Blue Gemstones! When you look at a picture of Earth taken from space, what do you see?
Rich, vibrant blue.
A blue planet! Not only are the oceans blue, but so is the sky.
That’s one of the reasons that blue is so universal.
Fashionable necklace with sapphires
There’s something comforting and accessible about the color blue.
On the color spectrum, it’s such a nice medium between various bold hues.
Yet blue often has the advantage of shimmering and reflecting light beautifully.
It can often speak of mystery and infinity.
These are some clues as to why blue has been such a popular color for gemstones, not only for generations, but very much at the present moment, too.
Natural aquamarine pendant on a silver chain
With all the versatility of blue, with the way it matches so many outfits and accessories, it’s hard to find someone without some blue gemstones in their jewelry boxes.
There are an incredible number of gemstones that are true blue, loyal-royal blue, blue as in Bluetooth, etc.
We will highlight our 12 favorites.
1. Blue Sapphire
Curved trillion pear shaped sapphire diamond ring
There’s no question that Sapphire has been all the rage for quite some time now.
But why? One reason is probably the boldness of the color.
When gemologists (not to mention everyday jewelry fans) rate stone, they look at hue, tone, and saturation.
Blue sapphire gemstone isolated on white tazanite
Saturation can be thought of as the intensity of a color, what makes it vivid.
Sapphire is very highly saturated, and that’s how the stone avoids any murky or gray characteristics.
It also avoids looking too dark in a way that seems to be sucking color in.
Instead, Sapphire is all about throwing color out into the world.
Sapphire earrings
Sapphire gemstones have, in their composition, titanium and iron, and this is where they get their sparkling blue and violet hue.
This makes them elegant.
What’s more, as elegant as Blue Sapphire is, you can actually wear it regularly.
Why? Because it has a hardness score of 9 (10 being the highest).
You aren’t going to find many 9s out there, and gems around 7 are considered extremely resilient.
Pair of sapphire earrings isolated on white
Sapphire is the birthstone for September and also the anniversary stone for many wedding anniversaries.
There’s no much to not love about this world-class gemstone.
2. Blue Gemstones: Aquamarine
Aqua blue diamond rin
This gemstone is a variety of beryl.
It gets its name from the Latin phrase meaning “water of the sea.”
Clearly, the stone is, in basic terms, blue-green.
But it can vary from a lighter and gentler version to a richer and bolder blue-green.
Richer-toned Aquamarine stones are more expensive.
Jewelry earrings with aquamarine on sand beach background soft focus
This popular and common gemstone has had stones cut from it that measure thousands of karats.
Aquamarine is commonly faceted, popularly used for necklace pendants, necklaces, earrings, and rings.
Like Sapphire, it can be worn all the time, since it is durable.
Its hardness score is 7.5-8.
This combination of beauty and toughness is rare.
Aquamarine ring on silver background
One thing to remember is that some of the Aquamarine you find on the market has been heat treated to enhance its blueness, hence they are not pure blue stones.
Reputable jewelers will be able to tell you about this.
Aquamarine center stone ring with diamond halo isolated on white
3. Spinel
This stone can achieve breathtaking hues of bright blue.
In particular, some spinel stones take on a cobalt hue, and these are very valuable and sought-after. M
aybe Spinel wasn’t all the rage twenty years ago, but it has been very hot lately.
Vintage 9 carat gold blue spinel ring
In fact, it recently won the distinction of being named the birth stone for August.
Why is it so popular, and popular recently?
It’s hard to say, but it’s important to understand that blue spinel is completely natural—the blue color does not and cannot come from artificial processes.
Light blue spinel stud earrings
Spinel achieves a hardness score of 8, and that’s why it’s so appropriate for everyday use.
The Black Princess Ruby, which is set in the English Imperial State Crown, is more than a thousand years old, attested to the strength and toughness of these great gems!
Blue spinel star pendant necklace
4. Rare Blue Gemstones: Tourmaline
Blue green tourmaline and diamond ring
Blue Tourmaline stones are also known as indicolites.
This class of stones are named from a plant whose Latin name is Indicum.
