Brown gemstones offer warm earthy shades, from honey and cognac to deep chocolate. Natural choices include brown sapphire, brown zircon, smoky quartz, hessonite garnet and tiger eye, each with its own character.
How to choose a brown gemstone
- Look for warmth: brown with orange or golden hints tends to look livelier than flat grey-brown.
- Check brightness: good cutting stops darker browns from looking dull or muddy indoors.
- Match your metal: rose and yellow gold bring out warm brown tones.
- Consider effects: tiger eye shows a moving band of light when cut as a cabochon.
- Think about daily use: brown sapphire is the hardest of these, so it suits rings.
See brown sapphire, brown zircon and hessonite (gomed) for warm tones in different species.