Orange is the color of a warm sunset perfect for any date night, a lazy night at the beach, or just a fun night out on the boat with some friends. When warm sunsets and jewelry collide however the result is magnificent jewelry pieces that are sure to bring a bright smile to anyone's face.
Why wear orange?:
If you have ever basked in the glory of a beautiful sunset, you know exactly how alluring and stunning orange can be. You also know that some additional colors alongside orange sunsets seem to complement and enhance its glory. In this article, you will discover how orange is one of those magnificent colors that yearns to be partners with other colors. Orange jewelry is perfect for anyone who wants to mix and match colors and feel radiant while doing so. Orange is outstanding, and so are you, so continue on to see just how great it feels to wear orange.
The orange gemstones
Amber
Amber is one of the coolest gemstones because it is created in probably the most outstanding way possible. Amber is made from fossilized tree sap from millions of years ago! The process is so ancient and slow that it results in a gorgeous gemstone with a sunset color that can shock almost anyone.
Wearing amber: Amber is surprisingly soft scoring only a 2-2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. This makes amber extremely difficult to wear as a ring on its own. For this reason, amber is usually worn as earrings, bracelets, or pendants. Typically, you will find amber necklaces and bracelets that have dozens of amber stones wrapped around them. These pieces are stunning and certainly fit in with the maximalist trend.
What to wear amber with: you can wear amber with silver and white gold. The silver and white hues of these alloys perfectly frame the amber and add to the fossilization aesthetic. For clothing and outfits, amber looks great with greens, pinks, and even some reds. For some more specific color combinations, you can try wearing amber gemstones with teal, olive green, or burgundy.
Fun fact: Some bugs and other plant parts can be fossilized with the tree sap resulting in your amber harboring a piece of frozen ancient history.
Orange Sapphire
Orange corundum is super-duper vibrant and scratch resistant. It's a gemstone with exceptional saturation and color and is sure to put a smile on anyone's face. The stone appears to have a variation of orange hues along its facets giving it a sunrise appearance. Looking at this gemstone long enough gives the viewer this sense of warmth and security and it's definitely something everyone has to see.
Wearing orange sapphire: like all stones in the corundum family orange sapphire scores a whopping 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. This means you can wear it however you like, whenever you like, and with anything you want! A popular way to wear orange sapphire is as a ring with diamond side stones. Some people lean into the fact that orange sapphire looks like the sun by situating the side stones in a way that they look like sunbursts.
What to wear orange sapphire with: You can wear any colored clothing with any stone out there as there is no law stating what has to be worn with specific stones. However, we strongly recommended the following outfits to allow that orange sapphire to reach outstanding levels of beauty
- Skyblue outfit: As we all know sunsets appear in the sky. So why not wear the colors of a nice summer’s sky to show off that sunset-colored sapphire ring?
- White dress: Imagine this gorgeous sunset of a stone on your finger as you walk down the aisle in your white wedding dress and veil. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
- Orange with orange: Now we have to admit, wearing a lot of orange hues does sound a little tacky. But picture this, just close your eyes and imagine an orange bathing suit top and bottom and your orange sapphire ring complementing it on a warm summer day. It just screams summertime and beach life!
Pairing with other stones: Sapphire has a world of other colors, try pairing your orange sapphire with other corundum stone colors. For example, you can try and replicate your favorite sunset by having some orange, blue and purple sapphire all on one necklace.
Fun fact: orange sapphire is very rarely found naturally on the earth, but if it is found it is usually heat treated to enhance its color saturation and vibrancy. The more saturated the stone is before heat treatment the rarer and pricier the stone becomes.
Orange Tourmaline
Much like orange sapphire, this stone is a vibrant and colorful orange. Although not quite as bright and poppy as sapphire is, orange tourmaline has a lovely deep orange coloration that feels super comforting to the wearer. Looking at a true orange tourmaline is like watching the light from the fireplace on a cool winter's night, it just warms up everyone around it. If you're looking for a gemstone with fairly good toughness and that will bring smiles and comfort to others, then orange tourmaline is the right orange stone for you!
Wearing orange tourmaline: Scoring a 7-7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale tourmaline is mostly acceptable in any medium of jewelry. Though because it is slightly more susceptible to scratching than stones like diamonds and sapphires orange tourmaline is usually worn as pendants. However, it is not uncommon to see it on rings as tourmaline stones are just on the cusp of being ring safe.
What to wear orange tourmaline with: orange tourmaline can be worn in the same outfits styles as orange sapphire but with a little twist. Because the stone tends to be richer and a little darker you can wear darker tones such as browns, khaki, and black.
