White and Colorless Gemstones: List of 15 White Gems
Are you attracted to the innocent, pure, and celestial nature of white jewelry? Ever wondered if there was more to white gemstones than the glamorous yet overstated diamond? Or, perhaps you’re curious about whether or not there are other white gemstones that look like diamonds.
What crystals are white in color? Today we’ll cover all white crystals names and pictures, including large white stones, colorless gemstones, off white crystals, and everything in between. By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll be a pro at white crystal identification!
Here are the white gemstone names for the stones we’ll cover:
White and Colorless Gemstones
White Zircon
White Topaz
White Sapphire
Clear Quartz
White Opal
White Coral
White Diamond
Rutile Quartz
White Howlite
Freshwater Pearl
Natural Pearl
Moonstone
Sodalite
White Agate
White Jade
Before we dive into each of the white minerals and stones, let’s start with the basics: white gemstones meaning.
What Does a White Crystal Mean?
If you limit your idea of a white gemstone to diamond, you might associate white gemstones meaning with love and commitment. But white gemstones represent much more!
Although different white stone types vary in meaning, most symbolize clarity, purity, and ascension. White and colorless crystals are great healing stones, particularly for awakening consciousness, as their spiritual nature makes them symbolic of a higher state.
Maybe that’s why angels have white wings; why ancient Roman priestesses wore white; why clouds are white; why wedding dresses are white; or why the light shining in the early hours of the day is often white!
Now that we have a general understanding of the white gemstones meaning, let’s dive right into our list!
White Zircon
White zircon is a white or colorless zircon variety. You might know zircon in different colors, such as red zircon and blue zircon, but, white zircon is the purest form of zircon.
A popular diamond substitute in Middle-Age France, white zircons are still popular white stones for jewelry. They’re the world’s oldest gemstone — Ancient Greeks and Romans used them as early as the 6th century, and the oldest found zircon is 4.4 billion years old! They’re durable, with a rank of 6 to 7.5 on the Mohs mineral hardness scale. And, they’re much cheaper than diamonds, but still have a heavenly shine.
White zircon symbolizes awareness and humility, similar to other white stone types. Although many zircon varieties correspond to different chakras, white zircon corresponds to the crown chakra, otherwise known as the “bridge to the cosmos.”
A gemstone of Venus, white zircon can act as a zodiac stone for the Venus-ruled Taurus and Libra. These white stones are known for warding off evil, promoting personal success, and bringing about greater awareness.
White Topaz
You might be more familiar with blue and orange topaz stones; but, there’s also a colorless topaz. These allochromatic, or colorless gemstones, are the least valuable of all the topaz varieties and are often found in Brazil, Mexico, Australia, and Colorado.
If your birthday is in late November or early December, you’re a lucky Sagittarius since you can call the topaz your zodiac stone!
The low refractive index of topaz stones makes them less sparkly than other white gemstones. But, with an 8 ranking on the Mohs hardness scale, white topaz gemstones are undoubtedly durable.
What topaz stones lack in shine, they make up for in healing properties! A medieval German polymath named St. Hildegard saw topaz as a cure for dim vision. This is consistent with the awakened consciousness property of white gemstones in general. Other healing properties of white topaz include:
Awakened intuition
Improved focus and sleep
Increased creativity
Support with arthritis and chest pain
Longer life
White topaz isn’t the only white counterpart of a more commonly blue stone. Meet the white sapphire!
White Sapphire
One of the four precious gemstones, sapphires are white and colorless in their most natural form.
Sapphires have historically been associated with royalty and higher beings. In the middle ages, sapphires represented chastity, celestial wisdom, and divinity — connotations that spread into many different cultures, like Hebrew lore, Greek mythology, and Buddhist enlightenment.
White sapphires are known to improve intuition and intellectual clarity. Keep one on hand to enhance your luck, safety, and connection with your higher self.
From the pure corundum mineral class, white sapphires are high in value. They are hard (9 Mohs hardness scale kind of hard!) crystalline minerals with great purity and clarity. Their hardness and rarity make them the most popular diamond substitutes.
Speaking of diamonds, let’s move on to the next stone in our white minerals list.
White Diamond
What is the rarest white gem? Surely it’s the white diamond, right? Not necessarily. But why are diamonds seen as such rarities?
The truth is, market manipulation makes everyone think diamonds are super rare, even though they’re not. In fact, natural pearls are rarer than many diamond varieties on the market. This manipulation was done by the diamond industry to meet and exploit the great demand for diamonds.
Market manipulation aside, white diamonds are still precious white gemstones. They’re near invincible with a 10 ranking on the Mohs hardness scale. Perhaps that’s why they’re named after the Ancient Greek word adamas, which means invincible.
Additionally, white diamonds are great energy purifiers and offer protection from evil and malice, especially for those born in April honored with a white diamond birthstone!
