Purple is a regal color that has long been associated with royalty, spirituality, and mystery. For those born in February, August, or October, purple is also the color of their birthstone. Let’s explore which birthstones exhibit lovely shades of purple.
Amethyst
The most well-known purple birthstone is amethyst, the birthstone for February. Amethyst is a variety of quartz that occurs in a range of purple and violet shades. The name comes from the Ancient Greek “amethystos,” meaning “not intoxicated,” as ancient Greeks believed wine goblets carved from amethyst could prevent drunkenness. Amethyst ranges from pale lilac to deep reddish purple. The most prized color is a deep purple with rose flashes. Large amethyst deposits have been found in Brazil, but it’s also mined in Africa, Canada, Mexico, the United States, and other countries.
For centuries, amethyst was considered equal in value to ruby, emerald, and sapphire. However, large discoveries of amethyst in the 19th century made it much more abundant and lowered its value. Today, amethyst is an affordable semi-precious gemstone popular for jewelry and decorative objects. It looks beautiful in both vintage and modern designs. As the birthstone for February, amethyst is a traditional gift for couples celebrating their 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries.
Alexandrite
Alexandrite is the birthstone for June, and this rare gem displays a distinctive color change from greenish blue in daylight to purplish red under incandescent light. Natural alexandrite is extremely scarce, originally discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains in the 1830s. The gem was named after Czar Alexander II. Synthetic versions are more common and affordable alternatives to natural alexandrite.
The color change effect, called the alexandrite effect, depends on the type of lighting and is caused by the trace elements chromium and vanadium. Alexandrite can display olive green, bluish green, raspberry red, and purplish red hues. The more distinct the color change, the more valuable the stone. High-quality natural alexandrite is very expensive and sought after by collectors.
Sugilite
Sugilite is a relatively obscure gemstone that was adopted as the mystical birthstone for October in 1952. It is a rare mineral first discovered in 1944 by Japanese geologist Ken-ichi Sugi in South Africa. Sugilite ranges from pale purple to deep dark purple and has a bright waxy to vitreous luster. The most valued sugilite has a vivid purple color with no brownish or yellowish hues.
Sugilite is found in Japan, Canada, South Africa, and Australia, but the largest known deposit is located in South Africa. It’s composed of hydrated potassium sodium lithium iron manganese aluminium silicate and often contains black matrix. Sugilite is sensitive to chemicals, heat, and ultraviolet light, making it difficult to cut and polish. As a result, it is not widely used in commercial jewelry.
Spinel
Spinel is not traditionally a birthstone, but it naturally occurs in purple shades and is sometimes used as an alternative August birthstone. Spinel forms in a variety of colors like red, pink, blue, brown, black, and purple. Purple spinel is relatively uncommon. The most famous example is the Black Prince’s Ruby, which is actually a red spinel with a purplish hue.
Historically, some purple spinels were confused with amethyst. But spinel is scientifically distinct, composed of magnesium aluminum oxide. Natural spinel is only found in a few locations like Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Tanzania. Synthetic spinel can be made in labs to mimic the purple color of natural stones.
Tanzanite
Tanzanite is a vivid violet-blue gemstone that was discovered in Tanzania in 1967. It is commercially used as a December birthstone. Tanzanite is made up of calcium, aluminum, and silicate (Ca2Al3(SiO4)3(OH)). Natural tanzanite exhibits trichroism, appearing blue, violet, and burgundy in different crystal orientations.
The vibrant blue-violet color of tanzanite is unlike any other gem. However, it is typically heat treated to achieve this distinct hue. Untreated stones have a brownish or yellowish tint. Tanzanite rates between 6 and 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, so it’s suitable for jewelry but requires some care. High-quality large stones are most valued by collectors.
Iolite
Iolite is a lesser-known violet gemstone sometimes called the Viking stone. It is composed of magnesium aluminum silicate and exhibits strong pleochroism, meaning it can display different colors from different angles. Iolite ranges from blue to bluish violet to yellowish gray. The most desirable iolite has a deep blue-violet color.
For centuries, Vikings supposedly used thin iolite crystals as polarizing filters to help them navigate on cloudy days. However, modern testing found iolite is unlikely to work well as a navigational aid. Iolite deposits have been found in Australia, Burma, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. durable, making it suitable for jewelry.