They are very rare.
Neon blue paraiba tourmaline vintage bracelet w diamond accent
The blue color from Blue Tourmaline comes from iron, even if this is found in small amounts.
Tourmalines are often faceted and mounted in items like pendants.
Whether you wear it this way or not, Blue Tourmaline can help with your spiritual life, encouraging and aiding a trip to greater spirituality.
5. Blue Diamond: the Rarest Among Blue Gemstones
Blue Diamonds are very rare, beyond a shadow of a doubt. How rare is this color of diamond?
Well, it can literally be found in only a few mines on the whole planet.
These are found in exotic locales like South Africa, India, and Australia.
Blue diamond isolated on white background
Now, we’ve been talking a bit about natural vs. chemical, real vs. man-made.
The precious Blue Diamond is 100% authentic, a natural product of Mother Earth.
The carbon composition of these wonders develops over millions of years; it includes a fair amount of boron, which is where the beautiful blue color comes from.
Their natural color can be of a very high saturation, and that’s where you get a fantastic sparkle.
Aqua blue diamond rin
It should be appreciated, though, that many blue diamonds have a secondary hue, which can influence their overall color toward blue-gray or even aquamarine tones.
To get a sense of how sought after Blue Diamonds are, and how valuable, here are a few recent events.
In 2014, Sotheby’s in New York auctioned a Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond for $32.6 million.
Because the stone was 9.75 karat, this amounts to $3.4 M per karat.
The buyer, Joseph Lau, bought it for his daughter Zoe, and nicknamed it the Zoe Diamond.
Diamond sapphire bracelet
That record, for highest price ever paid for a diamond, was broken in 2015, when another Fancy Vivid was sold in Geneva, Switzerland for $48.4 million.
Now, what is this Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond?
Well, a minute ago we talked about saturation, and Fancy Vivid is a measure of intensity of saturation.
Blue Diamonds come in faint blue, very light blue, light blue, fancy light blue, fancy blue, fancy deep blue, fancy vivid blue.
You may not have millions of dollars, but you have many options for these dazzling gemstones.
6. Blue Gemstones for Creativity: Lapis Lazuli
Lapis lazuli on its own
Who doesn’t love metamorphic rocks?
And that is exactly what Lapis Lazuli is.
This rich blue stone is categorized as semi-precious and has a long history.
It is so prestigious that it was used for the burial mask of King Tutankhamun.
Lapis lazuli bracelet
This awesome blue gemstone is made of lazurite, with smaller amounts of calcite and sodalite (see below).
While major mining locations of Lapis Lazuli and in Afghanistan, it is found in small amounts all over the world, including in the U.S.
One fascinating thing about Lapis is that sometimes stones without calcite will appear.
The lack of calcite means no white markings—a clear blue stone.
Cobalt blue earring lapis lazuli
All Lapis Lazuli stones are a brilliant blue, and ones without calcite are brilliant and pure, and thus very sought after.
They are very popular in use for necklaces.
Lapis Lazuli is the September birthstone; it is known to help creativity and personal expression.
7. Fascinating Blue Gemstones Labradorite
Polished blue labradorite isolated
This truly unique and fascinating stone is a type of feldspar.
t is noted for the spectacular dark lines running across the stones horizontally.
These dark, often shadowed markings give the stones an air of sophistication, and seem to be designs painted by a passionate artist.
Labradorite pendant necklace
Their vitreous luster shines at various angles in several ways.
Labradorite is a hard stone, with a hardness score of 6-6.5.
Its cleavage runs in two directions.
It’s no surprise, with the iridescence and lovely light reflections of this stone, that it has captured people’s imaginations for centuries.
Gold labradorite earrings
In fact, an ancient myth says that the Northern Lights were once captured within the stones.
Today, Labradorite is known to enhance one’s creativity.
8. Blue Topaz
Earth mined natural blue topaz gemstone
There are quite a few differing opinions about gemstones and how they accent a dress or blouse.
Some people go for maximum shine and saturation, perhaps wanting to be noticed upon entering a room; but some find that look to be a bit much, and opt for something more understated.
