8 Gemstones Which are Universally Suitable for Everyone

What gemstone is suitable for everyone?

As experts in natural gemstone jewellery with meaning, we are frequently asked “what gemstone is suitable for everyone?”

The answers are: (1) it really depends on how you define “suitable”; and (2) while it is not possible to identify one gemstone which suits everyone, there are 8 gemstones with broad universal appeal that collectively, will suit almost all people.

People are individuals

There is no objective way of identifying one “perfect” gemstone which suits everyone. People are individuals and there is often a multi factorial assessment which goes into choosing what is the perfect gemstone for that person, in that particular circumstance, at that specific point in time etc. There isn’t a one size fits all approach to matching people with their perfect piece of gemstone jewellery.

The Universal 8

However, with all that being said, with a bit of clever analysis, you can certainly narrow the options down substantially so that you are left with a shortlist of gemstones which have a high likelihood of being universally suitable for every single person. In particular, there are 8 universally suitable gemstones you should know about (the “Universal 8”). Collectively, these are estimated to be suitable for 90+% of people.

Intuitive decision makers

Before you read any further, it is worth acknowledging that some people prefer to make decisions which are led by their instincts or “gut reaction”. For these people, the best answer to the question of what gemstone is suitable for everyone is:

“the one that feels right.”

For these intuitive or instinctive decision-makers, you may wish to take scroll through our All Products page and see if there is a particular piece which jumps out at you as feeling “just right”.

For the more analytically minded, read on!

Let’s talk suitability metrics

The following factors are important to keep in mind when trying to find out which gemstone is likely to be the most suitable:

Colour, styling and appearance
Gemstone symbolism
Rarity and perceived value
Accessibility and price

1. Colour, styling and appearance

While these factors are still largely specific to the person you have in mind, it can be helpful to exclude gemstones with outlier or niche colour characteristics such as black onyx and turquoise. There is certainly a time and place for these gemstones, but they will not be suitable for the broadest general segment of the population.

Having regard to gender, general cultural and societal colour preferences and the most common hair and skin combinations, we recommend the following gemstones for their (almost) universal suitability from a colouring, styling and appearance perspective:

Amethyst
Blue Topaz
Citrine
Rose Quartz
Ruby
Emerald
Sapphire
Peridot

SUMMARY OF COLOUR, STYLING AND AESTHETICS:

You can find just about every colour tone represented in the world of gemstones. However, these can be distilled down to 8 gemstones, representing the main colours which suit a broad range of the population’s skin and hair characteristics and the flow-on effect to wearers’ clothing and accessories choices.

These colours are purple (amethyst), light blue (blue topaz), yellow/gold (citrine), pink (rose quartz), red (ruby), dark green (emerald), dark blue (sapphire) and light green (peridot). These are the “Universal 8”.

2. Gemstone symbolism

Let’s now examine the common symbolic meanings for the above 8 high suitability gemstones to assess how likely it is for these meanings to be relevant and impactful for a broad range of the population.

Amethyst

Amethyst is often associated with healing and spiritual growth. It is believed to promote calmness and relaxation, making it ideal for anyone experiencing anxiety or stress. It is also known to enhance intuition and psychic abilities.

At Earthlight, amethyst features in our symbolic gemstone necklaces and is primarily used to symbolise inner strength and denote a human spirit which is capable of withstanding, and even flourishing, in the face of challenging life moments.

Blue Topaz

This gemstone is believed to promote communication, self-expression and creative thinking. Like other blue coloured stones, it is also associated with feelings of calm and relaxation.

Earthlight uses blue topaz in its symbolic gemstone necklaces to facilitate decision making and clarity of thought, as well as to recognise the superpowers of intellect, astuteness and intuition in its Superpower® Blue Topaz jewellery.

Citrine

Citrine is a popular gemstone that is said to attract abundance and prosperity. This gemstone is often associated with joy, positivity, self-confidence and human connection.

Earthlight uses citrine to represent and promote meaningful relationships, personal creativity, goal-setting, achievement and success, including in its Titania Self Belief Ring.

Rose Quartz

Known as the “love stone”, rose quartz is thought to promote unconditional and enduring love, as well as compassion and forgiveness. It is also strongly representative of femininity and its associated characteristics such as kindness, openness and empathy.

