How Can You Buy Red Gemstones for Your Jewelries?

When it comes to red gemstones for jewelry, there are actually only a handful of varieties to choose from. Finding the perfect red gemstone for your jewelry can depend on several factors. Since jewelry is, of course, designed to be worn, one should consider durability when choosing red gemstones for your settings.

For jewelry that is prone to wear and tear, tougher gemstones are quite important, as they are less likely to be damaged. However, for protected jewelry such as earrings or brooches, any gemstone is fine as long as it is worn with some care.

Another factor to consider is availability. Availability might sound like a no-brainer, but many forget to consider the nature of the gemstones and how large they may naturally occur. 

No matter how abundant garnets may be, you may find that trying to find a large 30-millimeter heart-shaped pyrope garnet for your cocktail ring may be almost impossible, so for something this large, a gemstone found in larger sizes would be more logical. 

Also, the cost is just as important as other factors when it comes to choosing the perfect red gemstone for your jewelry. It is important to know your budget before you begin your search. Most of us cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on gemstone jewelry, so gemstones like bixbite and red diamond are really not an option, which leaves us with only reasonably priced red gemstones to choose from:

Red Ruby: Ruby is, without a doubt the most classic red gemstone. It is suitable for any type of jewelry because of its superior hardness and durability.

The ruby prices may be too much for some budgets, but the introduction of treated, fracture-filled rubies have made them affordable, even in large sizes. Red Ruby looks stunning combined with diamond, emerald, and yellow gold provides an attractive contrast for the pure red color of fine red ruby.

Red Coral: Precious red coral is another ideal choice for those seeking something different for red gemstone jewelry. Belonging to the organic group of gemstones, coral has been harvested for decorative use since ancient times. Red coral effortlessly gives a tribal, handmade look and feel to jewelry designs. Red coral beads are perfect for strung jewelry, such as bracelets and necklaces.

The red coral cabochons and coral carvings are popular for brooches, pendants, and pins. Red coral is not recommended for rings due to its lack of hardness and durability.

Red Carnelian: Carnelian is actually one of the oldest gemstones, with records of its use dating back over 4000 years. This brownish-red to an orange-red variety of chalcedony has been widely used since ancient times for the making of seal and signet rings and is even mentioned as one of the twelve gemstones worn on the Breastplate of Aaron.

Red Carnelian was and is still popular for wearing in amulets and talismans, even though it is perfectly suitable for everyday wear rings. Natural red carnelian is actually quite rare though it is still very affordable; even large gemstones are still reasonably priced. 

Red Garnet: When thinking of garnet, most people think of red. But there are at least five varieties of garnet that occur in equally interesting shades of red. These include almandine garnet, hessonite garnet, Malaya garnet, pyrope garnet, and rhodolite garnet. 

Red garnets can be found in any type of jewelry, ranging from affordable costume jewelry to extravagant fine jewelry. In fact, one fine garnet brooch fetched over 0,000 USD in an auction owned by Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Indeed, red garnets are one of the finest jewelry gemstones available today; they are affordable, versatile and because they are also extremely tough; both hard and durable, they are perfectly suitable for everyday wear.

Red Zircon: Red zircon is sadly one of the most underrated red gemstones, despite making up one the most important gemstone groups. The rosy red zircon variety is not very well known, but that doesn't mean it isn't esteemed by gemstone and jewelry connoisseurs.

In face, red zircon can often be found in larger sizes than ruby or spinel, making it a great choice for those looking for an eye-catching red gemstone. Unfortunately, zircons are known to be brittle and particularly prone to wear along facet edges every time, so ring mountings should be restricted to protective style enclosures such as bezel or channel settings. Red zircon looks gorgeous against any precious metal due to its excellent luster, brilliance, and fire.

Red Spinel: Red spinel is a rare find and is considered to be one of the finest red jewelry gemstones for many reasons. The rare red color of spinel can, and actually have been mistaken for that of fine ruby on many occasions.

Red Spinel has outstanding gemstone qualities, which makes it absolutely ideal for any type of gemstone jewelry application. It possesses excellent hardness, brilliance, luster, and fire.

Spinel has been a favorite for many years among the likes of celebrated jewelry designers such as Chanel, Dior, Harry Winston, and Louis Vuitton. Red spinel is often combined with diamonds and is an equally impressive set in white or yellow metals.

Red Fire Opal: Fire opal is a perfect red gemstone choice for costume and fashion jewelry, as it is often available in very large sizes. Even in very large, premium sizes, fire opal is commonly found with excellent transparency. Unlike other types of opal, fire opal tends to lack the play of color. In fact, fire opal is actually sought for its bright, fiery body color rather than its color play.

Most of the opals are cut en cabochon, but fire opal is usually faceted to enhance its bright color. Like all opals, fire opal is rather delicate, so its use should be limited to pendants and 'protected' jewelry designs.

Red Andesine Labradorite: Andesine labradorite is an interesting gemstone for those seeking something different.

Andesine labradorite can be found in various colors, including shades of red, often with traces of green and yellow. It makes lovely fashion jewelry owing to its remarkable trait of iridescence. In fact, that is exactly what makes andesine so special. Andesine has a faint metallic luster known as labradorescence. It exhibits various ranges of color depending on the viewing angle. When andesine is set into jewelry, the color phenomenon it displays is impressive with any color of mounting.

More Red Gemstones: Other red gemstones include rubellite tourmaline, imperial topaz, sard, sardonyx, cinnabar, pezzottaite, red fluorite, red apatite, red jasper, and red tiger's eye. 

The above article is certainly not a comprehensive list of all the red gemstones available today, but it is a good starting point. We hope this article will help you get some ideas for your next red gemstone jewelry project.

About This Author

Ana Jackson Joined: October 3rd, 2019