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When thinking of gorgeous gemstones, color dictates the quality and even price of the gems. Experts have keenly observed that most people will go for a stunning gemstone that showcases beautiful colors without factoring in the gemstone variety. They will purchase the stone as long as it is durable enough for the intended purpose.
However, it becomes problematic to find gems by color as most dealers will classify and market them according to variety and gem type. This guide provides you with fascinating orange gemstones and popular choices available in the market. Here are the classic orange gemstones that can make jewelry and other astonishing ornamental pieces.
Orange Sapphire
Orange Sapphire can be very rare and bear a glassy or vitreous luster. When a sapphire is mentioned, many people will only think of a blue gemstone, but a sapphire can appear in all the other colors but not red. A fancy sapphire is a sapphire that is not blue. The red Sapphire is also known as ruby.
Ruby and Sapphire will be classified under corundum, a rigid material coming second from a diamond with a Mohs rating of 9. Substantial deposits of Sapphire occur in Australia, Africa, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Myanmar, and Australia. Orange Sapphire can also be treated to enhance its physical properties to produce stunning pieces of jewelry.
Orange Garnet
Garnet’s name was coined from Granatum, which is a Latin word meaning “like a seed.” The most common garnet is red, but several other garnet gemstones are appearing in different colors. Orange gemstones also occur in subspecies such as grossular, spessartine, and Malaya garnet. The January gemstone has a beautiful color and can be used to make precious jewelry.
Orange Spessartite Garnet
It is a garnet that got its name from German. Spessartite means mountain range and forest, which is where the gemstone was discovered. The gem is colored orange by the presence of manganese and could appear as reddish-brown or possibly yellowish-orange. Spessartite is a beautiful gemstone due to the excellent luster and brilliant orange color. This stone bears inclusions, and its availability increased in the 90s after it was discovered in Namibia and Mozambique.
Orange Mali Garnet
Mali garnet is among the most perplexing gemstones you will ever come across. However, it is a scarce stone. Mali garnet is a hybrid species of the garnet and was discovered in Mali, West Africa, in 1994. Mali also occurs in different colors such as yellow, green, brown, and orange. The gemstone has a high-quality refractive index and an excellent dispersion, meaning it has remarkable brilliance and fire. Mali is faceted to produce outstanding pieces, and its hardness makes it ideal for making exemplary jewelry pieces.
Orange Hessonite Garnite
Hessonite is a Grossular Garnet member and may occur as a reddish-brown, honey-yellow, or orange gemstone. It also gets the beautiful colors from manganese present in the stone. This stone has been branded with other names over time, such as kaneel stone and cinnamon stone, because of its color. The January birthstone occurs in transparent to translucent material. The stone bears a vitreous luster, quality refractive index, and stunning brilliance.
Orange Zircon
Zircon is a fascinating gemstone that will often be used in the place of a diamond due to its fine quality. The gemstone is quite popular as blue stones, but orange rocks also make it to the list. Zircon is among the oldest minerals occurring on the planet. The gemstone is confused with cubic zirconia, which should not be the case.
Zircon bears unbelievable clarity, exceptional brilliance, and distinctive color and fire. The other stunning qualities about this orange gemstone are available in diverse colors such as green, blue, orange, brown, pink, yellow, and violet, and affordability. The stone can be used to make spectacular jewelry items such as earrings and necklaces.
Oregon Sunstone
This gemstone is also called oligoclase and occurs in a wide range of colors, including orange. The gem was expensive and pretty rare before the 1800s since large deposits would only occur in Siberia. Oregon Sunstone bears a metallic glitter and appears as a reddish or orange stone. Since this stone occurs as an opaque gemstone, faceters cut it as cabochons.
The gem has a hardness of 6.5 Mohs, meaning it can be perfect for use as jewelry, but you have to be careful with the piece. Sunstone is found in igneous and metamorphic environments. Besides Oregon and Siberia, this gemstone also occurs in Canada, India, and Scandinavia.
Orange Fire-Opal
Opal mainly occurs as a white gemstone, but orange deposits have been discovered over time. This opal variety bears yellow to red hues and orange too. Fire opal’s value is derived from the body color of the stone and not other properties it might be having. The stone occurs in orange-red and vivid orange hues, which are pretty dismaying colors in the world of gemstones.
Fire-Opal has a hardness of 6.6 Mohs, which means the gem is suitable for jewelry use. Most of the deposits occur in Mexico.