Purple Sapphire
Sapphire is well known for its stunning blue varieties. But it also naturally occurs in purple, pink, yellow, green, white, and black. Purple sapphires exhibit violet and purple hues, often combined with blue. The most prized are vivid purplish blue stones with no gray or brown.
Trace elements like iron, titanium, chromium, and magnesium are responsible for the coloration of purple sapphires. They are relatively rare, making up around 10% of mined sapphires. Purple sapphire rates 9 on the Mohs scale, making it very durable for all types of jewelry. Natural purple sapphires are mined in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Montana in the United States.
Purple Garnet
Garnet occurs in every color with purple being one of the rarest. Purple garnet gets its color from high amounts of manganese, aluminum, and chromium. There are a few varieties of garnet that can display purple hues:
- Siberian purple garnet is a deep raspberry red color.
- Rhodolite garnet can be a reddish-purple.
- Almandine garnet, the most common garnet, may exhibit purple when containing enough manganese.
- Purple pyrope garnets from Arizona display vibrant purple.
Garnets have a vitreous (glassy) luster and excellent hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. Their durability makes them ideal for any kind of jewelry. High-quality natural purple garnet is rare and valuable.
Purple Tourmaline
Tourmaline gemstones display every color of the rainbow. Purple tourmaline is one of the less common varieties. It owes its color to manganese, iron, and titanium impurities. Rubellite is a raspberry red-purple variety of tourmaline. Indicolite is a dark violet-blue tourmaline. Paraiba tourmaline is a neon blue-violet originally found in Paraiba, Brazil.
The vibrant purple and neon blue hues of paraiba tourmaline are especially valuable. Tourmaline has impressive hardness between 7 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale, making it quite durable for daily wear jewelry. Deposits have been found in Brazil, Africa, Afghanistan, and the United States.
Purple Chalcedony
Chalcedony encompasses many colored gemstone varieties in the cryptocrystalline quartz family, including popular agate and onyx. Purple chalcedony occurs in many shades from light lavender to deep grape. It is colored by trace amounts of manganese, iron, or titanium impurities.
Purple chalcedony is affordably priced and readily available. With a Mohs hardness of 6.5 to 7, it is suitable for jewelry but requires some care. Chalcedony takes an excellent polish, giving it a lustrous appearance. Purple chalcedony cabochons exhibit a Unique mottled or banded patterning.
Purple Jade
Jade is commonly associated with shades of green, but it also occurs naturally in lavender, purple, pink, white, orange, yellow, and black. Purple jade, or zi ying yu, contains trace amounts of iron and magnesium that give it attractive violet, lilac, and mauve colors. The most valued variety has an intense, even purple color.
Jade is composed of jadeite and nephrite, with jadeite being rarer and more valuable. Jade rates between 6 and 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, so it’s suitable for some jewelry pieces with proper care. China is the main source of purple jade, which has cultural significance in Chinese arts.
Purple Opals
Opals are most prized for their rainbow iridescence. But opal also forms in solid body colors like purple. Purple opals get their color from low concentrations of chromium oxide. They may display a range of light purple, violet, and mauve tones. The most valuable have a rich, uniform color.
Purple opal is quite fragile with a hardness of only 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. Thus, solid purple opal jewelry requires gentle handling. The porous nature of opal means it can crack and craze easily if exposed to chemicals and heat. Ethiopia is a top source for purple opal.
Fluorite
Fluorite is a mineral that crystallizes in a wide range of brilliant colors, including attractive violet and purple shades. It can exhibit color banding, brilliant fluorescence, and iridescent inclusions called scheelite. Purple fluorite owes its color to fluorine impurities, and it can help identify ultraviolet light when observed under shortwave lamps.
Fluorite has perfect cleavage that makes it prone to chipping and breakage. With a Mohs hardness of just 4, it’s too soft for most jewelry. Thus, fluorite is better suited for mineral specimens, carvings, and other decorative objects. England, Mexico, Canada, and South Africa are top producers of fluorite.
Ametrine
Ametrine is an extremely rare variety of bicolor quartz that exhibits both purple amethyst and yellow citrine colors in the same stone. Natural ametrine only occurs in one mine in eastern Bolivia. The unusual bicolored quartz forms when amethyst and citrine growth zones naturally merge during formation.
