Gemstones are many and varied, from the common and easily affordable to the rare and expensive. Though the color gray might not pop like brighter hues, gray gemstones have a quiet, calming appeal. Their presentation by jewelers after cutting, polishing, and adding them to other jewelry pieces increases their natural beauty and aesthetic quality.
How many gray gemstones do you know? If you’re curious to learn more about them, this article is for you.
What do gray gemstones mean?
Gray gemstones are considered the calming stone for those who have had traumatic experiences. They’re also soothing for those experiencing emotional challenges of withdrawal and mood swings.
From ancient times, people have loved them for their capacity to restore greater attentiveness, retention, creativity, and improved sensitivity to the world around us.
14 Most Beautiful Gray Gemstones to Know
We’re sharing 14 gray gemstones with you, with information on their symbolism and wearability. A gemstone with a hardness of 7 or more is more scratch-resistant and better suited to daily wear.
Read on to learn more about these striking gems.
Alexandrite
Alexandrite is a rare and valuable stone whose color and luster vary with time of day. Its hardness is 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. But you have to be careful as they can chip and crack when they strike strong surfaces. They can also lose their luster from prolonged exposure to sunlight, so keep them out of the sun.
White gold, platinum, or palladium are the best setting for alexandrite. The slightly gray alexandrite is rare, and its rarity makes it almost as expensive as diamonds.
Gray Pearls
Pearls are opaque hard calcium carbonate organic gemstones formed by oysters and mussels. Some consider them simply as gems and not stones. Pearls have been in use as jewelry for thousands of years.
Gray pearls come from the mollusk hyriopsis cumingii. They do not need cutting or polishing to bring out their natural beauty. Though the softness of pearls (2.5 to 4.5 on the hardness scale) makes them liable to scratches, you have to wear them often.
💡 Did You Know? Pearls need to “breathe” and get exposure to outside moisture. Otherwise, they can dry out and become brittle. You shouldn’t wear your pearls daily, but be sure to wear them at least twice a year.
Agates
The agate is a semi-translucent gemstone that comes in various shades, including black, red, green, blue, and gray. The natural gray agate, with its glassy brilliance, is perhaps the most popular. The gray agate is probably one of the gemstones that are easily within the means of buyers.
It has a strong hexagonal crystal system with a Mohs hardness scale of 7 and is formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Gray agates are healing stones used in balancing and stabilizing your energy while relieving stress.
Gray Quartz
Quartz is one of the earth’s most abundant stones produced by the bonding of oxygen and silicon. It ranks between 7 and 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it suitable for daily wear. Although quartz is generally considered colorless, other shades like citrine yellow, pink (known as rose quartz), and gray exist.
Gray quartz is also called smoky quartz and is known for its power to promote recovery from negative energies such as tiredness.
Hematite
Hematite is an iron ore crystal that commonly comes in black. However, gray shades are also available. Hematite is 5.5 – 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. Hematite is considered the lucky stone that helps to nullify negative energies and bring stability and calmness in stressful times.
The hematite gemstone may not be mainstream jewelry, but its distinctive presentation makes it a collector’s item. Some even wear it daily for its distinct qualities.
Gray Diamonds
Diamonds are the hardest gemstone, with a 10 on the Mohs scale. Though they are usually associated with a clear hue, some are gray.
Gray diamonds exude superiority, freshness, and class. Because of their hardness, you can wear them every day without fear of scratches. But the gemstone can gather dust and grime over time, making it lose its shine.
💡 Did You Know? Gray diamonds are rare, but this rareness doesn’t affect the cost. They aren’t much more expensive than regular diamonds because the demand isn’t high.
Jasper
Jasper is a semi-precious stone of the mineral class of Chalcedony with a hexagonal crystal system. It has a 6.5-7 hardness scale on Mohs’, meaning you can wear it daily, but with great care. It has opaque transparency with a unique beauty when mounted on jewels.
If you need something to help you focus, this is the stone for you. Gray jasper will take negativity away and give you the calmness to put your thoughts into action.
Gray Sapphire
The sapphire is traditionally a blue gemstone but also exists in gray and blue-gray, as well as other shades.
