The world is awash in red come Valentine’s Day. Red is considered a passionate and warming color, which is why it often is tied to the emotions of love and desire. Red also symbolizes heat, longing and strength. In some cultures, red is viewed as good luck and used to ward off bad spirits.
Gift givers who want to embrace red hues even further during Valentine’s Day can dote on their sweethearts with red-colored precious and semi-precious gemstone jewelry. Rubies may come to mind, but there are quite a few stones that offer rosy appeal.
• Agate: Red and red-banded agate can be attractive stones. They are a translucent variety of microcrystalline quartz. These stones have a smooth sheen and are relatively durable.
• Garnet: Garnets tend to be a darker red than rubies and are not very expensive stones. They’re easy to find and can be beautiful in jewelry. Garnets are somewhat soft, so they can be scratched or damaged easily, necessitating caution with their handling.
• Red topaz: Like other stones, topaz comes in different shades. Red is one of the hues. Durability, being plentiful and possessing a vibrant luster make red topaz ideal in all types of jewelry.
• Red zircon: Pure red zircon stones are unique. Zircon is one of the oldest known minerals on Earth, so zircon stones in varying colors have been around for quite some time. Zircon is quite hard, so it can be worn daily, making it an ideal stone for rings.
• Ruby: Rubies are often expensive and highly sought after gemstones. Natural, untreated rubies are very rare. They are made of corundum and are the red versions of sapphires. Rubies are hard and durable and will hold up to daily wear.
• Spinel: Much like fool’s gold looks like gold, spinel resembles a ruby so much that it is often mistaken. This stone often has high levels of clarity and a high refractive index.
• Tourmaline: This is another stone that comes in all different colors of the rainbow, including red. It has a pinkish-red hue, and may be called rubellite. Rubellite is commonly cut into long shapes, but it can be made into many common jewelry styles and faceted to maximize the reflection of light.
Red gemstones may be the perfect fit for Valentine’s Day. Always work with trusted jewelers to find quality, authentic stones that will retain their value.
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