Ametrine exhibits dramatic color zoning with distinct demarcations between the purple and yellow shades. The most valuable stones display equal amounts of vibrant purple and golden yellow. With a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, ametrine has excellent durability for jewelry use.
Lavender Jasper
Jasper is an opaque variety of microcrystalline quartz that commonly occurs in red hues but also forms in lavender, purple, yellow, green, and multi-colored patterns. Lavender jasper exhibits delicate shades of violet, lilac, and light purple. It’s mined in Madagascar and the United States.
Jasper rates from 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, so it’s suitable for jewelry use. It takes an excellent polish and has intriguing abstract designs. Lavender jasper rough is carved into eggs, spheres, bookends, and similar ornamental objects. It’s also used for cabochons, beads, and tumbled stones.
Charoite
Charoite is a rare silicate mineral discovered in the 1940s in Russia’s Chara River basin. It exhibits stunning swirling patterns and shades ranging from violet and lilac to dark purple and blue. A manganese-rich variety called neon purple charoite has an unusual day-glow color. Most charoite is translucent to opaque.
With a hardness between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale, charoite requires gentle handling and care. Due to its fragility, charoite is usually cut into cabochons rather than faceted. It has a silky luster that takes on an attractive chatoyance when properly cut. Rough charoite is also carved into ornamental figurines.
Lepidolite
Lepidolite is a lithium-rich mica mineral that occurs in pink, violet, and purple hues. It’s composed of potassium, aluminum, lithium, silicon, and fluorine. The lithium content gives lepidolite its useful electrical properties. It’s mined for lithium production and used in electronics, batteries, and heat-resistant insulators.
Lepidolite’s attractive purple color and perfect cleavage make it popular for ornamental carvings, vases, and lepidolite jewelry. With a hardness of 2.5 to 4, the mica mineral is quite fragile and suited for display rather than daily wear. Lepidolite deposits are found in Brazil, Canada, and Africa.
Purple Gemstone Properties
Purple gems exhibit certain physical and chemical properties responsible for their attractive coloration:
- Trace elements – Purple gems get their color from trace impurities like manganese, iron, chromium, and vanadium that are incorporated into the mineral’s crystal structure.
- Pleochroism – Some purple gems like iolite display different colors depending on the viewing angle. This pleochroism adds to their beauty.
- Trichroism – Tanzanite exhibits trichroism, showing blue, violet, and burgundy colors in different orientations.
- Fluorescence – Purple fluorite glows a brighter purple under ultraviolet light. This property helps identify the mineral.
- Color change – Alexandrite famously changes from bluish green in daylight to red-purple under incandescent light.
- Banding – Materials like agate and jasper exhibit color banding that creates intriguing patterns.
These special properties contribute to the rarity and appeal of natural purple gems and minerals used in jewelry.
Most Valuable Purple Gemstones
| Gemstone | Value |
|---|---|
| Natural Alexandrite | Extremely rare and expensive, $5,000 – $50,000 per carat |
| Natural Purple Sapphire | Very rare, up to $6,000 per carat |
| Natural Sugilite | Rare, $50 – $500 per carat |
| Natural Amethyst | Affordable, $15 – $200 per carat |
| Synthetic Alexandrite | Affordable alternative to natural, $25 – $500 per carat |
Natural alexandrite and purple sapphire are exceptionally rare and can reach very high values, especially for clean, vividly colored larger stones. While beautiful, other natural purple gems like amethyst and sugilite are relatively more abundant and affordable.
How to Identify Purple Gemstones
There are certain properties and tests that help identify different purple gemstones:
- Color – Examine the exact hue, tone, and saturation. Purple can range from light lavender to deep violet.
- Luster – The way light reflects indicates if the mineral is glassy, pearly, metallic, etc.
- Transparency – Hold up to a light to see if it’s transparent, translucent or opaque.
- Refractive index – Use a refractometer to get a reading of how much the gem bends incoming light.
- Hardness – Purple gems have Mohs hardness between 2.5 to 9 based on their composition.
- Specific gravity – Use sensitive scales to determine the gemstone’s heft and density.
- Inclusions – View under magnification to see any identifiable crystals, flaws or patterns.
- Pleochro
