels, but mysteriously reappears with Charles II – we can only imagine a sympathiser bought it and presented it to Charles upon his restoration.

At Christopher Evans we create many stunning bespoke pieces for clients seeking to add a unique piece of jewellery to their own collections.  If you want a ruby but the budget won’t stretch, spinel might be a choice you can make that will work within your budget.  Why not pop in and ask?

The birthstone for July is the ruby

00102907 Ruby & Diamond Cluster 1The birthstone for July is the ruby, as stated in this poem, published by Tiffany & Co in 1870, although nobody knows who wrote it and when.

The glowing ruby shall adorn,
Those who in July are born;
Then they’ll be exempt and free
From love’s doubts and anxiety.
 

Power and protection

The ruby was the gemstone of choice for tribal kings and warriors, as it was believed to offer power and protection.  This beautiful red gem has always been associated with passion, this, allied with its associations with wisdom, good fortune and success also made the ruby the stone of love.   The wearer of the ruby need have none of the anxieties and concerns most lovers feel, as they have made the right choice in matters of the heart!

The ruby is the hardest of the precious gemstones, meaning that it is ideal for everyday wear.  It’s value lies in its colour: rubies are available in a range of red hues from purplish and bluish red to orange-red. The brightest and most valuable colour for a ruby is  known as a ‘Burmese Ruby’ or ‘Pigeon Blood Red’  – this does not refer to the blood of a pigeon, but in fact to the colour of a white, or albino, pigeon’s eye.  The term ‘Burmese Ruby’ reflects the fact that the best rubies come from Burma (now called Myanmar) dug from the Mogok Valley mines.

star ruby

Blue cousin

Fascinatingly, the ruby is part of the Corundum family, the only other member of which is the sapphire.  Sapphires come in a whole rainbow of colours, except red.  Red sapphires are claimed as rubies.  Red Corundum gems that don’t have the correct red hue are simply called sapphires.  The true red gemstone is very rare and its rarity gives it the value it has carried for millennia.

Rubies can be cut as faceted stones or cabochon, as shown here.  Often these stones will display an asterism – or  six-pointed star, giving them the name Star Rubies.  This mysterious, fascinating stone, if also demonstrating real clarity, is highly sought after and exceedingly valuable.

 

A list of birthstones in the UK

star rubyEvery month has its own stone, precious or semi-precious, that by ancient wisdom give an indication of the wearer’s personality.

Our goldsmiths, working from our stores in Cheshire, have created some fabulous bespoke pieces using birthstones and you don’t need to spend a fortune to create something truly unique that will be treasured forever.

Many of the stones listed here actually occur naturally in a dazzling rainbow of different colours, so if your birth month is September, but a blue sapphire just doesn’t appeal – choose one in pink, or orange, or green!

Each stone is also, according to ancient belief, imbued with mystical powers that transfer to its wearer, so, whether or not the Aquamarine is your birthstone, by wearing it you are channelling its ability to boost your happiness and courage.  Load of nonsense?  Bit of fun? Whatever…it’s still a lovely stone.

Whatever your colour preference and whatever your budget, our goldsmiths can design and create the perfect piece of jewellery for you, just ask!

So, what’s your stone?

January: Garnet, faith and loyalty

February: Amethyst, sincerity and wittiness

March: Aquamarine, happiness and courage

April: Diamond or Rock Crystal, eternity and love

May: Emerald or Chrysophase, fidelity and fertility

June: Pearl or Moonstone, purity and nobility

July: Ruby or Carnelian, strength and beauty

August: Peridot or Sardonyx, protection and success

September: Sapphire or Lapis Lazuli, serenity and wisdom

October: Opal, hope and creativity

November:  Topaz or Citrine, friendship and healing

December:  Tanzanite or Turquoise, trust and luck