Pink gemstones have always been very popular, especially in the “love jewelry” category, which is arguably the most popular category of gemstones. Gemstones with romantic pink colors have been chosen by countless couples for their engagement rings. Today, we’re going to talk about what pink gemstones are available and hopefully help you make your choice.
Pink gemstones are divided into pink precious gemstones and pink semi-precious gemstones. Precious gemstones include diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, and aside from these four, all other gemstones are classified as semi-precious. So, let’s start counting down what are the pink colored gemstones!
Table Of Contents
Pink Precious Stones
There are two types of pink precious stones: pink diamonds and pink sapphires.
Pink Diamond
It’s not for nothing that diamond rings are the most popular choice of engagement ring, and with the highest Mohs hardness (10) it performs extremely well in other physical properties as well. Pink diamonds range from light to dark pink and have an extremely high degree of clarity, making them the best pink gemstones. However, apart from salt and pepper diamonds, other colored diamonds are rare, making pink diamonds extremely expensive.
If you want to get the same similar look as well as physical properties as pink diamonds, consider buy lab pink diamonds, provided you don’t mind that they are man-made! Lab pink diamonds are much more affordable than natural pink diamonds, and you can specify the shade of pink you prefer.
Pink Sapphire
Yes, sapphires come in pink and range from light to dark pink. The term “sapphire” refers to all corundum gems except for ruby. Therefore, sapphires have a huge subfamily of colored sapphires in addition to blue sapphires. Since blue is more common in sapphire, we unconsciously think of sapphire as just blue sapphire. Pink sapphire is second only to padparadscha in rarity among sapphires and is therefore more expensive than sapphires of other colors.
In recent years, pink sapphires have become increasingly popular. If your budget doesn’t allow for natural pink diamonds and you prefer not to purchase lab diamonds, then you can consider pink sapphires. With a Mohs hardness 9.0, they are an excellent alternative to pink diamonds. Pink sapphires symbolize loyalty, love, and romance and are the birthstone for September, the gemstone for the 45th anniversary, and the lucky gemstone for Virgo and Libra.
Continue reading: What Are the Colors of Sapphire?
Common Pink Semi Precious Stones
There are so many types of pink semi-precious stones that it would take a lot of time to research them all. Here are 20 common pink semi-precious stones for jewelry.
- Morganite
- Pink Pearl
- Pink Opal
- Pink Moissanite
- Pink Tourmaline
- Thulite (Pink Zoisite)
- Pink Crystal (Rose Quartz)
- Pink Feldspar (Pink Moonstones & Pink Labradorites)
- Rhodolite (Rhodolite Garnet)
- Pink Rhodochrosite
- Pink Topaz
- Pink Zircon
- Pink Spinel
- Pink Petalite
- Kunaite (Pink Spodumene)
- Rhodonite
- Pink Chalcedony
- Pink Danburite
Morganite
Morganite is the most popular pink semi-precious stone, after the two pink precious stones According to Brilliant Earth’s sales data for Valentine’s Day 2024, the sales of morganite engagement rings were second only to diamond rings. This indicates the popularity of morganite rings. With a hardness of 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale, morganite is a highly durable pink gemstone, with colors ranging from light pink to dark pink, and peach morganite being the most valuable. Morganite, with its romantic hue, is regarded as a symbol of love.
Pink pearl
Pink pearls are not traditional pink mineral gemstones, they are biogenic pink gemstones, which are organic gemstones produced by shellfish. The color of pink pearls ranges from light pink to deep pink, with some having hints of purple or peach tones due to organic material and trace elements, giving them a charming luster. Pink pearls are considered a symbol of feminine strength, a combination of softness and resilience. Additionally, Pearls are one of the birthstones of June, the 30th anniversary stone, and the lucky stone for Gemini and Cancer. With a Mohs hardness of 2.5-4.5, pink pearls are softer pink gemstones and need to be worn with care to avoid abrasion.
