Diamonds

• Usually clear, but some may be yellow ,blue , or pink . Diamonds with good-quality colors are called "fancy" diamonds and are very expensive.
• Are traditionally used for engagement  or wedding rings .

Sapphires 

• Are usually blue but may lean towards a green or purple tint; they can also be clear (white ), yellow ,orange ,pink ,brown  or black .
• The padparadscha  is a rare, prized pink and orange variation.
• Star sapphires , like the Star of India , have a star-shaped inclusion and are usually polished into cabochons (see more about those below).

Rubies 

• Vary from an orange-red to a purple-red and all are valuable.
• Garnets are generally distinguished by a deep red color closer to that of a pomegranate and are less valuable than rubies.

Emeralds 

• These are typically green stones when they are of premium quality.
• Stones of lesser value range in hue from yellow-green to blue-green.
• Emeralds are among the most fragile of the precious gemstones.

Amethysts 

• Range from light lilac to deep purple.
• Deep purple varieties are the most valuable.
• Amethyst is a type of quartz, one of the most common minerals around. You can often find raw amethyst crystal  in gem shops.

Moissanite  is a clear, synthetic diamond substitute.

Cubic Zirconia  is another clear synthetic diamond substitute.

Rock Crystal  is a clear quartz.

Milky Quartz  is a translucent white quartz.

Moonstone  is colored white to faint green.

Rose Quartz  is a pale to transparent pink.

Strawberry Quartz  is translucent Fuchsia to scarlet.

Jasper  is an opaque, rusty red, sometimes streaked with other colors.

Carnelian  is translucent red to reddish orange.

Garnet  is a dark, deep red -- the color of pomegranate juice.

Yellow Topaz  is a light, clear golden yellow, like chicken soup.

Citrine  is a deeper amber-yellow.

Cat's Eye  is a deep green or yellow, sometimes with a striped inclusion.

Peridot  is a light, clear lime green.

Jade  ranges from forest green to aqua, often with white inclusions.

White Opal , although called white, usually appears pale blue with colorful, iridescent inclusions.

Aquamarine  is summer-sky blue.

Blue Topaz  is a slightly deeper blue, like the waters of the Caribbean.

Turquoise  is opaque and comes in various shades of green-blue.

Tanzanite  is a medium blue-periwinkle shade.

Iolite  is an unusual, clear bluish purple stone.

Lapis Lazuli  is a deep, opaque royal blue with golden flecks.

Alexandrite  is deep blue-purple; the wine-dark sea.

Agate  is a translucent banded stone in several colors; blue lace agate  is also popular.

Tiger's Eye  is a banded, shimmering golden-brown, like its namesake.

Tourmaline  is translucent and sometimes dichroic; available in a wide variety of colors.

Smoky Quartz  is a clear, leather-dark brown.

Hematite  is a shiny, almost metallic grey-black.

Snowflake obsidian  is shiny black with white "snowflake" inclusions.

Onyx  is deep black and usually more matte than obsidian; light seems to disappear into it.

Pearls 

Pearls are formed by oysters or other mollusks. The animal deposits layers of nacre, or mother of pearl, when it is irritated by a small particle. Natural pearls are very rare and very valuable; cultured pearls vary in value depending on the type of pearl. The most common types are akoya  (white with rosy overtones), South Sea  (deep golden color), Tahitian  (black or gray), and freshwater  (any color, many shapes). Freshwater pearls are the least expensive; akoya are the most expensive, particularly for large pearls.

Amber 

Amber is the fossilized resin of a coniferous tree. It is lightweight and usually a honey yellow or golden brown color. You can also find amber in green, blue, white, red and yellow. It can be cloudy or clear; clear pieces often have visible inclusions such as pieces of leaves, flowers, or even insects. The best amber is Baltic amber ; it is between 40 and 60 million years old and is usually of excellent quality. Amber can be easily imitated with glass or plastic. True amber has a negative electric charge and will always feel warm to the touch.Amber is very soft and scratches easily, so take good care of your amber and store it away from other stones.

Coral 

Coral used in jewelry is usually red or red-orange, although it can also be black or pink. It is not fossilized; coral is made of the skeletons of thousands of tiny creatures. It is primarily composed of calcium carbonate, the same compound found in pearls. The red color comes from other trace chemicals.Coral has been used in jewelry for thousands of years and is especially valued in India. Most beads are small, since it takes a long time for a coral to grow. Pure red fire coral is the most expensive and the rarest; other types are still fairly pricey since coral is not easy to grow.

Jet 

Jet is primarily composed of fossilized, decomposed remains of prehistoric plants. It is coal that has gone to the next level; it is harder and shinier but nowhere close to being a diamond. It has been used in jewelry for over 10,000 years. Jet was especially popular during the late Victorian era, as Queen Victoria adopted it as part of her mourning garb. It was the stone of choice for flapper girls, who wore long strands of jet beads. Although it has declined in popularity, jet jewelry can still be found for sale. Additionally, jet has permanently contributed the phrase "jet-black" to our lexicon, even if most people are not familiar with the source material.

Ammolite 

Ammolite is made of fossilized mother-of-pearl from extinct nautilus-like creatures called Ammonites. Its beautiful, opal-like play of colors make it a valuable gemstone for jewelry.Since it was only recently discovered, there is little standardization in grading ammolite; quality is therefore more subjective than with many other gemstones. Good quality ammolite has bright colors and strong iridescence.Ammolite is extremely rare and very difficult to process; even a small amount may be expensive. Ammolite is also very soft and easily damaged; it is frequently prepared with protective coverings and backings. Always protect ammolite jewelry as you would any other organic jewelry; keep it away from anything that might scratch it.

Don't know what shape to get? The same shapes that are used for diamonds can be found in other gemstones as well. Non-diamond gemstones have another shape available to them: the cabochon.A cabochon  is a stone that has been polished but not cut. (That is, it doesn't have facets.) Cabochons are frequently domed stones. They often have flat backs set in rings or pendants. Although usually used for opaque stones, a few of the translucent stones, especially members of the quartz family and amber, also look good as cabochons. Star sapphires must be polished as cabochons to make the asterism visible, and amber is often polished to show off any interesting inclusions.

Rock Candy Peridot 3-Stone Ring 

Paolo Inspired Ring 

Rock Candy Lavender 3-Stone Ring