What do you think about when the color green is mentioned?  St. Patrick’s Day and leprechauns are the most popular answers. This green we are going to talk about may intrigue you just as much as St. Patrick’s day, but there is no parade. Instead, you can wear it as jewelry, even if you’re not Irish.

These are the popular green gemstones and their stunning color offers sophistication and elegance, making it hard for other colored gemstones to compete. 

Since the color green is associated with nature, green-colored stones symbolize life, renewal, freshness, and energy. It also has a peaceful and soothing feel, which further amplifies people’s likeness towards these colored gems.  

Emeralds are probably the first gems that pop into your head. However, there are over 100 types of green gemstones used in various types of jewelry. 

Here is a list of the top green gemstones that look stunning. 

• Emeralds

Emeralds are the most popular green gemstone of all time. As a member of the illustrious beryl family, this gemstone has a graceful appeal to it. Emeralds have been in use since antiquity. In fact, Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian queen, was well-recognized for wearing them. 

The most crucial factor to consider when buying an emerald is the color of the stone. Let’s face it: an emerald is nothing if it is not green. The more vivid and intense the color, the more expensive the stone. Almost all emeralds contain inclusions and eye-clean emeralds are extremely rare, so the lesser the inclusion, the more valuable the stone. 

With a 7.5 to 8 rating on the Mohs scale, emeralds are considered fairly durable. However, if an emerald contains too many inclusions, the stone can weaken and chip more easily. Emeralds are commonly treated in order to enhance their color and stability to raise their value. Therefore, it is important to choose a reliable vendor when purchasing this expensive gem. 

• Green Diamonds

When you think of diamonds, you probably instantly imagine a beautiful, colorless stone. However, even though the transparent variety is more popular, diamonds are found in an extensive range of colors, including green. Green diamonds are extremely rare, so they are also quite expensive, but not as much as red or pink diamonds. They may range in shades from faint to deep green and sometimes even feature secondary tones, such as brown, blue, or yellow. 

Although most colored diamonds get their color from certain trace elements, green diamonds are quite unique in this aspect. These beautiful stones get their coloring from natural radiation that occurs over a period of hundreds of years. While radiation is generally dangerous, green diamonds are quite safe to wear. 

• Green Sapphires

Sapphires are commonly associated with the color blue, which is why green sapphires weren’t considered desirable. However, with rapidly changing tastes and perceptions of gemstones, green sapphires are now becoming increasingly popular. This stunning stone occurs quite rarely and gets its color mainly from the presence of iron. 

With its shades varying from dark to faint green, with slight hints of yellow or blue, green sapphires are found in a stunning range of hues. Like all other sapphires, green sapphires also have a score of 9 on the Mohs scale, making them one of the most durable gemstones of all time. The high durability of the stone, combined with its brilliance, makes it a fantastic choice for all types of rings. 

• Jade

Jade is nearly a synonym for the word ‘green.’ It is one of the few stones that is actually named after a color and is one of the top green gemstones of all time. This beautiful mineral can be traced back to over 7,000 years ago. It has been used since ancient times, especially in China. 

This stone has two main types: jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is the more valuable variety due to its higher quality, while nephrite is found in higher quantities and is comparatively less expensive. Although jade is a fairly soft stone with a rating of 6 on the Mohs scale, this stone can withstand a lot of adversity due to its compact composition. Faceting jade isn’t a very popular practice, but it sure can give the gem an added brilliance.

• Green Agate

Agate occurs in a variety of colors, but green is one of the more popular and rare varieties. It is typically found with many inclusions and is typically smooth with a vitreous luster. Green agates are generally translucent to opaque. 

This gemstone is usually cut in cabochons, and sometimes it is faceted for enhanced depth and light reflection. With a Mohs scale rating of 7, agates have pretty good durability and are suitable for all jewelry. Although this gem is generally affordable, the quality of the setting and the workmanship involved in the jewelry piece can hike up its overall price. 

• Demantoid Garnet

Demantoids are a part of the andradite variety, belonging to the garnet family. The most expensive variety of garnets, the occurrence of demantoids is quite rare. Since most demantoid gems occur in sizes under 2 carats, finding a large stone is pretty difficult.

This gem occurs in colors ranging from faint to vivid. Some stones also feature secondary hints of brown or yellow, making them less desirable. The most valuable kind of demantoids is the green ones that come from Russia. Certain demantoids also feature extremely rare horsetail-shaped inclusions that aren’t found in other gems. These inclusions add quite a bit of value to the gem, making this gemstone one of the few stones that increase in value due to its impurities. 

• Amazonite

Amazonite gets its name from the Amazon Rainforest despite the fact that there aren’t any amazonite deposits in the area. Occurring in shades of light green to a blue-green color, the deep, leaf-green color is the most highly desired variety of the stone. 

This beautiful gem features white lines and streaks that form random patterns and add character and depth to the stone. Amazonite is found in abundant quantities, which is why it is easily available and isn’t highly priced. Also, this gem usually isn’t enhanced or treated in any way. 

The jewelry world has many beautiful green gemstones to offer. Some other green gemstones that didn’t make the above list include green tourmaline, aventurine, malachite, green topaz, green zircon, green fluorite, green pearl, and green apatite. 

So if you go to the next St. Patrick’s day parade, wear a large green gemstone necklace. Since it is early July, you have 10 months to save up for it!