Pink Opal
With more and more celebrities openly professing their love for opals, this has brought more colors of opal jewelry to our attention, and pink opal rings are one of them. Pink opal is an opaque pink gemstone with a hardness of 5.5-6 on the Mohs scale. High-quality pink opals exhibit a rainbow-like play of colors. Often considered to have soft, gentle energy and symbolism, the pink opal is also the birthstone of October and the astrological sign of Libra and Scorpio.
Continue Reading: What Are The Different Types Of Opal?
Pink Moissanite
Moissanite is currently the most cost-effective diamond alternative, with an appearance strikingly similar to diamonds and a hardness second only to diamonds. Pink moissanite is lab-created, allowing for the production of all known shades of pink with exceptional clarity and brilliance. It’s important to note that pink moissanite is a lab-created gemstone, with physical properties identical to natural moissanite. Natural moissanite comes in colorless, gray, green, and yellow, but because natural moissanite resources are very scarce, you can assume that any moissanite jewelry you see is lab-created. Its 9.25 Mohs hardness, double refraction, and higher dispersion value than diamonds is enough for it to be added to the precious gemstone category, and the reason why it’s listed under semi-precious gemstones for two reasons:
- It’s not on the list of precious stones.
- 99% of moissanite jewelry is lab-created, whether moissanite rings or moissanite necklaces.
Continue reading: Symbolism of Different Colors of Moissanite
Pink Tourmaline
Tourmaline comes in many colors, the most common being pink and green. Pink tourmaline ranges in hue from light pink to dark pink and has good clarity and luster. This pink gemstone has a hardness of 7.0-7.5 on the Mohs scale, making it ideal for everyday wear. Pink Tourmaline represents sincere emotions and is felt to be emotionally healing when worn in pink tourmaline jewelry, it is also the birthstone for October, the lucky stone for Libra and Scorpio zodiac signs.
Thulite (Pink Zoisite)
Pink zoisite is a translucent pink semi-precious stone that is usually a darker shade of pink with gray and white flecks. Many mistakenly refer to this pink gemstone as pink tanzanite, which is incorrect. Tanzanite is a blue-violet zoisite that has no other color. Pink zoisite was first discovered in Norway, where it was named Thulite, inspired by the myth of Thule, and became the national stone of Norway. This pink stone has a Mohs hardness of 6.5 and is suitable for jewelry carving. Thulite symbol of passion, boosts confidence and courage, and relieves stress.
Pink Crystal (Rose Quartz)
Rose quartz, also known as pink crystals, is a pink stone from the most common quartz family and is much less expensive than other pink stones. Pink crystals usually range from light pink to rose-red, and come in opaque, translucent, and transparent varieties, with the more crystals the more transparent they are. This pink gemstone has a Mohs hardness of 7, offering good durability. Pink crystal is a symbol of healing emotions and alleviating anxiety.
Pink Feldspar (Moonstones and Labradorites)
There are two well-known gemstones in the feldspar family with pink hues: moonstones and labradorites.
Pink moonstone is a rare gemstone with a soft pink hue that produces a cat’s eye effect unique to moonstones, with flashes primarily in blue and white. This gemstone has a hardness of 6, suitable for daily wear. Pink moonstone is considered a symbol of emotional healing and relief and is also one of the birthstones for June and the lucky stone for Gemini and Cancer.
Pink is a rare color among labradorites, and pink labradorite usually has a light to dark pink hue and also produce a luminescence effect. This gemstone has a Mohs hardness of 6-6.5, similar to moonstone. Pink labradorite is believed to stimulate creativity and inspiration, making it perfect for art and creativity. In fact, rainbow moonstone is a type of labradorite. Although they differ in chemical composition, the industry commonly classifies them as the same gemstone due to their similar appearance.
