Are you done with wearing those all-emerald, ruby or blue sapphire jewelry pieces? Yes, sometimes even the most refined jewelry featuring the finest of precious gemstones fail to tickle our fancy. And the reasons are so obvious—you are wearing your color gemstone jewelry the same way—pairing ruby necklaces with ruby earrings.
Do you want to stand out from the crowd? If yes, then it’s time to redefine jewelry styling by incorporating different color schemes in your jewelry box. After all, colors set the mood right, whether it comes to styling or feeling lively. In this article, we’ll take inspiration from color wheels and different seasons to add hues to jewelry collection.
Take Cues from Color Schemes from the Color Wheel
Only by understanding the association between different colors, can you design gemstone jewelry that’s both balanced and visually attractive.
A color wheel is a widely used art and design tool for creating compatible color combinations. Let’s utilize its principles to make breathtaking assortments for your jewelry box.
- Monochromatic Colors
- Analogous Colors
- Complementary Colors
- Triadic & Tetradic Colors
1. Gemstones in Monochromatic Colors
In literal sense, ‘mono’ means one and ‘chromatic’ translates to color.
Monochromatic colors belong to the same primary color palette but differ in tone, shade and intensity. For instance, monochromatic colors for green would be dark green, mint green, forest green, etc.
In the gemstone world, monochromatic color schemes could be seen in gemstones such as emeralds, peridots, jades and green aventurines. All of them are primarily green in hue but vary in tint, tone and shade. Combining such monochromatic color schemes in any form of jewelry is admirable.

2. Gemstones in Analogous Colors
Take a good look at the color wheel and identify colors that sit next to each other.
Green and blue, violet and red, orange and red & yellow and green are just a few instances. Others are fusion of primary and secondary hues, such as yellow-green, green and blue-green.
Now, imagine emeralds coupled with blue sapphires, amethysts with red garnets, citrines paired with peridot & orange sapphires with rubies. Try out all these mesmerizing color schemes in your everyday wearable gemstone jewelry to make a statement.
3. Gemstones in Complementary Colors
Two colors are called complementary when they sit across from each other on the color wheel.
Mixing them together creates an entirely different shade but pairing complementary colors generates a wonderful yet dramatic contrast. For instance, orange and blue, red and green, purple and yellow make complementary colors.
Similarly, complementary color gemstones come together to create mind-blowing aesthetics. For instance, an orange sapphire ring paired with a blue sapphire bracelet or a ruby pendant combined with emerald earrings. How about a tennis bracelet or necklace studded with yellow and purple sapphires? All of these contrasting jewels make a perfect treat for celebrating special occasions.

4. Gemstones in Triadic or Tetradic Colors
Let’s do a simple activity. Draw an equilateral triangle anywhere on the color wheel.
The three intersecting points will give you three triadic colors, for instance, purple, orange and green or red, yellow and blue.
Likewise, drawing a square or rectangle on the color wheel, intersecting four opposite corners gives tetradic colors. While purple, orange, blue and yellow form one color set, red, orange, green and blue make another pair of double complementary colors.
Do you feel mixing three or four color gemstones in any piece of jewelry is overwhelming? Worry not, here’s the trick—let one of the colors take the center stage and others accentuate in your gemstone jewelry.
Let Seasonal Color Schemes Be Your Muse
Another way to integrate colors in your gemstone jewelry is to match hues from different seasons. Get ready to add a burst of color gemstones to your treasure box that scream both bloom and wither.
1. Fresh Summer Tales
Need a respite from the blazing sun? Take refuge in flamboyant colors with energetic spirit and adventurous appeal. Get a little playful with sunkissed yellows, oceanic blues and earthy greens in white metal jewelry pieces. Pearls, opals and moonstones can be great collaborators in this color scheme.
Pair a yellow sapphire necklace with pearl & blue sapphire drops and an emerald bracelet for a sunny tropical getaway. Or create a single jewel piece combining all your favorite color gems as Naomi Watts and Saoirse Ronan did.
2. Freezing Winter Drama
Think vivid reds, deep blacks, vibrant purples and intense greens in cool-toned metals such as platinum, white gold and silver. Match rubies, amethysts, emeralds and black sapphires mindfully to vibe with the frost and fire around. You’ll love to opt for this dark color gemstone palette for every cozy evening in your wishlist.