Fun fact: the brownish orange shade of orange tourmaline is the least popular variety, but we feel that it's one of the coolest variations as the deep orange facets look warm and comforting. So, we say ignore popular opinion and wear whatever makes you feel like, well… you!
Imperial Topaz
Imperial topaz looks like a secret jolly rancher™ flavor. It's a super cool gemstone that forms in wonderful ways. Imperial topaz specifically is one of the best topaz varieties for its large popularity and its association with royalty. The stone was actually used frequently for the crown jewels in 17th- 18th-century Russian royalty.
Wearing Imperial Topaz: Imperial topaz scores an 8 on the Mohs hardness scale making it suitable for wedding rings, engagement rings, and anniversary rings. The stone is usually used mostly because of its association with royal beauty. What is more beautiful than an engagement or a wedding? Although, some outstanding imperial topaz pendants have been created specifically for royalty. The good thing is you don't have to be royalty to where imperial topaz, you will just feel like royalty when you wear it.
What to wear Imperial Topaz with: Imperial topaz is such a wonderful gemstone that no one will stop to consider how it matches your outfit. In fact, the stone is so luxurious people will almost ignore your outfit and go right to the gemstone!
Well, they won't ignore the outfit completely so here are some ways to wear clothing that will highlight the imperial gemstone…
- Beige: imperial topaz and beige clothing will look super clean and professional. Give it a try! It can also look super causal with the right style of clothing. I'm just imagining a brown baggy hoodie, some kaki paints, and an imperial topaz bracelet.
- Purple: Purple is the color of royalty and fortune, why not try and match the stone of royalty with the color of royalty? Plus, because they are complementary colors it should create an outstanding contrast that is sure to grab others' attention.
Setting your imperial topaz: When thinking of a ring setting for your imperial topaz consider gold and silver. They may sound super traditional and/or basic but they look fantastic with imperial topaz’s reddish-orange hues.
Orange Diamond
Diamond is the strongest and most popular gemstone on the market. So, it is no surprise that it also comes in an orange color. Although not a popular diamond hue, it has been worn on dozens of occasions and can look super regal in the right settings. Plus, as the 4th or 5th rarest color of a diamond, you can rest assured that whoever is receiving this stone will know that it's rare, special, and unique.
Wearing orange Diamond: Diamonds can be abused over and over again, and they will retain their natural beauty and color, so don't worry about what you can do with orange diamonds, just go for it! You can even wear a diamond on your teeth if you want, just be careful not to bite down on it and ruin your pearly whites.
If you truly want to show off an orange diamond to its max potential save it for a gorgeous wedding, engagement, or anniversary ring. There is something so special about saving your dream stone for the one you love and will share eternity with.
What to wear orange diamond with: like orange sapphire you can wear any color with an orange diamond! The stone is just so magnificent that no matter your style or preference of clothing the stone will fit right in. However, like sapphire, orange diamond does have some interesting combinations that can highlight the stone's outstanding appearance. So, get out there and experiment with different colored shirts, suits, dresses, and even shoes that might match your orange diamond ring.
Orange Citrine:
Citrine’s orange varieties are certainly something to stop and stare at. Ranging from a vibrant lemon yellow to a dazzling sunset orange, citrine is certainly the queen of citrus-colored stones. Just don't try to make juice out of the stones, that might ruin your blender.
But how do you get your hands on one? Well, citrine is fairly easy to find and also budget friendly. Depending on the color and carat you can buy a citrine for any price that suits your needs.
Wearing Orange Citrine: Because orange citrine scores a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale it is usually worn as necklaces and earrings. However, like most medium hardness stones they can be worn as a ring as well, just be sure to keep your citrine away from any blunt force trauma.
What to wear orange citrine with: orange citrine looks surprisingly similar to a sapphire, at least to the untrained eye. This means you can wear the same type of outfits that one would for an orange sapphire. See the “Orange Sapphire” section above.
Honorable Mentions:
- Mandarin Garnet: These gemstones look like hot balls of wonder! Their color is perfectly between red and orange and looks like a gorgeous sunset.
- Fire opal: Famous for its adularescence effect this stone appears to have a smokey cloud of fire inside its facets. The stone is truly fascinating and has a wonderful orange luster.
- Sunstone: an orange gemstone stone that has loads of sparkly inclusions of copper crystals. The stone is certainly unorthodox but if you want something unique and flashy then sunstone may be the way to go.
Outstanding gemstones for an outstanding person!
Now that you know the best of the best orange gemstones on the market it's time for you to either buy one for yourself or for another outstanding individual. Just make sure when you wear your orange gemstone that you wear it with pride, orange doesn't get too much love in the jewelry world it’s time to change that!