Are diamonds the most expensive gemstone? Not always. Meet the natural pearl.
Natural Pearl
Most pearls, like saltwater pearls, mabe pearls, and freshwater pearls are harvested, meaning they’re technically not natural. Do natural pearls exist? Yes, but they’re extremely rare and sold in small quantities.
Natural pearls might help with various issues, including allergies, colds, headaches, and stomach aches. Since they symbolize the moon, these milky white gemstones are connected to all your chakras, offering a wide range of benefits such as:
Increased clarity
More balance
Enhanced personal reliability
Improved astuteness
Higher perception
Natural pearls represent clarity, virtue, and conviction. But wear at your own risk! Some believe wearing pearls comes with a large spiritual debt, since your luxurious accessory comes at the cost of an oyster’s death.
Did you think the natural pearl was the only pearl on our list? Think again!
Freshwater Pearl
Let’s explore a more common pearl: the freshwater pearl. With a Mohs hardness scale rating of 2.5 to 4, freshwater pearls are delicate and require proper maintenance.
Freshwater pearls grow in bodies of freshwater like rivers, ponds, and lakes. Most commonly found in China, freshwater pearls range in colors, including white.
Like natural pearls, freshwater pearls connect to every single one of your chakras, offering the following healing properties:
Increased clarity
More balance
Enhanced personal reliability
Improved astuteness
Higher perception
Freshwater pearls offer great clarity, but they’re not the only ones! Check out our next gemstone for clarity inside and out!
Clear Quartz
Clear quartz is a transparent, clear stone that reflects gorgeous colors when light bounces off of it. Although they might be see-through, they’re certainly not weak. Maybe that’s why they’re the zodiac stone for the fiery Aries! Sporting a 7 ranking on the Mohs hardness scale, clear quartz gemstones are some of the strongest colorless stones!
Fun fact — clear quartz is one of the most mass-produced synthetic gems. So, how can you tell if your quartz is real or fake? Easy. Genuine quartz has inclusions of gas, dust, and liquid particles; synthetic quartz has no inclusions.
Consistent with white gemstones’ ethereal connotations, clear quartz is known for purification in the spiritual, emotional, and physical realm. Known as the “Master Healer,” clear quartz helps you:
Amplify intentions
Soothe spiritual anguish and negative emotions
Heal bodily pain
Meditate
Is clear quartz the only colorless gemstone in the quartz family? Keep reading to learn about clear quartz’s sister.
Rutile Quartz
Rutile quartz, or rutilated quartz, is very aesthetically similar to clear quartz, except for one detail: the rutile inclusions, which resemble needles. These stones are transparent, with inclusion lines resembling strands of goddess Aphrodite’s hair — at least, that’s what the Ancient Greeks thought.
If you’re a Gemini, Taurus, or Leo, rutile quartz is one of your zodiac stones! The clarifying properties of rutile quartz might help these signs make important decisions they’ve put off.
With a 7 ranking on the Mohs hardness scale, Rutile quartz is stronger than it looks. Its strength as a healing crystal is similarly grand, as it can help you with the following:
Seeking the right path
Improved perseverance
Better self-connection and self-awareness
Increased energy levels
Improved breathing
Rutile quartz isn’t the only stone that supports better self-connection and awareness. Let’s jump into our next lovely white crystal.
Moonstone
The moonstone is the ultimate celestial gem, named after the lunar beams its shimmer resembles. An orthoclase feldspar gemstone, moonstone ranks a 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and has a vitreous luster.
Moonstones are milky white in color and are known for their many inclusions. The inclusions in moonstones often resemble centipedes, with little lines reminiscent of the critter’s many legs.
People born in June are lucky to have this heavenly jewel as their birthstone! Who wouldn’t want a birthstone symbolizing hope, harmony, and inspiration?
Luckily, you can enjoy moonstone’s healing properties no matter which month you were born. Corresponding to the sacral and third eye chakras, moonstones can support reproductive health, fertility, sexual energy, and your relationship with your higher self.
Moonstones are especially great for people who undergo intense emotional labor in their day-to-day life, as they help release negativity. Think social workers, therapists, counselors, and emergency responders.
White Opal
Some opals are colorless and transparent, while others resemble milky white gemstones. They’re very delicate stones, with a softness ranking of 5 on the Mohs hardness scale.
The white opal meaning is consistent with that of other white gemstone types. Many believe white opals represent hope, truth, higher being, and purity. However, its connotations are varied if you look through history. Some saw opals as good luck signs; but, the 14th-century Black Plague changed that. Opals were believed to shine brighter when you were close to death!
But that’s just a legend. Opal has some great healing properties such as:
Enhanced creativity and intelligence
Intensified emotions and cosmic consciousness
Greater self-connection
Improved memory
We especially like the intensified cosmic consciousness as a healing property, as it demonstrates opal as a stone connecting us to more than just earth. Maybe that explains how NASA found opals on Mars!
