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Shades of purple have long captured our imaginations. It is the color of sweet blossoms, stormy waters, regal jewels, fine wine, and higher consciousness, which is also why purple stones are alluring.
Purple gemstones have been known throughout history for being connected to nobility and high luxury. The color purple signified divinity, and the color purple, in general, was challenging to create, which is why it was so revered and reserved. Purple crystals were believed to have special healing powers and high spiritual properties. They were often called on in healing ceremonies, religious passages, and spiritual rites. Today, purple crystals are still celebrated as precious stones connecting to the crown chakra and gems that help us cultivate inner peace.
Here, we look deeper at various purple shades and stones. From the popular purple Amethyst to the lesser-known purple garnets and stunning violet sapphires, let's unravel the spiritual power and prowess of beautiful stones that come in shades of purple.
Understanding Purple Gemstones
What Are Purple Gemstones?:
Purple gemstones are any stone that falls under the range of shades known as purple. Whether lighter shades or darker shades, purple comes in a beautiful array of colors—from soft lavender shades to pale lilac, purple-blue stone colors, purple-red crystals, and deep purple hues. Purple can appear in gemstones due to trace elements like manganese and iron, and titanium being part of the stone's structural makeup.
Historical Significance:
Throughout history, brilliant crystals in the purple color have been loved and revered. In Ancient Egypt, these beautiful crystals enchanted royalty as they were believed to represent divine and everlasting life. Greeks and Romans believed that purple crystals could keep you safe and sound from intoxication as they lent clarity of mind - this is particularly true with Amethyst. Medieval Europe also adored stone types in shades of purple, and priests and religious figures often wore them as they represented piety and spiritual wisdom.
Some famous purple stones include the Delhi Purple Sapphire. Despite its name, this gemstone is an amethyst. It is renowned for its alleged curse, bringing misfortune to its owners. Currently, it resides in the Natural History Museum in London. The Empress of Uruguay is the world's largest amethyst geode, weighing over 2.5 tons and standing over 11 feet tall. It is displayed in the Crystal Caves in Australia and is renowned for its stunning deep purple color.
Popular Purple Gemstones and Their Properties
Amethyst:
Characteristics: Purple Amethyst is a type of quartz that comes in shades of deep purple. It scores a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale and is a powerful stone for spirituality.
Sources: Amethyst is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, and South Korea; it is a relatively easy stone to obtain.
Metaphysical Properties: Amethyst is famed for being a gemstone loved by crystal healers thanks to its energy of calmness, balance, protection, and third eye chakra and crown chakra connection. Wear an Amethyst Bead Bracelet for beautiful calm.
Care Tips: Clean your Amethyst crystals with mild soap and water, and avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, as it can cause the color to fade.
Purple Sapphire:
Characteristics: Purple Sapphires have a rich purple hue and are a very rare variety of sapphire stone (which often comes in blue). They score a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, making them tough gems just a step down from diamonds.
Sources: Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Madagascar are places where you may find the elusive Purple Sapphire.
Metaphysical Properties: As a rare gemstone, the Purple Sapphire is a powerful stone known for its wisdom and spiritual insight. It is also connected to royalty.
Care Tips: Clean with mild soap and water and avoid harsh chemicals to keep those rich hues of color
Tanzanite:
Characteristics: Tanzanite is a deep blue-violet color and scores 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale.
Sources: You can only find this gemstone in Tanzania, which is how it gets its name.
Metaphysical Properties: Tanzanite is a stone associated with themes of transformation and spiritual awakening. Its color also connects it to the upper chakras, lending it a spiritual edge.
Care Tips: Tanzanite looks stunning in earrings and pendants. Avoid impact and abrasion that could damage the crystal's aesthetics.
Purple Tourmaline:
Characteristics: Purple Tourmaline is a rare gem with a vibrant purple color. It scores a 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale, making it a pretty durable gemstone.
Sources: You can find this rare version of Tourmaline in Brazil and Africa.
Metaphysical Properties: Purple Tourmaline is known for its healing energy, its sense of grounding, and lending protection to those who wear it. It can also assist with spiritual development.
Care Tips: Clean your beautiful crystal with mild soap and water, and avoid exposure to high heat, as this could negatively impact the hues of color.