Earthlight utilises rose quartz to promote fertility and pregnancy through the mind-body connection, as well as to symbolise the enduring love between mothers and their children, including in its Estella Remembrance Ring, for children who are no longer in this physical world.

Ruby

The dark red hue of ruby is frequently used to represent passion and love. It is often given as a gift to celebrate anniversaries and other significant milestones in a relationship. Ruby is believed to enhance passion and intimacy and strengthen relationships.

Emerald

Emerald is strongly associated with love and harmonious relationships, as well as wealth, prosperity and abundance. It is also used to symbolise growth and renewal and is associated with nature and the circle of life. Emerald is also revered as a stone of spiritual insight and wisdom and is said to enhance psychic ability and spiritual awareness.

Earthlight uses Emerald to represent the human qualities of kindness, empathy and thoughtfulness.

Sapphire

Sapphire is often used to signify truth and loyalty, as well as wisdom, knowledge and clarity of thought.

For those reasons, Earthlight utilises blue sapphire alternatively with blue topaz to recognise and promote intellect, astuteness, intuitiveness and clear-thinking.

Peridot

The vibrant green colour tone of peridot is perfect for representing healing, renewal and growth. It is also a stone which is believed to promote vitality and energy, both physically and emotionally.

Earthlight uses peridot to symbolise individuality, personality and self-expression.

SUMMARY OF GEMSTONE SYMBOLISM:

At Earthlight, we believe in individuality and a freedom to always apply a personalised meaning to gemstones.

However, for those requiring a bit more of a framework and direction in their gemstone symbolism journey, certain gemstones are more strongly associated with particular symbolisms and it might be helpful to read the descriptions of the Universal 8 gemstones with the prospective wearer in mind, to see if any of them resonate strongly with you as being the perfect gemstone for that person, at this time.

3. Rarity and perceived value

In broad terms, semi-precious gemstones such amethyst, blue topaz, citrine, rose quartz and peridot are relatively easy to find. However, the key is knowing the grading of the gemstones when it comes to using them for jewellery.

The differences between gemstones and crystals is a whole other topic but the central idea to keep in mind is that only the highest quality gemstones (A grade and upwards) should be used in jewellery. This explains why a very large sized crystal rose quartz specimen can sometimes be priced lower than a high grade, gemstone quality rose quartz crystal.

In comparison to semi-precious gemstones, precious gemstones such as ruby, emerald and sapphire are considerably rarer and therefore, almost always more expensive than semi-precious gemstones. Particular variants of precious gemstones (for example, the highly prized pink/orange Padparadscha Sapphire), may also only be found in certain countries or regions and therefore, may be exceptionally difficult to source and expensive to purchase.

SUMMARY OF RARITY AND PERCEIVED VALUE:

The distinction between previous and semi-precious gemstones is to a large extent reflective of the rarity of these gemstones and their associated perceived value.

What this means for everyday gemstone jewellery is unless you have a particular rare gemstone type in mind for a particular reason, you will likely find greater value in seeking jewellery featuring high grade natural specimens of the Universal 8, instead of potentially paying many times more for poorer quality rare gemstones which are a higher price because of challenging market conditions and in fact end up being inferior for the purposes of being used in jewellery.

4. Accessibility and price

Related to the factors of rarity and perceived value are the factors of accessibility and price. For nearly all of us (except perhaps those with the deepest pockets), it is not realistic to covet the most rare and valuable precious gemstones when we are searching for beautiful and unique everyday jewellery and gifts. Those gemstones are realistically set aside for when you’re searching for family heirlooms, engagement rings and other lifetime pieces.

Accordingly, when searching for aesthetically beautiful and meaningful gemstone jewellery for the “right here, right now” as compared with the purchase of a “lifetime piece”, high grade semi-precious gemstones (such as amethyst, blue topaz, citrine, rose quartz and peridot) and more accessible precious gemstones (such as ruby, emerald and sapphire) will likely provide you with the most suitable options having regard principally to the factors of accessibility and price.

Conclusion

The Universal 8 are the most suitable gemstones for everyone having regard to the factors of: (a) colour, styling and appearance; (b) gemstone symbolism; (c) rarity and perceived value; and (d) accessibility and price.

The Universal 8 gemstones used in jewellery are:

Earthlight is a leader in the field of gemstone jewellery with meaning and utilises A+ high grade natural gemstones in all pieces.