Why blue is the colour of choice for many tension rings

I often ask myself why blue is the colour of choice for many of my gemstone tension rings, and wonder what contributes to a person's subconscious influences in making these choices. 

I was surprised to find that there have been scientific studies which have attempted to define the reasons why. Without referring too much to study though, you only have to think about that bright turquoise sky in Autumn, contrasting with the yellow- brown leaves before they fall off, the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, the eyes of a loved one, or even your first pair of jeans!

I am often reminded of my childhood when I see a certain colour or shade,and can often related to certain items from my childhood. It’s a game I love to play!

The vast array of blue shades may be found across a wide variety of both precious and semi-precious gemstones, the most obvious example being sapphire. I use all shades of blue sapphire, from a nearly white with a hint of blue in the Ceylon range, right through to a dark Australian 'black' specimen. Topaz is available commercially in colours that vary from a very pale baby blue to a mid-colour Swiss Blue Topaz, to a darker variety known as London Blue. The London Blue shade is perhaps the most popular of the three.

In all the studies of colour popularity I've looked at, the shade of blue which comes out with a high ranking is the greenish-blue, or what I would call 'petrol'. This particular shade can be seen in the variety of Tourmaline known to gemologists as Indicolite. I've tried to relate something in my memories to this shade of blue, but other than oil floating on water, I can't think of a reference! I still enjoy the challenge, though.

The choice of blues, both opaque (Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Moonstone) and translucent, is very wide in both colour and materials, and one precious stone I haven't mentioned so far is Aquamarine. Again, although it is obtained in various intensities of pale blue, the darker colour is the most sought after. Maybe it is because of the connection, again, with clear alpine water, or a cloudless winter sky?  

Who really knows?

The month of November is usually represented by the birthstone Topaz, and I keep the three main shades of blue for my handmade tension rings. The tension technique of setting is a method which uses compression to hold a gemstone or a diamond. It is necessary to use a band which is of solid metal for the stone to be secure. The design makes the stone appear to be floating between the ends of the ring, and within the band itself.