Red coloring on any jewelry makes the piece heartwarming and charming.
Here, we are going to cover all you need to know about red gemstones including:
- What is a red gemstone?
- Where to buy the best red gemstones
- Kinds of red gemstones along with their pros and cons
What are Red Gemstones?
Red being a color that is attractive, it has dominated the gemstone world when it comes to making pendants, necklaces, rings and other beadworks.
Ruby is the most popular of all red gemstones. However, if you love red gems, you may also have heard about red topaz, agate, red garnets as well as other red gemstones.
Red gemstones are popularly known for their red color that is affiliated with love, passion, lust, and affectionate emotions. This is the reason red gemstones are commonly used in making jewelry.
Watch the video below to know more about red gemstones and the types that are the best for jewelry making.
Best Place to Buy Red Gemstones
The jewelry market is full of red gemstones. You can find the best pieces in online jewelry stores and also from local retailers. Recently, jewelry lovers have turned to online jewelry shopping with preference given to stores like James Allen and Blue Nile.
Types of Red Gemstones
Several kinds of red gemstones come with traces of different minerals, the list is endless. However, here we only look at the best out of all the red gems that can be found.
Below is a list of a few of the best red gemstones you should think about buying:
- Ruby
- Red zircon
- Red agate
- Garnet
- Red diamond
- Red topaz
- Red spinel
- Red coral
- Red beryl (bixbite)
- Red jasper
Red Gemstones Names and Pictures
#1. Ruby
- Mostly heat treated
- Super hard
- Has status
- Costs between $400 and $10,000
Rubies are bursting with color and have a lovely glossy shine. This gemstone has shades ranging from pink to orange and sometimes brownish-red tinges. The rich red color is gotten from iron and chromium traces in the gemstone.
With rubies, the color is the most important aspect that creates the difference between valuable and less valuable gemstones. After diamonds, rubies are the second hardest minerals on earth. They measure an incredible 9 on Mohs.
A typical ruby has no cleavage and therefore makes the best choice for jewelry to be worn every day such as rings.
Rubies that are the most valued normally have a pigeon red hue that is medium to medium-dark red. Pigeon red-colored rubies are the most gorgeous and costly too.
Generally, high-quality ruby gemstones are expensive and that is why you will find lab-grown rubies as well as treated ones going at significantly lower prices. The manufacturers of jewelry find ruby treatment very normal and will always mention it in the stone’s certificate.
Pros
- Extremely durable
Cons
- Somehow expensive
- Likely to confuse real and artificial stones
RECOMMENDED: Best Place to Buy Ruby Jewelry Online
#2. Red Zircon
- Delicate
- Average hardness
- Great brilliance
- Costs between $75 and #125
Zircon, even when used on other colored gemstones is always confused with cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia is a lab created gemstone that is very much cheaper than red zircon. However, both of these are used as diamond simulants.
It is very hard to find red zirconia although its color is the same as that of the zircon. Red zircons come in a variety of shades, all of them clear red but with some shades of orange and in some cases purple.
Red zircons look pretty and their hardness falls between 6.5 and 7.5, but they are not exactly the best choice for everyday jewelry. Zircons need heat treatment to uplift their appearance. They do not cost so much too.
Pros
- Great brilliance
- Quite affordable
Cons
- Too brittle
#3. Red Agate
- Waxy shine
- Banded stone
- Not very hard
- Costs between $1 and $40
An agate is a chalcedony made up of numerous colored bands. Red agates are not always pure red; some of these gemstones have white and grey bands. If you come across a solid red agate, it most likely has been sprayed with dye.
A red agate stone is beautiful with a waxy luster and smooth sheen. It measures 7 on the scale of hardness making it fairly durable. Since it is delicate, this stone is in most cases cut in cabochons and used to make several types of jewelry.
The price of red agate is calculated based on the craftsmanship and the setting it is put in. The cheapest red agates are ones that are rough.
Pros
- Very affordable
Cons
- Dyed red color
#4. Red Garnet
- High transparency
- Medium toughness
- Costs between $10 and $1,000
Garnet is one gemstone that is available in all colors apart from blue. Red garnets mostly come in blood-red hues with some brownish undertones. You will rarely find lighter shades of this gemstone. It is quite affordable and a good substitute for rubies.
Garnet stones are usually clear and clean to the naked eye. However, they are not so durable since they measure at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale.
If you love these red gemstones and would like them as part of your wedding or engagement ring, you must protect them in a setting. A halo setting is good to go with to prevent the stone from being scratched and damaged. Although it is durable, garnet is not the perfect stone for everyday jewelry pieces.
Pros
- Low price
- Ruby substitute
Cons
- Delicate
RECOMMENDED: Best Ruby Rings for Men
#5. Red Diamond
- Wonderful brilliance
- Very rare
- Fashionable gemstone
- Costs between $800,000 and $2 million and more
Red diamonds do actually exist, but you will have a hard time looking for them.
