If you have always love shiny blue jewelry pieces, this is the place to be!
This new review is your complete guide to finding the best and precious blue gems the jewelry market has to offer.
In this guide, we are going to learn about:
- What s a blue gemstone
- Which is the best place to find blue gemstones
- The most common kinds of blue gemstones
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What are Blue Gemstones?
Blue is a naturally beautiful color and gemstones that fall within any range of blue hue looks pretty, the reason why they have gained popularity. Blue gems have been used since ancient times, especially for earrings and crown jewels.
The most popular and sought-after blue gemstone is sapphire. This stone has a very deep blue shade that makes it look beautiful. Its shade is similar to that of stones like kyanite, lapis lazuli, and zircon.
Blue is the color of the sky and the waters and in most cases is associated with inspiration, stability, freedom, intelligence, and imagination. Blue gems are also known to match with any outfit be it formal or casual.
Best Place to Buy Blue Gemstones
Blue gemstones are all over the market. You can buy from online retailers, local jewelry stores, or personal owners. The choice of where to buy exactly will depend on your location, budget, and personal preference.
Types Of Blue Gemstones
There are hundreds of blue gemstones in the world today. However, some types are more common and preferred than others when making jewelry. The following are the most popular blue gemstones.
- Sapphire
- Lapis Lazuli
- Azurite
- Aquamarine
- Tanzanite
- Benitoite
- Blue Topaz
- Agate
- Tourmaline
- Blue Diamond
- Turquoise
Blue Gemstones Names and Pictures
1. Sapphire
- Very tough
- Brilliant
- Loved by many
- Costs between $500 and $5000
This is the commonest precious stone when it comes to buying sapphire jewellery online. Blue sapphire stands at 9 on the measure of hardness scale, making it very tough. Some jewelers use it as a diamond alternative, especially when making engagement rings.
The blue sapphire is the most popular but you can find other colors of sapphire stones.
The blue shade in this stone is brought about by iron and titanium trapped in the stone during the process of forming. Because of its level of toughness, sapphire does not scratch or breaking easily. Some people even argue that sapphire is tougher than diamond.
With these features, sapphire carries a high price tag. Stones that have a purplish shade are the most expensive.
RECOMMENDED: Best Sapphire Engagement Rings
Pros
- Very eye-catching
- No need to treat
Cons
- Very costly
2. Lapis Lazuli
- Translucent to opaque appearance
- Not so shiny
- Has golden inclusions
- Costs between $1 and $50
Lapis Lazuli is a bit different from other gemstones. Unlike other stones, it is not a mineral. It is a rock with a variety of minerals in it. The minerals include lazurite, calcite, and shiny pyrite flakes.
Lazurite is the mineral responsible for the blue hue. In the past, lapis lazuli was the main source of dye.
This precious stone is commonly found in different shades of blue but in some cases, you will find gold/white inclusions of marble.
Jewelry made of this stone needs a little more care since it only measures 5 to 6 Mohs, meaning it is not tough. Lapis lazuli precious stones are normally cut in cabochons and used to make necklaces, bracelets, and pendants.
Pros
- Quite cheap
- Widely available
Cons
- Not durable
- Cannot be faceted
3. Azurite
- Deep blue shade
- Not so shiny
- Costs between $10 and $100
Most jewelers love azurite because of its high concentration of blue. Azurite has been used as a form of pigment for several years.
The perfect color of azurite makes it easy to make jewelry without the need to treat it for color enhancement.
Azurite is not a hard stone, it only lies at 3.5 to 4 Mohs, and thus very hard to facet. It looks better when cu in cabochons. You also need to put this stone in a protective setting to make it last longer. A bezel setting would be perfect.
Prolonged use results in the azurite color fading from deep blue to green. You can prevent this by keeping the stone away from light sources as much as possible.
Pros
- Appealing blue shade
Cons
- Too soft
- Will fade eventually
4. Aquamarine
- Very transparent
- Comes in very big crystals
- Transparent to tacky shine
- Costs between $10 and $500
Aquamarine is a popular stone. You will majorly find it used in engagement rings but also look great in other kinds of jewelry.
Aquamarine forms into big crystals and has shines brilliantly when exposed to light.
On the Mohs scale, this stone stands at 7.5 to 8, it is relatively tough and not prone to breaking. The level of hardness makes it very durable and would work well for everyday jewelry.
Pros
- Exists in plenty
- Quite affordable
Cons
- Does not go well with most types of jewelry
RECOMMENDED: Best Aquamarine Engagement Rings
5. Tanzanite
- Glassy luster
- Rare gemstone
- Costs between $75 and $1500
Tanzanite is one of the new gemstones to enter the jewelry market, the earliest deposits were discovered in 1967. As much as it is still fairly new, it has gained popularity because of its deep blue shade that has purple traces.