Rhodolite (Rhodolite Garnet)
Among the garnet family, rhodolite garnet is the most common and popular pink semi-precious gemstone, usually exhibiting shades from rose to red, with transparency or translucency and a very high luster. This pink gemstone has a Mohs hardness of 7-7.5, making it relatively durable. There are other pink gemstones in the garnet family, such as hydrogrossular garnets, which present a shiny pink color. Garnet is a symbol of love and passion, believed to have protective and healing properties, and is also the birthstone for January and the zodiac stone for Cancer and Aquarius.
Pink Rhodochrosite
This pink semi-precious gemstone, sometimes called Rosa del Inca, ranges from light pink to deep pink and is almost opaque to translucent, with transparent ones being rare. Opaque pink manganese alumina garnet will have white streaks that alternate with pink and look like strips of bacon. Its Mohs hardness is 3.5-4.5, making it a soft pink gemstone. Additionally, it is the national stone of Argentina.
Pink Topaz
Natural pink topaz is rare, with many pink obtained by heat treating or irradiating colorless topaz. Pink and red topazes are the rarest and most expensive of the topazes. In contrast, blue topaz is much cheaper, which is why we more commonly see blue topaz jewelry than pink topaz jewelry. With a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, topaz is a durable gemstone that is believed to enhance wisdom and is also symbolized as a sign of wealth and success, in addition to being the birthstone of November and the lucky stone for Scorpio and Sagittarius.
Pink Zircon
This pink semi-precious stone usually has a rich pink or peach hue, sometimes with purple or orange tones, and is very popular in jewelry design because of its high luster and transparency. With a Mohs hardness of 7.5, pink zircon is suitable for daily wear. This pink gemstone symbolizes romantic, sweet love and is also the December birthstone, the lucky stone for Sagittarius and Capricorn. Due to its affordability and high transparency, zircon has also been a popular diamond substitute.
Pink Spinel
Spinel is a highly popular gemstone, with transparent red spinel known as spinel ruby, which historically shared the same name as ruby. Pink spinel usually features rich pink tones, with vibrant and bright colors and excellent sparkle. This pink semi-precious stone is regarded as a bridge of intimacy and emotional connection, symbolizing love and warmth. It is also the birthstone for August and the lucky stone for Virgo and Libra. Spinel has a Mohs hardness of 7.5-8, making it a durable gemstone suitable for daily wear.
Pink Petalite
Pink petalite is a light pink semi-precious stone with high transparency. This pink gemstone has a Mohs hardness of 6-6.5 but is very brittle, making it difficult to cut, and thus faceted pink petalite is rarely encountered.
Pink Spodumene (Kunzite)
Pink spodumene, also known as kunzite, is a pink-purple semi-precious stone. Kunzite color ranges from light pink to pink-purple, with a Mohs hardness of 6.5-7. The most popular variety within the spodumene family is known for being a brittle gemstone that is challenging to cut. Additionally, this pink gemstone has poor chemical stability, with high temperatures causing its pink color to fade.
Rhodonite
Rhodonite is a pink to red semi-precious gemstone, usually in deeper pink shades. The gemstone can be translucent to opaque, with transparent rhodonite being extremely rare and often containing black spots. This pink stone has a Mohs hardness of 5.5-6.5, making it suitable for daily wear.
Pink Chalcedony
This pink semi-precious stone is usually light pink and opaque, but can also be dark pink and peachy-pink but is less common. Pink chalcedony has a Mohs hardness of 6-7, making it a medium-hard semi-precious stone. This pink gemstone is a symbol of emotional healing and protection.
Pink Danburite
Pink danburite is a light pink semi-precious stone that is produced in very small quantities. Danburite is usually colorless, with few specimens showing other colors. This semi-precious gemstone has high transparency and a Mohs hardness of 7-7.5, making it suitable for daily wear.
Final Thoughts
There are many more types of pink gemstones, but the 22 mentioned above are the most commonly used in jewelry. Now, you can choose your favorite pink gemstone based on your preferences. MollyJewelryUS offers a variety of colored gemstone jewelry, allowing you to explore and find the pink gemstone rings or necklaces you desire.