Purple Spinel:
Characteristics: Purple Spinel is a brilliant crystal with a color ranging from deep violet to lavender. It scores an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Sources: Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania are known for mining Purple Spinel.
Metaphysical Properties: Renewal, energy, and rejuvenation are a few themes that ripple through Purple Spinel's radiant energy.
Care Tips: Jewelry enthusiasts will love this stone. Keep it clean with soapy water and avoid harsh chemicals.
Lesser-Known Purple Gemstones
Iolite:
Characteristics: Iolite is a stunning light purple stone with shades of violet-blue. It scores a 7- 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Sources: Iolite comes from India, Sri Lanka, and Mozambique.
Metaphysical Properties: Iolite is a stone of inner vision and self-discovery. It connects with the third eye chakra, famed for its sense of wisdom and ability to bring clarity and positive energy to negative emotions.
Care Tips: Clean your Iolite stone with warm, soapy water and avoid harsh chemicals.
Kunzite
Characteristics: There are many types of Kunzite, and they can come in shades from light purple to pink. This gem scores a 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale.
Sources: The USA, Madagascar, and Afghanistan are where the Kunzite stone can be found.
Metaphysical Properties: Kumzite has a peaceful energy known for its emotional healing, love, and compassion and for connecting with the heart chakra.
Care Tips: You can keep your Kunzite looking beautiful by cleaning it with mild soap and water and avoiding prolonged exposure to sunlight.
Charoite:
Characteristics: Charoite is a winner for aesthetic crystals, as it has unique swirling patterns of lavender. It is a 5-6 on the Mohs scale, which makes it a softer type of gemstone.
Sources: Charoite is mined in Russia.
Metaphysical Properties: This gemstone is connected to the energies of transformation and spiritual growth. It can be carried as a spiritual talisman and considered a stone of awakening.
Care Tips: Clean this precious gem with a soft cloth and avoid heat and chemicals that may affect its makeup and color.
Sugilite:
Characteristics: Sugilite is a rich purple stone that scores 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs scale.
Sources: You can find Sugilite in South Africa and Japan.
Metaphysical Properties: There's a lot to love about Sugilite, even beyond its striking color. This gem is a stone of spiritual love, protection, and healing.
Care Tips: Clean with a soft cloth and avoid harsh chemicals to keep that beautiful color shining bright.
Purple Fluorite:
Characteristics: Purple Fluorite is a member of the Fluorite family. It can come in shades that range from light to dark and its clarity can be translucent to transparent. It is a soft stone and scores a 4 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Sources: China, Mexico, and the USA are places where Purple Fluorite can be sourced.
Metaphysical Properties: Clarity, focus, and protection are just a few words associated with this genius stone. It can be used for studying as it knows how to channel your mind in the right direction. Call on a purple or Rainbow Fluorite Heart to harmonize.
Care Tips: Handle gently and clean your sweet stone with a soft cloth to keep its energy strong and to capture the beauty of translucent stones.
Assessing the Quality of Purple Gemstones
Color:
Color is something to adore about purple stones - from wine-saturated hues to soft lilacs and lavenders. A stone color is made up of hue, tone, and saturation. The hue is the basic color of the stone; the tone speaks to how light and dark it is, and the saturation measures the shades that sit beneath it. Different gemstones will have different ideal color characteristics. For example, a prized amethyst will have a deep, rich purple color with blue or even red flashes. Ideally, charoite should have a vibrant lavender to deep purple color with a unique swirling pattern.
Clarity:
All natural gemstones will have inclusions within - this is how we tell they are a gift from nature and not lab-produced. For example, it is expected to see needles in an amethyst stone. However, inclusions can be a delicate dance as you don't want so many that they take away from the gem's clarity and affect its price point.
Cut:
The cut refers to how the stone has been shaped and faceted. A good cut will play with light and sparkle, whereas a poor cut can look dull and have little to no refraction. Some popular stone cuts for purple gems include the 'brilliant cut', which makes the most of a stone's sparkle; the emerald cut, which can enhance the color and clarity of larger stones; and the cabochon, which can highlight unique shades and patterns.
Carat Weight:
Carat refers to the heaviness and weight of a stone. While it does play a part in deciding how expensive or valuable a stone is, a carat alone is not enough. To be considered high quality, intense coloring, a good cut, and fine clarity will also need to be regarded as high quality.
