Gemstones are a good choice for those who love colour.
Rubies, blue sapphires, and emeralds have been adored for thousands of years and they are referred to as The Big Three. Sapphire (you mostly see blue, but it comes in many colours) is extremely hard and durable so it will last forever in a piece of jewellery. Ruby (red) and emerald (green) are very rare and therefore extra desirable.
They are called The Big Three because they are, in their best form, the most expensive of all gemstones. Sometimes they are even more expensive per carat than diamonds. And all three are surrounded by fascinating myths and legends, dating back to the Greeks, the Persians and the Roman Empire. They are cut to show the very best shade of the stone. Let me tell you where the best ones come from: for blue sapphires: Kashmir, India (experts recognize them by their silky, velvety appearance), for emeralds: Colombia (dating as far back as the pre-Columbian era), for rubies: Birma (and even there, decent size rubies are very rarely found).