The list of violet and purple gemstones is quite short when it comes to natural gems. Amethyst is the most well-known and classic example referenced since ancient times. Amethyst is the transparent purple to violet variety of quartz, and is the
official birthstone for the month of February. Besides amethyst, there are wonderful violet hues found within the spinel, tourmaline and sapphire families. Fluorite can be found in extraordinary purple colors. Other purple gems include chalcedony quartz,
jadeite and charoite, all of which often occur with a cool lavender color, gem-quality pink spodumene, known as kunzite, is known to exhibit a violet color too.
There are a few other notable violet gemstones, such as tanzanite and iolite; though it is more known for being blue, the name 'iolite' originates from the Greek word for 'violet'. Scapolite and apatite are lesser known, but commonly occur with violet color. The color purple is linked to royalty and in general, is thought to induce peace. Purple gemstones are a magnificent color option for jewelry designs, as the combination of blue and red brings about an aura of both warm and cool tones. Purple is slightly stronger and has a more prevalent reddish hue, but many prefer cooler violet, lavender and lilac hues.