Uses of Purple Gemstones
Jewelry:
Purple gemstones can look stunning in jewelry, and it's not unusual to see them set in rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. They can be statement pieces with bold coloring and a long, illustrious history of being used in royal jewels. Classic jewelry pieces will often use Amethyst, a lovely gemstone that dazzles. Darker purple stones also look stunning in contemporary pieces, as the color pops in minimalist designs against silver or gold.
Metaphysical and Healing Properties:
Popular purple gemstones are famed for their healing properties and for being associated with themes of spirituality and calmness. Amethyst is one of the most popular gemstones, known for its connection to the crown chakra, clearing negative energy, sweeping out headaches, and encouraging good rest.
Decorative Objects:
The purple variety of gemstones is ever captivating, and it's not unusual to see these stones used in home decor, carvings, sculptures, and more. The amethyst geode is one of the most popular geodes or crystal clusters in the home. You can also find beautiful gemstones in a range of purple shades used in crystal towers, pyramids, and other decorative spiritual objects.
Buying Purple Gemstones
Where to Buy:
You can find many places to buy your purple gemstones, including online retailers, local crystal shops, and your local jewelers. Your local jewelers will often be where you find purple gemstone jewelry in a more traditional sense, whereas a crystal shop can offer a wide range of spiritual styles and singular stones. It's always essential to ensure you buy from a trusted source, and if in doubt, you can ask to see certifications that prove your stone is the real deal.
Price Considerations:
There are many affordable gemstones in shades of purple and many higher-priced options. The factors that will affect the price include the gem's rarity, size, and quality (such as the color, cut, and clarity). Stones like Purple Sapphires will be pricy, but you can find more budget-friendly options like Amethyst, Lepidolite, Purple Fluorite, Chalcedony, and more.
Tips for Online Shopping:
If you buy your crystals online, choose a reputable seller and always read reviews, ask questions, and check return policies. You may also want to ensure your stone hasn't been heat-treated or synthetically colored. The more vivid and 'perfect' the gemstone (unless it is price-appropriate), the more mindful you may need to be about it being natural. With a trusted seller, this shouldn't be an issue.
Caring for Purple Gemstones
Cleaning:
To keep your vibrant purple gems looking their best, it’s essential to cleanse them gently and regularly. The best way to cleanse purple gemstones is to use a mild, soapy water solution and a soft cloth. Always avoid using abrasive, ultrasonic, and harsh chemicals, as these can damage the stones’ surface.
Storage:
Store your lilac and deep purple gemstone jewelry in separate compartments within a box or soft pouches to prevent damage or scratches. When not wearing or carrying your gems, keep them stashed away from direct sunlight and avoid extreme temperatures, as this can cause the vibrant hues to fade over time. Properly caring for your purple gemstones will help preserve their beauty and energy for years.
Handling:
Remove your purple gemstone jewelry during sports, heavy exercise, swimming, or showering. This will prevent damage to your gem or any color loss due to chemicals and excess heat or moisture. It's also important to regularly check your purple gemstone jewelry to ensure the stone is secure in its setting. A professional jeweler can check for any signs of wear and tear and make necessary repairs to keep your precious gems safe and secure.
Conclusion
Purple gemstones are dazzling in their drama, soft in their peace, and perfect for those who want to call on spiritually aligned gemstones that can help them on their journey. Spiritual powers, calm vibes, and a sense of clarity can all be found beneath the sparkle and serenity of these gems. Don't be afraid to play around with purple crystals and add them to your collection. Feel free to share your favorite purple gemstones with us.
FAQs
What is the rarest purple gemstone
Purple taaffeite is considered one of the rarest and most expensive gemstones. Other rare stones in shades of purple include purple sapphire, purple tourmaline, and even purple diamonds.
What is the purple birth gemstone
Amethyst is the purple birth gemstone for February babies. This variety of quartz is loved for its soothing energy and sense of spirituality.
What is the best purple gem
There are many types of purple gemstone and which one you adore depends on preference. Some popular purple gemstones are amethyst, tanzanite, iolite, and fluorite.
What zodiac is purple gemstone
Pisces is the zodiac with the purple gemstone. This is because Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz and is the birthstone of February, which, in turn, is associated with being the birth month of pieces.
