With the rising variety of gemstones available in today’s market, colour has been found to take top priority over everything else. Many statistical studies conducted by esteemed media outlets have shown that most buyers do not care about the stone itself, rather are focused on the attractiveness and durability of the gem.
However, finding the perfect gemstone is easier said than done, because many a time, finding gems by colour can be a difficult task. This is because most dealers tend to list availability of stones by gem type or variety rather than by gem colour.
With that being said, we should look at the different types of bluestone gems available in the market. In terms of variety, it has been seen that when talking about bluestones, sapphire is usually the first gemstone to come to everyone’s mind. But there are many different variants that one can choose from.
Some of the most famous ones include:
Blue agate
This stone has become immensely popular in the past decade or so due to its increased use in many blue stone engagement rings and other ornamental items.
In terms of its composition, this variant is a composed of quartz and can be found in a wide variety of colours and patterns (including many shades of light to dark blue).
When left in its base state, agate has been found to hold good market value (mainly due to its attractive appearance). However, due to its rising popularity, many cheaper versions of this bluestone (that are dyed) are being sold in the market.
Aquamarine
This widely popular stone comes from a large family of stones that are referred to as “beryl rocks”. From a compositional aspect, this bluestone gets its colour from the traces of iron that are present within its structure.
Also, the colour of this rock can range from being “blue to bluish-green”, and quite often the shading can be subtle (especially when contrasted against more vibrant gemstones like topaz, sapphire).
In addition to this, market research has shown that aquamarine is one of the rare untreated bluestones that offer buyers with excellent hardness and durability. Lastly, due to their highly attractive colour scheme, the stone has become widely used in engagement rings and other jewellery items.
Blue fluorite
As is common knowledge, this is one of most widely collected gems in the world today (lagging only behind quartz). First discovered in the 1500’s, this gem was originally referred to as “fluorspar”.
As an added side note, even the term “fluorescence” found its origin from the word fluorite. Due to its amazing brilliance and widespread appeal, the gem is commonly used in many pendants, rings, earrings etc.
Hawks eye
This rare bluestone can vary in its colour, ranging from “blue-gray to blue-green”. Also for interested customers, it can be useful to know that this variety of gems is closely to stones like “tiger’s eye” and “pietersite”. In relation to its appearance, hawks eye is highly radiant, and is typically multi-coloured.
The outer body has been shown to be entrenched in various golden stripes or wavy patterns which give it a highly mystical appeal. While not highly popular in the west, this stone has been widely used in many Asian cultures for use in engagement rings, necklaces, anklets, bracelets.
Blue Moonstone
This stone is also called as the “rainbow moonstone”. However, this name is only used for trading purposes. From a historical perspective, we can see that the name “moonstone” was given to this gem because of its unique appearance.
This appearance featured a “bluish-white shimmering effect that could be compared to the brilliance of a white moon on a clear night”. Additionally, the stone exhibits a phenomenon referred to as “adularescence” which is a result of the stones innate structural pattern.
Blue Sapphire
This gem is probably the best-known bluestone in the world. Sapphire features a sharp blue tinge that can range from being “light-blue to deep-blue”. Since sapphire is formed as a result of thousands of years of processing, it is extremely solid and does not cave under pressure.
In addition to all this, the stone is one of the most precious gems available in the market today. Due to their rarity, they are quite often used in making engagement rings, high quality jewellery etc. Also, some blue sapphires are known to exhibit rare features like “asterism” or “colour blend abilities”.
Why choose bluestones?
While many people adopt the traditional route of making gold or platinum based rings, blue stone engagement rings are not becoming a more popular choice.
Individuals are now starting to see the beauty in utilising various exotic gemstones. Thus, if one is looking for alternatives in terms of ring options, then the aforementioned bluestones can definitely be looked into.