There are many ways to choose a gemstone.
You can begin with its history. Its colour. Its traditional symbolism. Your birthstone. The way it looks against your skin.
Or you can simply begin with the stone you cannot stop looking at.
I have always found that the most interesting choices are often instinctive.
You might find yourself repeatedly drawn to the oceanic blue of larimar, the deep green movement of malachite or the warmth of tiger eye without knowing anything about what those stones have traditionally represented.
That attraction is reason enough.
Begin with colour
Jewellery sits directly against the skin, so colour can be incredibly personal.
Think less about what you believe you should wear and more about the colours you naturally return to.
If you gravitate towards soft neutrals, pearl, moonstone or white lace agate may feel natural. If you love earthy colours, tiger eye, jasper and garnet introduce warmth. Blues such as larimar, amazonite, sodalite and lapis can range from pale and tranquil to intense and saturated.
Explore the story
Gemstones have gathered meanings and associations across different cultures and periods of history.
You may enjoy those stories and find that they add another dimension to the jewellery you wear. But they don’t need to dictate your choice.
A gemstone does not have to be your birthstone, nor does it have to represent something you believe you need.
Notice what you return to
Sometimes the best way to choose is simply to notice.
Which stone did you look at first?
Which one did you return to?
Which would you still want if nobody told you what it was supposed to mean?
Jewellery is intensely personal. The pieces we wear most often tend to be the ones we feel an inexplicable connection to.
So when choosing a gemstone, I believe there is value in knowing its story.
But there is also value in forgetting all of it for a moment.
Look at the stones.
And see which one speaks first.
