Alternative Blue Gemstones to Turquoise
If you are like me, you wear a lot of turquoise. I vowed to break my complete addiction to turquoise and find a few alternatives. Here are a few I could find, styled in this post.
1. Blue gemstone: Larimar
Larimar is a rare gemstone, the hue of which looks like the beautiful waters of the Caribbean. Coincidentally, larimar can only be found on the Caribbean island of Dominican Republic, nowhere else. Officially, it has been discovered in 1974, although some records indicate intent to explore “blue stones” in the region in 1916, but at the time this request was denied.
Within the images, I am wearing a larimar bangle. In summer, I rarely take this piece off. Larimar to me is like a chilled-out turquoise: quieter, more refined – a bit like a regal cousin.
2. Blue gemstone: Aquamarine
If you are looking for a more transparent alternative to turquoise, blue zircons, tanzanites and blue topazes are all very popular options. Having said that, my personal favourite is aquamarine. It’s like a transparent version of the totally chill larimar. Translated from Latin, aquamarine literally means seawater. Like its cousin emerald, aquamarine is a colour variety of the beryl family. It is the birthstone for the month of March, so if you are a March baby, stock up. If you are not a March baby, also stock up – it’s an irrestistible gemstone!
In the images, you will see me wearing an aquamarine ring surrounded by zircons.
3. Blue gemstone: Black Opal
Although it’s called black opal, these gems can appear to have an intense blue shine from within. Some black opals might look like lapis lazuli at first glance, but the moment the lights change, it’s almost like there’s a whole LSD trip within the stone. Okay, that may have been a bit dramatic, but I genuinely feel this way. Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, which is the primary source of opals, followed by the Wello Province of Ethiopia where it was found as recently as 2008. Opal is the birthstone of October babies.
I am wearing small black opal earrings in the images, and I promise you I managed to distract at least one person each time I wore them.
Other blue gemstones
The other jewellery pieces in the images that I am wearing are with turquoise, but hopefully I succeeded in showing you that there are other baby blue gemstones to discover beyond it. Other honourable mentions include: blue diamond, kyanite, light blue sapphire, lapis lazuli, spinel, moonstone and paraiba tourmaline.
Do you mix turquoise with other gemstones? What combination is your favourite?
Dress: Boohoo, Bag: Versace, Heels: ASOS, Necklace: Gold + Turquoise, Ring: Silver + Turquoise, Bangle: Silver + Larimar, Earrings: Silver + Dark Opals, Ring: Silver + Aquamarine
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