Fall Color Gemstones

It’s Fall Y’all!!

With every change of season, I get inspired by new colors and textures, and fall is a treasure-trove of natural beauty. The combination of earthy and bright colors, the crunch of leaves, and the crisp taste of fresh apples are on my mind this year as I design my latest pieces. 

When thinking about what gemstones give me that cozy autumn feeling, I imagine stones in reds, oranges, yellows, browns, blacks, and pops of blue. I also like to work in some interesting texture and just a hint of sparkle - because there always has to be sparkle!

Here are my top picks for fall gemstones…

Reds and Oranges

Garnet 

The unofficial queen of fall gemstones is probably the glorious garnet, with its deep reds reminiscent of juicy red apples or pomegranate seeds. Garnets are lovely in both cabochon and faceted cuts, making them an incredibly versatile stone. I love using garnets in my statement ripple rings, where the bold red can’t help but catch the eye. (You can learn more about garnet in my January birthstone blog!)

Carnelian

This brownish-red stone is graced with subtle white patterns that perfectly imitate a red oak leaf that’s dropped to the forest floor. I love using this stone on its own or combining it with pops of yellow to really capture that color cornucopia. 

Yellows

Lemon Quartz 

If carnelian is an oak leaf, lemon quartz is a bright elm or poplar tree. This sunny color is also a summer favorite, but it all depends on what it’s paired with and how it’s styled. Combining it with reds and browns makes the perfect autumn palette. You can learn more about lemon quartz (and several more of these stones) on my quartz blog!

Citrine

It may be November’s birthstone, but I use citrine frequently all year round, and fall is no exception. Citrine is an orangy-yellow stone that fits perfectly within the autumn mix. It’s semi-translucent, making it great for faceted cuts and statement rings. 

Canary Yellow Diamond

If you’re looking for an elevated spin on autumn colors, Canary Yellow Diamonds are a breathtaking option. These fancy diamonds (that’s the technical term for colored diamonds) are as bright as a songbird in a tree of yellow leaves. Because they’re diamonds, they also have tons of sparkle. The Veiled Horizon Gem necklace in yellow gold with Canary Diamonds is the perfect piece for any autumn event.

Dark Tones

Tiger’s Eye

Like tiger stripes, these stones have waving lines in gold, red, and brown. In order to highlight as much of this captivating pattern as possible, these stones are often cut into abstract cabochon shapes, making them perfect for bezel settings and one-of-a-kind pieces. 

Smoky Quartz 

Imagine gathering around a campfire on a crisp fall night, watching the white-grey smoke rise up to a sky full of twinkling stars. Now, put that experience into a gemstone! I love smoky quartz for autumn jewelry, because it captures the feeling of a cool fall night, with semi-transluscent grey, brown, and whitish stones that seem almost ready to drift into the air.

Onyx

Fall covers the full range of tones, from canary yellow to midnight black. Onyx is the darkest stone in this palette, with an inky black opaque hue that is sultry, mysterious, and totally gorgeous. I’ve been playing with onyx a lot recently, including in bridal jewelry. (Yes, you heard that right.) I love this stone for a fall wedding!

Blues and Brights

Lapis

Fall is a transition season, and hints of summer still linger at the edges. This means I’d be remiss to leave out lapis, with its intense blue color speckled with bits of gold. Lapis is like the last wildflower popping out from a field of leaves, or even sneaking from under a brightly colored squash. Don’t overlook this gorgeous indigo-blue in your fall looks!

Iolite

Who doesn’t love a pair of comfy blue jeans in the fall? Combined with your favorite plaid sweater, it’s the ultimate fall look. Iolite is a gemstone that just perfectly captures that blue jean color, which for me makes it a great compliment to any fall outfit. Some versions of this stone also come with hints of violet, like a pair of dark-washed jeans. I just adore this stone for this time of year!

Labradorite

This totally unique stone boasts a kaleidoscope of bright colors. The base tone is a lovely greenish-blue, but it often has swirls of yellow, orange, purple and gold, like a sunset over a forest of fall foliage. The best part? Turning this stone in different directions creates a fabulous iridescent quality, where it seems to light up from the inside. You can see a video of labradorite in action on my commission blog!

Texture and Sparkle

Rutilated Quartz 

When it comes to texture, there’s no match for captivating rutilated quartz. When I look at this stone I can almost hear the crunching of leaves or feel the pine needles beneath my feet. This transparent stone has long, needle-like internal patterns in black, brown, or tan that just feel like fall. And they’re oh-so-pretty to look at!

Sunstone

When sunlight filters through fall leaves, it splashes dappled patches of sparkling light on the forest floor. Sunstone is a dazzling way to capture that speckled sunshine pattern with a captivating optical illusion known as aventurescence. When this orangy-pink stone is viewed from the perfect angle, specks of golden glitter seem to scatter all over. Stunning!