Let’s move on to another soft and delicate white gemstone: sodalite!
Sodalite
Sodalite is made up of chloric sodium aluminum sulfate, making it a common crystal. Sodalite is light in density, with only a 5.5-6 ranking on the Mohs scale; a softness comparable to opal.
White sodalites are almost transparent, making them colorless gemstones. But sodalite is no Diet Coke! This stone packs on sodium, not aspartame. Regardless, sodalite’s healing properties will certainly make other gems feel salty!
Nicknamed the “Thinker’s Stone,” sodalite is a symbol of objectivity and rationality. It’s known for opening the throat and the third eye, to help you improve your sense of intuition and creativity. Other healing properties include:
Improved self-esteem
Better emotional well-being
Lowered blood pressure
Better digestion
All these healing properties make sodalite a total steal, at a mere $1 per carat!
White Coral
Could you imagine what the world looked like 350 million years ago? Neither can we, but we know one thing for sure: coral was present, first appearing in what’s known today as Morocco!
White coral forms in deep-water seabeds over 500 feet deep. The process is slow, and coral grows a mere millimeter per year. A delicate stone, white coral scores a 3 to 4 ranking on the Mohs scale.
This semi-precious white gemstone is a common tool in Ayurveda. Some healing properties include support for:
General debility
Anxiety
Immune system
Regeneration
Communication
Energy levels
We hope white coral can bring you some peace. If not, you should look into the stone nicknamed “the calming stone!”
White Howlite
White howlite is one of our milky white gemstones on this list and sometimes has silver inclusions. A borate mineral, white howlite is a softy, ranking a 2.5 to 3.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Henry How, a Canadian chemist, first discovered howlite in 1868. However, you can also find the stone in the US, Germany, Pakistan, Turkey, and Russia.
Also known as the “calming stone,” white howlite is the perfect stone to help you slow down, clear the mind, and enjoy some much-needed rest. White howlite is also great for taming loud minds and soothing emotional outbursts.
At some point, everyone could use a little white howlite in their lives! We’re lucky to have so many calming stones at our disposal, like white howlite, and this next stone...
White Agate
Ancient Egyptians used white agate as protective talismans over 3,000 years ago. A popular ancient Egyptian trend, white agate is still in style! White agate symbolizes balance and harmony.
It has a 6.5 to 7 Mohs ranking, making it a strong gemstone. That physical strength seeps into its healing properties, which include:
Improved concentration
Releasing traumas
Supporting anxiety
Reducing frustration
Soothing worry and anxiety
As we come to the end of our list, it’s only natural to finish with a white gemstone that’s an ultimate healer.
White Jade
White jade has been known as a lucky stone for hundreds of years. While it has many personal healing properties, what separates white jade from the others is its ability to strengthen love in your life, whether it’s with a friend or lover. It supports emotional healing and promotes feelings of calmness and peacefulness.
With a 6 ranking on the Mohs hardness scale, jade is a relatively strong stone. A type of Tremolite jade called nephrite, white jade has either a white, off-white, or milky color.
White jade is a super healer, with the following healing properties:
Bladder and kidney support
Arthritis soothing
Any joint and bone illness support
Detoxification
Immune system boost
Strengthened eyes and skin
With all of these great benefits, it’s no wonder white jade was always a lucky gem.
Get Your Own White-Hot Gem!
As you can see, there is much more to white gemstones than just diamonds! With so many beautiful varieties and remarkable healing properties, it’s hard to pick a favorite.
So, what are you waiting for? Check out our wonderful collection of celestial white gemstones!
Search the Gemstone Encyclopedia
Related Auctions
Related Articles
Originally the Birthstones or gemstones were associated with a zodiac sign or the month of a individuals birth. Find out what your stone is and view the stones we have for sale
8th Feb 2021
There are so many tools on the market for testing a gemstone, but what are the main tools required for simple analysis. Lets look at four tools for gemstone testing.
4th Mar 2020
Gem Rock Auctions has one of the largest range of Certified Gemstones online. Browse this list of approved gemstone testing laboratories.
24th Jul 2018
Latest Articles
Tantalite is a group of red, brown, or black minerals containing the rare and valuable element tantalum. Discover the uses, history, prices, and properties of tantalite gemstones in this guide!
11th Nov 2024
Hodgkinsonite is a very rare collector’s gemstone known for its vibrant pink or purple hues, only found in New Jersey, USA. Learn hodgkinsonite’s prices, history, properties, and traits in this guide!
9th Jun 2024
Canasite is a rare mineral usually found as greenish-yellow inclusions in charoite but also known as a purple gemstone. Learn canasite’s history, varieties, properties, and prices in this guide.
27th May 2024
Article Categories
How To's is where you will find helpful articles from gem Rock Auctions on how to cut gemstones, select gemstones and buy gemstones.
9 Articles