Carnelian
It is among the chalcedony family and occurs as an opaque to translucent quartz mineral. Many know carnelian as a red gemstone, but it also appears in orange. Most of the spectacular carnelians are orange translucent stones. Carnelian is an August birthstone and occurs in several parts of the EarthEarth.
Orange Agate
It is also a variety of the chalcedony family and occurs as an opaque to translucent quartz material. Some agate appears bearing orange bands. The semi-precious gems include lion agate, sardonyx, plume agate, and Montana agate. Agate will also occur in a wide range of other colors such as red, orange, blue, yellow, green, and multicolor. These stones will also produce awe-inspiring pieces of jewelry.
Orange Citrine
The yellow version of quartz is known as quartz. However, citrine can occur in diverse colors, such as from brown to yellow to orange. Citrine as an orange gem is pretty rare. Most of these citrines found in the market today are heat-treated to enhance their properties and color. This orange gem also occurs as ametrine in a mixture of citrine and amethyst. This November birthstone can make phenomenal pieces of jewelry.
Peach Moonstone
Moonstone is a unique gem that consists of various layers of feldspar. The stone refracts light from the number of layers which makes the gem appear to glow from inside. Moonstone popularly occurs as a white gemstone, but orange deposits also occur but known as peach moonstone. This June birthstone has excellent hardness which makes it perfect for jewelry.
Orange Andesine Labradorite
It is a relatively new gemstone that graced the market around 2003. It is also popularly known as andesine, red feldspar, Congo sunstone, and red labradorite. In fact, this stone can be an enhanced version of labradorite that is a perfect mixture of andesine and labradorite.
This gemstone occurs in different colors, from deep red to yellow hues. It also appears in several other colors such as amber, pink-orange, and honey-orange. Andesine-labradorite could also bear a gorgeous metallic sheen.
Orange Tourmaline
An exploration team in Brazil discovered a gem that glowed in neon lights back in 1500. The stone was well-hid under a rainbow that very day. That is where the name tourmaline came from, as it means “the rainbow that fell into the earth.” Currently, tanzanite, tourmaline, ruby, sapphire, emerald, and aquamarine are classified under precious gemstones. They fetch reasonable prices in the market and are loved by many gemstone enthusiasts.
Tourmalines will always bear the most significant number of colors among the gemstone families. All thanks to its composition, which includes aluminum, lithium, manganese, magnesium, and iron. Orange tourmalines bear bright and stunning colors that give people a cheerful feeling. The gem can be worn as it is hard enough to make prodigious jewelry.
Clinohumite
This stone is closely related to peridot. Clinohumite may occur as translucent or transparent deposits in clarity. The orange crystals bear a yellowish color with a hardness rating of 6 Mohs. The orange gemstone has a glassy luster. Only two significant sources of this gem are known, and they include Siberia and Tajikistan. Clinohumite is categorically magnesium silicate and a scarce mineral. The stone has a hardness rating of 6 Mohs, meaning it can be used as jewelry, but you expect them to be pricey due to rarity.
Imperial Topaz
Naturally occurring Orange Topaz is regarded as Imperial Topaz. This orange gemstone is among the most valued topaz family members. It occurs in different spellbinding hues such as pinkish-orange, yellow-orange, golden brown, and bright yellow hues. You will be shocked that this gemstone has an outstanding rating of eight Mohs, making it quite durable.
It is the perfect choice for jewelry that is used daily. The gem is incredibly durable. Imperial Topaz is versatile as it can be faceted to produce extraordinary carvings and ornaments.
Orange Spinel
Spinel is without a doubt among the most elegant and appealing stones sold in the gems market. Its value is steadily on the rise due to the excellent qualities they possess. This gemstone is a magnesium aluminum oxide stone, and many are the times the gem is confused for precious gems such as Sapphire and ruby.
Spinel has an exemplary brilliance which is why it is labeled a sapphire or ruby. Orange spinel is the most popular color among the spinel family. That is because the stone has stunning color, excellent luster, remarkable durability, and phenomenal brilliance. Despite having a bewildering color, this stone is also quite hard, with a hardness of 8 Mohs. It can be used to make expensive and durable jewelry.
Orange Coral
It is an exciting coral gem formed by coral polyps in the sea. Orange coral occurs in diverse sizes and shapes. Deposits may appear carved since the gemstone has a low level of hardness. Coral consists of calcium carbonate, which is also what is found in calcite and pears. Precious coral occurs in different colors, with orange being among them.