These stones are very rare and also the most expensive when compared with other colored gemstones. It is even harder to find pure red diamonds, only a few people have them.
Most colored gemstones obtain their colors from inclusions, red diamonds do not. Like other diamonds, the red diamond is made from carbon and acquires the red coloring from deformities in how the crystals are arranged in the carbon atoms.
When light passes through these deformities, it is bent, this, in turn, making the stone appear red.
These red stones are very expensive because they are hardly found. If you find a 1-carat red diamond, be ready to cough hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, there are cheaper synthetic varieties available for everyday shoppers.
Pros
- Exceptionally durable
Cons
- Price is up the ceiling
- Very rare
- Buyers may not know the difference with lab-created stones
#6. Red Topaz
- Countable inclusions
- Normally heat-treated
- Fairly durable
- Costs between $1,000 and $4,000
Red topaz belongs to the larger family of stones called “imperial” topaz. These kinds of gemstones come in several colors including orange, pink, and pinkish-red.
Of all the gemstones in the imperial topaz category, the red topaz is the most valuable. In fact, the stones that have a deep red hue that occurs naturally are the most expensive. This stone’s deposits are found in Brazil, though on and off, plus they are somehow rare.
At number * on the measure of hardness scale, this stone is durable. Most of the stones are often heat-treated to enhance the optical properties.
Red topaz has zero inclusions and has a vitreous shine. You can use these stones for making earrings, pendants, necklaces, and engagement rings.
Pros
- Very durable
Cons
- Very very rare
- Somehow expensive
#7. Red Spinel
- Medium durability
- No need to treat using heat
- Marvelous brilliance
- Usually confused with ruby
- High refractive index
- Costs between $200 and $1,200
Some years back, a red spinel would easily pass off as a ruby. If not for the gemological tools that were introduced, we would not be able to differentiate these two stones.
The main difference in a red spinel and red spinel lies in the hardness level. Red spinel measures * and ruby measures an impressing 9. Ruby is also a little softer than a red spinel and is common because it is very brilliant and has high clarity grades.
Almost all red spinel gemstones contain no inclusions and are very transparent. The high refractive index and dispersion contribute to the high transparency. It is rare to find red spinel that has undergone heat treatment. It is ideal for making different types of jewelry.
Pros
- Reasonable price for its value
- Great substitute for ruby
Cons
- Price is high for some types
#8. Red Coral
- Opaque
- Crude gemstone
- Soft
- Costs between $8 and $72
Red coral is a natural gemstone that is formed exclusively from compounds that are organic.
This gemstone is made from naturally occurring coral polyps and as a result, they are very soft. On the Mohs scale, they are at the bottom 3 to 4. This is the most common gem in the family of coral stones and has several pretty colors.
Red coral has an attractive clear red hue that ranges from translucent to opaque variations. Most collectors prefer to use this stone in its natural shape, although it can be cut in cabochons.
When polished, the red coral leaves off a waxy, shiny surface. This is the perfect gemstone for making statement jewelry or and delicate types of jewelry,
Pros
- Low price
- Easily found
Cons
- Very soft
- Not suitable for all jewelry types
#9. Red Beryl (Bixbite)
- Very rare
- Above-average hardness
- Costs between $5,000 and $15,000
The red beryl gemstone was in the past known as bixbite and is a kind of beryl gemstone that is hardly found. Pure beryl is naturally colorless like diamonds. Beryl becomes colored if certain impurities or minerals get into the stone. Colored beryls include red beryl, green beryl, and emeralds.
The red beryl is among the gemstones that are rarely found all over the world. There are some deposits in New Mexico and Utah. It was first used in mid 20th century.
This stone is so rare that the amount of inclusions (if any) does not have a direct effect on the stone’s price. Use the bixbite to make any statement jewelry of your choice.
Pros
- Recently discovered
- Not very valuable
Cons
- Very expensive
#10. Red Jasper
- Abundant gemstone
- Opaque
- Durability is medium
- Costs between $2 and $5
Jasper is an abundant kind of stone that is a member of the quartz family. It is found virtually anywhere on the earth’s surface all over the world. It exists in many colors.
With a little more skill, red jasper can be used to make pretty jewelry pieces with a bohemian touch.
This is an opaque shiny gemstone. It has a deep color saturation making it unnecessary to treat with heat.
The red jasper stands at 6.5 on the scale of hardness and this makes it a little brittle and not so durable. Because of the relatively low harness level, this gemstone can break or chip easily when pressure is applied to it,
On the good side, this stone is very cheap and can be replaced. They can be cut in cabochons and other shapes but not facets.
Pros
- Very cheap
- Found almost anywhere
Cons
- Prone to chipping