Sapphires are rated 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and are denser than diamonds. You can wear a sapphire every day, but it can get cloudy with dirt from makeup and lotions. You only need a soft brush and soapy water to clean it up.
Gray Spinel
Spinel is a beautiful gemstone with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. It is a semi-precious stone that rarely comes with a full gray color due to the presence of a minor secondary color. Spinel stones are durable, with a good sheen, and do not easily break or get scratched.
There are red, blue, purple, black, and gray shades of spinel exist. Gray spinel costs between $90 to $1000 per carat, the price increasing as the shade of gray deepens. Fake spinels are common, but you can tell by exposing the stone to ultraviolet light. A fake spinel stone will glow under long-wave ultraviolet light.
Fluorite
The fluorite stone is a multi-colored luminous crystal that emits fluorescent light under angled ultraviolet light. Its crystals are made up of calcium and fluoride, and that fluorine content makes it a dangerous gemstone as jewelry.
Fluorite has a hardness of 4 on the Mohs hardness scale. Sharp metal objects can easily scratch them. These fragile qualities make fluorite jewelry suitable only for occasional use.
Labradorite
Labradorite is a semi-precious calcium-enriched feldspar crystal gemstone first found in Labrador, Canada. It has a hardness of 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. The hardness means it gets scratched easily. However, it isn’t brittle and won’t crack on hard impact.
People favor labradorite for its protective aura. The gemstone keeps you safe from the world’s negativity while calming your mind and bringing you in touch with your inner wisdom.
Gray Tourmalines
Tourmalines are crystalline silicates that come in various colors, including gray. The gray tourmaline is a rarity and often has a tinge of other colors. The gemstone has a Mohs hardness scale of 7.5-8 and can be opaque or transparent.
You can wear tourmaline jewelry every day with some caution. The gemstone is brittle and can crack if handled roughly.
Gray Topaz
Topaz is a colorless silicate mineral with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs hardness scale. Without impurities and structural defects, topaz is colorless. But other colors of topaz exist, like yellow, brown, orange, green, and gray.
Topaz gemstones are valued for their invigorating energy. These gemstones bring joy, wealth, abundance, generosity, and good health.
Gray Moonstone
Moonstones are sodium potassium aluminum silicates in the feldspar group. They have pearly and opalescent exteriors and come in various colors.
Gray moonstones are used for religious ceremonies and purification and are found in Madagascar, Myanmar, Australia, Armenia, Mexico, and the United States.
Moonstones rank between 6 and 6.5 on the hardness scale. Because of their relative softness, avoid wearing them daily to prevent scratches.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gray Gemstones
If you still have any other questions about gray gemstones, we can provide answers.
What is gray jasper?
It is a shade of jasper with dark coloration that has been used for a long time to ward off evil spirits. If you love making quick decisions, the gray jasper stone jewelry would be your choice.
What healing stone is gray?
Gray moonstone is an excellent healing gemstone that improves your inner energy and soothes stressful feelings. Other examples of gray healing stones are gray agate, gray moonstone, gray labradorite, and fluorite.
These healing gemstones are regarded to have powers that transform the health of those who wear them. The healing occurs as they contact the skin of those who wore them when worn for long periods. Their energies permeate and renew the well-being of the individual.
What can you do with gray gemstones?
Gray gemstones can be used in jewelry, for rings, bracelets, and necklaces. While they may not have the powerful bright lure of other colors, they have a cool, calming aura. People value the soothing feeling they offer the wearer, and those who don’t like brightly colored gemstones find gray gemstones attractive.
Where to Shop for Gray Gemstones
There are several acclaimed jewelers in the major cities of the world. Some stores where you can find good selections are:
Only to buy gemstones from stores with a good reputation, like those we listed. Read customer reviews online and check for a certificate of authenticity.
Go Unique With a Gray Gemstone
The flashier-colored gemstones catch everyone’s eye, but gray gems have their appeal. These neutral-colored gems have a calming appearance and make you stand out because they are different.
Now that you’ve learned about them, which is your favorite?
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