3. Lazy Autumn Diaries
How about you match your color gemstones with the color schemes of the fall—rich wooden browns with sweet golden yellows? Picture brown sapphires with golden topaz or citrine in white gold earring settings. Or, amber and smoky quartz clubbed in a statement pendant. Pair a chunky cabochon tiger’s eye or cat’s eye rose gold ring with your necklace and earrings to further highlight your look.
4. Lively Spring Adventure
Spring is about tuning into fresh and light colors. Embrace exuberance in the air and colors in bloom with pastel hues—rose pinks, light blues, grassy greens, soft peachy tones, etc.
Mix and match blue-green aquamarines, neon-blue paraiba tourmalines, peachy-pink morganites, yellowish-green peridots and rosy tint rose quartz as you wish. Look at Cate Blanchett flexing a dreamy pair of statement earrings blooming with vibrant pink and aqua-green. This subtle blush of spring hues is both eye-catching and breath-stealing.

Shop for Color Gemstone Jewelry @GemsNY
GemsNY lets you add color schemes to your jewelry box with a rainbow of natural and lab-grown color gemstones.
Filter out your favorite gems in desired hues, shapes, sizes and prices from our huge in-house inventory of loose gemstones. Add them to cluster, two-stone, three-stone or antique jewelry styles in your preferred metal and ta-da!
Shop for your whimsical jewelry look today. And once you do that, don’t forget to share your shopping experience on GemsNY reviews to inspire others like you.
FAQ
1. What all gemstones pair well together?
In general, complementary color gemstones when assembled together create a visual contrast. Likewise, pairing white diamonds adds to the beauty of all the colored gemstones.
2. How to pair diamonds with color gemstones?
Choose a white diamond center stone and accentuate it with your favorite colored gems. Alternatively, you can have dainty diamonds surround a colored gem in a dazzling halo. Either way you get a striking color arrangement.
3. Which color wheel combinations to consider for gemstone jewelry?
Pick from monochromatic, complementary, triadic/tetradic or analogous color pairing for your gemstone jewelry. Otherwise, you can choose to mix and match different gemstones in your own way to create a balanced and harmonious color coordination.
4. What are monochromatic color gemstones?
Gemstones that share the same primary hue are monochromatic. For instance, blue sapphires, aquamarines, blue topaz, blue spinel and tanzanite, all are primarily blue. However, the variation in their shade and intensity impart each of them a different visual appeal.
5. Which gemstones follow a triadic color scheme?
Triadic color scheme requires combining three complementary colors in your gemstone jewelry such as red, blue and yellow. A two-stone yellow-gold ring featuring a blue sapphire and a ruby perfectly follows this scheme.
6. Which gemstones make a tetradic color scheme?
Double complementary color gemstones, such as purple, orange, blue and yellow sapphire in a cluster pendant, makes a tetradic combination. Similarly, an ensemble of ruby, orange sapphire, emerald and a blue sapphire in a cocktail ring makes another tetradic set.
7. Can I include rainbow color gemstones in a piece of jewelry?
Yes, of course, you can blend all the rainbow colors in your favorite piece of jewelry for a perfect pop of drama. The key is to let all the colors share the stage so that they blend well without overpowering each other.
8. Can I incorporate mixed metal trends in color gemstone jewelry?
Absolutely yes! You can fuse multiple metal tones in a piece of jewel, such as three-tone metal rings embellished with colorful gemstones. Just make sure all of the colors are in harmony with each other.
9. How can I incorporate nature-inspired colors in my gemstone jewelry?
Pick a bunch of gemstones that resonate with the elements of nature. For instance, rubies, garnets and red spinels represent fire. Blue sapphires, blue spinels, tanzanites, turquoises and aquamarines are reminiscent of water. Similarly, emeralds, peridots, green sapphires and tsavorites are ideal match for earthy vibes.
10. Are color gemstones expensive?
Natural gemstones exhibiting pure vibrant hues, especially the precious ones, can be a little pricey for some. Hence, switch to lab-grown rubies, sapphires, emeralds and even colored diamonds for affordability.