It occurs in other colors such as salmon, pink, red, white, and golden. Most fossil coral is under protection; therefore, it cannot be harvested, but you might come across the free to trade varieties.
Orange Sphene
Sphene consists of calcium titanium silicate, and it is a very rare orange gemstone. Many people simply call the gem titanite. Sphene occurs in diverse colors such as orange, green, yellowish-green, and brown. The stone has an excellent dispersion that produces a fire such as diamonds.
When held across a source of light, the gemstone displays an alluring show that impresses the eyes of the beholder. The stone bears a fascinating brilliance due to the outstandingly high refractive index. Sphene also has an adamantine luster which makes the gem a wonder to behold. The stone makes very articulate and gorgeous jewelry pieces.
Orange Amber
Amber is among the few organic gemstones you will come across. In other terms, this gemstone is a fossilized resin. The yellow amber gem is widely known, but it also occurs in orange. It may contain plants or animals in it. The inclusions make the gemstone more valuable, with the desirables being the transparent pieces and stones with exciting inclusions. Amber has a very low density, so you must handle it with care to avoid scratching or chipping it.
Orange Diamond
A diamond gemstone consists of pure carbon, but the orange diamond is quite different. It bears a specific grouping of nitrogen atoms in the carbon that absorbs the yellow and blue colors to give orange. This gem is fancy and could possibly be more expensive than a colorless or white diamond.
However, that will be dependent on the size of the stone, how well it is cut, the richness of the color, and the inclusions involved. Diamonds are the hardest material on EarthEarth, meaning this piece of gem can make alluring, gorgeous, and long-lasting jewelry. Sources of this gem include the famous Kimberley mines, South Africa, Russia, Brazil, Botswana, Australia, and India.
Orange Sphalerite
Sphalerite comes from zinc. Besides the red and green gemstones, sphalerite also occurs in orange. In clarity, this gem may appear translucent to transparent. Sphalerite has an incredible luster with a remarkable high dispersion creating a gorgeous fire. The stone, however, is not hard, with a hardness rating of 4 Mohs.
That means it is not perfect for jewelry use as it can be scratched easily or even chip. It makes the gemstone a collector’s favorite for storing. Sphalerite occurs in many places, including Congo, Namibia, the USA, Spain, Bulgaria, Canada, and Zaire.
Orange Fluorite
Fluorite appears in a wide range of colors but also appears as an orange crystal. Orange crystals appear as vivid gems and are pretty alluring. Orange Fluorite as an industrial mineral consists of fluorine and calcium. The mineral is used in metallurgical, ceramic, and chemical processes.
The gemstone is not ideal for use as jewelry since it is pretty soft. It has a rating of 4 Mohs. It can easily get a scratch or break when knocked against a hard surface. These stones are loved for their fluorescence. Since the gem is very soft, it can be faceted to exhibit incredible brilliance.
Orange Sardonyx
Sardonyx comes from two words, onyx and sard. It is a white-and-red type of onyx. Sardonyx bears red sard bands and white chalcedony bands. It basically resembles a carnelian. These white bands make the gemstone look orange, which is used to create stunning pieces of jewelry. Orange sardonyx is a July, August, and September birthstone.
The gem occurs in different colors such as brown, red, white, and black. Sardonyx is found mainly in Russia, Brazil, the USA, and Germany. Some people use this gorgeous stone for healing procedures. It can also be used to make astounding jewelry pieces and other ornaments. It is believed that the best quality sardonyx occurs in India.
Peach Aventurine
Peach aventurine mainly occurs as a green gemstone, and that is the popularly known stone. However, the stone also occurs as orange stones and peach. The gem is a family member of the chalcedony family and can be easily distinguished due to its aventurescence. It is a shimmering effect brought about by mineral inclusions in the stone.
Apart from the ornamental uses, this gemstone aids with worry, stress, and shyness. The crystal is also believed to possess healing energies. It occurs as an opaque to transparent crystal, and it is also a member of the Quartz family. Peach aventurine acquires its beautiful color from the presence of Hematite, Goethite, and Pyrite.
Take Away
Orange gemstones are pretty appealing when used on jewelry pieces. However, some are too soft and cannot be used in their raw form to make ornaments or jewelry. Such gemstones will have to go through the hands of lapidaries for some treatment. After treatment, their properties are enhanced, and they become tougher with intense color.
Gemstone collectors will collect the stones in their raw form without the need to facet them. Most love their natural brilliance to have an original piece of the stone.