Swiss blue topaz gemstone oval shaped
For those jewelry wearers, Topaz is a likely choice, since it often comes in light blue tones with a good level of transparency.
Some Topaz stones do have higher saturation, but that isn’t the norm.
Ring with topaz
Therefore, if you’re on a job interview or visiting your elderly mother or are in some situation where a nice demure piece that looks lovely but not showy, Topaz may be your answer.
Topaz white gold bracelet
Now, be confident that you can find multiple varieties of Blue Topaz for the most correct answer to your needs: Swiss Blue and London Blue.
Swiss Blue is like a clear pool of water on a sunny day. Its saturation is low to moderate, and it has a nice brightness.
Gold earrings with blue topaz in the shape of a flower
London Blue is a bit more unusual for Topaz, since it is darker, almost like the outer feathers of a blue jay.
If you don’t have any Topaz in your collection, now might be the time to turn things around.
9. Moonstone
Blue moonstone round shape
There is no mistaking nor denying the beauty of the moonstone. The texture of this stone’s color is ethereal and calming.
Blue moonstone necklace teardrop pendant
Moonstone is a type of feldspar.
Specifically, it’s made up of two feldspar minerals, orthoclase and albite.
These minerals are layered on top of one another to create the magic of moonstone.
Nature blue moonstone ring for women
An old legend about this great gem is that if you put it in your mouth when there’s a full moon you’d be able to see into the future.
Whether or not you’re interested in trying this, a moonstone can be a good part of your collection.
10. Less Known Blue Gemstones: Sodalite
Sodalite necklace for women
Sodalite looks like a planet.
It is a dazzling stone marked by slashing lines and with blotches of white.
This blue gemstone has isometric crystal composition; the crystals are often translucent or transparent. Its hardness score is 5.5-6.
It is often treated with heat or dyeing.
Blue sodalite bracelet
It is found in Namibia, Italy, Brazil, and the United States.
Previously we mentioned that Lapis Lazuli contains sodalite.
Sodalite is contained in several rocks, but as you can see, it is its own gem.
Not only is it used as a gemstone for jewelry, but it is often incorporated into architectural uses.
11. Amazonite
Blueamazonite on white background
Also known as Amazonstone, Amazonite is a variety of microcline, which in turn is a potassium feldspar.
What this stone is known for is its distinctive blue-green quality.
It often tends toward green a bit more than aquamarine.
Blue amazonite earring on model ear
The unique stone is meant to balance masculine and feminine energies.
It also can help a person understand various sides of an issue.
It comes from the balance of blue and green.
Female bracelet made of mineral amazonite
12. Kyanite
Crystalline blue kyanite mineral
This gemstone has a very unique appearance.
Its crystals are columnar, and that helps create a distinctive look.
Kyanite is relatively young, having been discovered only in the middle of the 19th century.
18k gold kyanite dangle earrings
It’s a silicate of aluminum found in metamorphic rock.
It’s also a semiprecious gemstone, but it does have a perfect cleavage, which limits the way it is used.
Its spiritual properties are well-known—it can help with well-being and with meditation. Kyanite also helps with expression.
Blue kyanite stone bracelet isolated on white background
This may not be in everyone’s collection, but that might be a reason to have it as part of yours.
Blue Gemstones: Sky and Ocean
One of the benefits of many of the blue gemstones we’ve highlighted is that they have an incredible hardness, and thus, durability.
The mineral makeup of many of these stones makes for fascinating markings and gradations of color and that’s why they are so good when used for jewelry.
Fashion yellow gold ring with blue kyanite stone
Some of these gemstones are the blue varieties of very common gems, and some are a bit more off the beaten path.
However, they all have a valuable place in any jewelry fan’s collection.
On the most popular blue gemstones list, don’t forget blue quartz, paraiba tourmaline, blue zircon with colors ranging from violet blue to dark blue or deep blue color.
Some have green tones, some a bit grayish, and some a true, sparkling blue.
But whatever the exact tone, the associations with sky and ocean, with a lover’s dreamy eyes, all make blue such a big part of human life, cutting across cultures.