From rubies to sapphires, emeralds to blue topaz, the color of a gemstone is the most critical feature of any piece of jewelry — in fact, 60% of a gemstone's value is solely based on its color. Learn more about gemstone color, hue, tone, and saturation, along with buying tips to find the perfect gem.
What is Hue, Tone, and Saturation?
When it comes to the vast array of unique and beautiful colors of gemstones, there's more beyond what our eyes can see. While we might assign a higher value to one color over another based on personal taste in jewelry, three scientific factors — hue, tone, and saturation — determine a gemstone's true value based on its color. Hue is what we typically associate with color. Tone refers to how light or dark the color is. Saturation indicates how rich or vivid the color appears.
Gemstone's Hue
The hue of a gemstone refers to the color itself. For example, rubies are renowned for their pinkish-red and red hues, while emeralds are famous for their green and yellowish-green hues. In most cases, gemstones have primary and secondary hues, but experts typically seek gemstones with as little secondary color as possible when assessing color value. Generally, the most valuable gems exhibit pure colors with slight hints of other hues. Opal is an exception; as a unique gem, its value increases with the number of colors visible within the stone.
Gemstone's Tone
The tone of a gemstone's color refers to its depth, ranging from very light to very dark. When classifying the tone of a gemstone, experts use terms like light, medium light, medium, medium dark, and dark to describe the range of opacity. To evaluate a gemstone's value based on its tone, we recommend holding it under a table or away from any direct light. This technique allows you to more easily determine the gemstone's tone since brighter gems retain their life and luster even without direct light.
Gemstone's Saturation
The saturation of a gemstone refers to the intensity of its color, from pale to deep to vivid. The more vivid the color of the gemstone, the higher its value. For instance, the value of an emerald largely depends on the intensity of the green; prices can drop significantly when the color begins to approach a more "mossy" green.
Popular Gemstone Colors
Red, green, blue, purple, and pink are some of the most sought-after gemstone colors. Sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, rubies, tanzanite, amethysts, and blue topaz are among the gems most coveted for these fashionable hues.
Red Gemstones
When it comes to red gemstones, rubies and garnets are the most popular choices. Rhodolite garnet is another favored red gemstone, bringing unique hues to necklaces, earrings, rings, and more.
Orange and Yellow Gemstones
These vibrant gemstone colors are common in gems like citrine and fire opal. Citrine's gem colors range from pale yellow to deep orange, offering the entire spectrum of these popular shades in jewelry.
Green Gemstones
When most people think of green gemstones, emerald jewelry comes to mind first. Other green gems include peridot, a striking light green gemstone.
Blue Gemstones
Sapphire jewelry typically leads the pack in blue gemstones, but other gems also bring this serene hue. Aquamarine, tourmaline, turquoise, lab-grown diamonds, and tanzanite are other popular blue gems. Fancy diamonds are a popular choice for blue-green gems, offering vivid colors and great durability.
Purple Gemstones
Looking for a deep purple gem? Amethyst comes in various purple-dominated shades. French rose amethyst is a popular color of this gem.
Pink Gemstones
Pink sapphires bring this romantic gemstone color to life, but other gems are gaining popularity for their pink hues. Other impressive pink gems include morganite and even fancy diamonds.
White Gemstones
Diamonds are the classic choice for white gemstones, but other gems are also popular in the colorless category. Pearls, white topaz, white sapphire, quartz, fancy opals, and some moonstones showcase white.
Black Gemstones
When it comes to dark-colored gems, onyx is a classic choice. Black diamonds and some grey moonstones also feature this popular gemstone hue.
Multicolored Gemstones
Many vibrant gems display multiple colors, including primary and secondary hues. Opal is one of the most popular multicolored gems, capable of showing various hues within a single stone.
What to Look for When Buying Gemstones
The gemstone that's best for you is one that attracts you and aligns with your aesthetic, personality, and style. Gemstones have several characteristics distinct from other gems, including:
- Color The color of a gemstone might be its most important quality. The color or hue of a gemstone is its unique visual appearance. Some gems have beautiful primary and secondary colors, while specific gems have a standard set of colors. For example, rubies are typically red or purplish-red. Gems with a single color and usually deeper saturation are often the most valuable, though many people enjoy gems with other saturation levels or even primary and secondary colors. When buying a gem for jewelry, the most crucial factor is how much you like the color. If a mossy green emerald pleases you, there's no reason not to choose it over a more valuable, high-saturation green.
- Brightness The brightness of a gemstone refers to how bright it looks when both you and the gem are stationary. Brightness results from the amount of light reflected by the gem and the contrast patterns determined by its cut.
- Scintillation The flashes of light seen when a gemstone is in motion are called scintillation. The combination of brightness and scintillation gives a gemstone its sparkle or life. Determining a gemstone's scintillation requires the gem or the observer to be in motion.
Gemstone Color FAQs
What is gemstone color? Gemstone color is the hue of the gem. Many gemstones and semi-precious stones have distinctive colors, ideal for making necklaces, earrings, bracelets, or gemstone engagement rings.
Is a gemstone's hue the same as its color? Yes, a gemstone's color and hue are considered the same quality.
Which gemstone color is the rarest? Red is one of the rarest colors in gemstones.
Are gemstones treated to enhance their color? Some treatments can enhance a gemstone's color, preserving its lasting beauty. Common gemstone enhancement treatments include heat treatment, infusion, coating, bleaching, and dyeing. Not all gemstones are treated; some types of gems are entirely untreated. We provide transparent information about all our gems to help you understand if your gem has been enhanced.
Learn more about gemstone characteristics.