When the temperature drops and heavier clothes come out, you break out your winter jewelry! The best stone types for winter jewelry tend to have richer color and more depth than what you would wear in summer. While delicate jewelry still has a place, stones add color beside thick sweaters and winter coats. But what stones are best for the colder months? Here are several options to consider for your winter jewelry collection.
Garnet
Garnet is a deep red gemstone best known as the January birthstone, though it also comes in green, orange, and a few other colors depending on where it’s mined. The wine-red variety is the one people picture, and it pairs naturally with camel coats, black turtlenecks, and cream knits. A garnet pendant layered under a scarf peeks out just enough to add color without pulling focus from the rest of the outfit, and a garnet ring holds up fine to the daily bumps a hand takes through coat sleeves and glove changes.
Turquoise
Turquoise is a popular stone. It has a waxy, opaque blue-green color. Wear it with silver, denim, or a heavy knit sweater! Just be mindful while shopping, since turquoise is one of the most commonly faked stones on the market. It’s easy to make a costly mistake when buying for the first time—dyed howlite is a commonly spoofed substitute, with dyed howlite, and there are other imposters in circulation too, so checking a piece carefully before you buy saves you from paying gemstone prices for dyed rock!
Onyx
Onyx is a black variety of chalcedony known for its flat, opaque finish with no internal texture or banding to catch light differently from different angles. Its even black color puts more focus on the size and shape of a chunky ring, so the stone works naturally with the oversized styles showing up this season. Slide one on next to a mixed-metal band and the onyx gives the stack a dark focal point without needing a second stone to finish the look.
Amethyst
Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz that ranges from a soft lilac to a near-black violet, with the darker grades typically set in gold for evening wear. February’s birthstone doesn’t need to be reserved for February babies, especially once the deep purple starts showing up in the same seasonal palette as burgundy and plum. A deep amethyst pendant layered under a turtleneck or peeking from a cowl neck adds color without competing with those tones, and because amethyst is durable quartz, it takes daily wear without much risk of scratching.
Sapphire
Sapphire is a variety of corundum best known for its blue color, though it also occurs in yellow, pink, and colorless forms. Blue sapphire works especially well in winter because navy and royal blue already appear throughout cold-weather coats and knitwear. Its deep color still looks rich against gray skies and darker fabrics, while its 9 rating on the Mohs hardness scale makes it durable enough for rings and other pieces that get regular wear. Pair it with white gold or silver if you want to keep the look cool-toned.
Blue Topaz
Blue topaz is a transparent gemstone that ranges from pale sky blue to deeper shades such as Swiss or London blue. The darker varieties suit winter especially well because the color stays saturated beside gray coats and navy sweaters instead of fading into the background. Faceted blue topaz catches light easily, which gives earrings or pendants extra brightness during a season filled with heavier fabrics and darker colors. White gold or silver keeps the stone’s cool tone consistent from the setting to the gem.
Ruby
Ruby is the red variety of corundum, sharing its mineral family with sapphire but taking on a red color from trace amounts of chromium instead of blue. That same chromium gives ruby a faint glow under warm indoor lighting, which is part of why it photographs so well at holiday dinners and evening events. A ruby pendant stands out sharply against a black turtleneck, and yellow gold brings extra warmth to the stone’s deep red color.
Smoky Quartz
Smoky quartz is a brown-to-gray variety of quartz, colored by natural irradiation within the crystal, with shades ranging from light tea to near-black. Its brown undertones pair especially well with camel, cream, and chocolate outerwear, while darker stones add contrast against pale knits. Larger smoky quartz stones work well in oversized pendants because the translucent crystal keeps a big piece from looking visually heavy. A long chain also leaves the full stone visible over a sweater instead of hiding it beneath the neckline.
Black Spinel
Black spinel is a distinct mineral from onyx, but it has a similar black color with noticeably more shine because it reflects more light. That brighter surface keeps the stone from disappearing against dark winter clothes, especially black wool or charcoal knits. In earrings or pendants, the faceted surface catches indoor light and adds sparkle.
Labradorite
Labradorite is a gray feldspar mineral known for labradorescence, an optical effect that flashes blue, green, or gold when the stone catches light at certain angles. Indoors, a labradorite piece can look almost plain gray until it’s tilted, which makes it a stone that rewards a second look instead of announcing itself from across a room. That built-in color shift pairs especially well with the mixed-metal layering trend, since the flash pulls in both silver and gold tones at once.
Hematite
Hematite is an iron oxide mineral with a metallic gray-black surface that can look close to polished steel depending on the cut. That metallic finish lets it blend directly into a stack of actual metal jewelry instead of standing apart from it. Layer a hematite bracelet next to silver bangles and the eye barely separates where the stone ends and the metal begins, which is exactly the effect the mixed-metal, stacked-bracelet trend is built around this season.
Find A Stone You’ll Wear All Winter
The best stone types for winter jewelry are the ones you’ll reach for throughout the season. Look at the colors you already wear and choose a stone that adds the contrast or depth you want. You don’t need to replace your whole jewelry collection for winter. One new piece can give your favorite cold-weather outfits a fresh touch while still fitting into your style after the season ends.