The most popular shade of this stone is deep blue but you can also find less popular ones in paler shades of blue. The pale shades are normally heat-treated to improve their color.
In most cases, jewelers use tanzanite as a substitute for other blue gemstones that come at very high prices. Tanzanite is not tough and measures only 6.5Mohs, meaning the stone is delicate. You will find this stone mostly in pendants and earrings.
Tanzanite was discovered recently but their deposits are likely to deplete in the future, meaning their prices are likely to shoot up soon.
Pros
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Mostly heat-treated
6. Benitoite
- Super “fire”
- Rarely found
- Very high dispersion rates
- Costs between $250 and $5000
Benitoite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world.
This gemstone has deposits in only one place in the whole world. Its dispersion rate is higher than any other gemstone and diamond, the fire and brilliance features are great too.
Benitoite is commonly used in crafting rings in small portions since its rare and valuable.
Pros
- Great brilliance
Cons
- A bit expensive
- Rarely found in pieces bigger than 1 carat
7. Blue Topaz
- Tough gemstone
- Transparent to vitreous shine
- Has big crystals
- Great polish features
- Costs between $5 and $25
Blue topaz is another rare stone, this is because most topaz gemstones are colorless.
Since the blue topaz is rare, it is common for blue topaz to be heat-treated. This gem is also pleochroic and exhibits different shades depending on your viewpoint.
Topaz has the biggest crystals of all the gemstones known. In fact, those gotten from Brazil weigh a whopping 500 pounds.
Although it is rare, topaz is among the least expensive stones of all the blue gemstones. Topaz is free from inclusions and blemishes and lasts very long.
Pros
- Common in the market
- Affordable
Cons
- Not so good for a fashion jewelry
8. Blue Lace Agate
- Waxy shine
- Colorful bands
- Transparent
- costs between $0.5 and $25
Agate is a kind of chalcedony and comes in a variety of concentrated colors, one of them being blue.
Agate has a unique kind of banding that gives a wide spectrum of blue stones. It is a common stone and can be found in many places in the world.
The price of an agate necklace or pendant is not likely to dent your wallet. It is commonly used in pendants to show the high quality of banding. The bands usually have different colors.
Pros
- Very low price
- Abundant
Cons
- Can’t be cut into facets
- Does not last long
9. Blue Tourmaline
- Blue spectrum with a wide range of colors
- Vitreous luster
- Costs between $10 and $16,000
You will find many tourmaline stones going for less than $500. The rarest and most expensive tourmaline is Paraiba. There is a very big difference in price between Paraiba and other tourmalines.
Blue tourmaline is also called indicolite and is one of the rare kinds of tourmaline. This stone comes in shades ranging from light to dark.
There are other luminescent blue tourmalines too, but they are less than 1 carat. The most expensive and valuable blue tourmaline is pure blue but you can also find this gem in greenish shades,
Blue tourmaline’s durability is considered above average since it is hard at 7 to 7.5 Mohs. This gemstone can last decades if taken care of properly.
A few times, blue tourmaline can exhibit a cat’s eye. Cat’s eye refers to a situation where the light reflected from the gemstone looks like a cat’s eye. Jewelers like to use tourmaline in jewelry and most especially in combination with other color gemstones to create variety.
Pros
- Cat’s eye effect
- Various colors
- Abundant
Cons
- Expensive
10. Blue Diamond
- Very tough
- Great brilliance
- High refractive index
- Adamantine luster
- Costs between $1,500 and $150,000+
Diamond comes in a variety of colors and the blue stone is among the rarest. Most jewelry lovers like the blue diamond because it is the hardest of them all, measuring 10 Mohs.
The most popular blue gemstone is called the Hope Diamond, which can be seen at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Watch the video below to find out more about the diamond.
The blue diamond is also the best choice for any kind of jewelry because it has a very high refractive index.
Generally, diamonds are known to be very expensive, and blue diamonds are even more expensive. The high price tag is a result of treatment and also because it is rare. A blue diamond stone is the most expensive and a 1-carat stone could bear a price tag as high as $200,000+.
Pros
- Great durability
- Lab-created stones available
Cons
- High price
- Natural blue diamonds are rare
11. Turquoise
- Attractive inclusions
- Bluish-greenish color
- Soft
- Opaque stone
- Costs between $5 and $500
Turquoise is a semi-precious stone that has black inclusions that have a vein-like appearance. This stone has been used for decades and it gained popularity because of its clear sky blue and green hue.
This stone may not be as brilliant as other blue gems but its deep color makes it so popular since time immemorial.
Turquoise is a soft stone that is 5 to 6 Mohs and mostly cut in beads and cabochons for making jewelry. Jewelers like to use it in making pendants and other delicate jewelry pieces. Because it is soft, it requires more care when handling.
Pros
- Eye-catching
- Quite abundant
Cons
- Cannot be faceted