Common Questions

Which Metal for Each Vedic Gemstone?

In Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) each of the nine planetary gems has a traditional metal:

Gold: Sun, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter
Silver: Moon and Saturn
White gold or platinum: Venus
Silver or white gold: Rahu and Ketu

Mostly, though, the effect comes from the stone, not the metal, so the traditional metal is a preference rather than a rule.

The traditional Vedic metal for each planet

Planet	Gemstone	Traditional metal
Sun	Ruby	Gold
Moon	Pearl	Silver or white gold
Mars	Red coral	Gold, or silver to soften its intensity
Mercury	Emerald	Yellow gold
Jupiter	Yellow sapphire	Gold (silver is fine on a budget)
Venus	Diamond	White gold or platinum (silver on a budget)
Saturn	Blue sapphire	Silver, white gold or platinum
Rahu	Hessonite	Silver or white gold
Ketu	Cat’s eye	Silver or white gold

Traditional metals in real pieces

Ruby set in a gold bezel ring — **Sun:** ruby in gold.

Pearl set in a silver men’s bezel ring — **Moon:** pearl in silver.

Red coral set in a gold ring — **Mars:** red coral in gold.

Emerald set in a gold bezel ring — **Mercury:** emerald in yellow gold.

Yellow sapphire women's gold stepped bezel ring, front view — **Jupiter:** yellow sapphire in gold.

Diamond set in a white gold bezel ring — **Venus:** diamond in white gold.

Blue sapphire men's silver stepped bezel ring, front view — **Saturn:** blue sapphire in silver.

Secondary stones (uparatnas, the gentler gems that share a planet’s color) follow the same metal as their primary gem, and all of them can be set in silver if gold becomes cost prohibitive.

When another metal is fine

A gem set in a different metal will still work in a majority of cases. Virtually all of the effect comes from the gem itself, not the metal it’s set in. That’s why we’re comfortable setting a yellow sapphire or an emerald in silver when gold would push the jewelry past someone’s budget.

It works the other way too. We have some customers who love yellow gold and only wear yellow gold, and they’ve had fine results setting their pearl in it, even though silver is the Moon’s traditional metal. Venus gems are another good example: it’s okay to put them in yellow gold. It’s not the default, but Venus doesn’t mind.

Red coral is the one gem where the metal is sometimes chosen on purpose. It’s traditionally set in gold, but some people set it in silver to cool it down energetically, which is also okay.

Rule breakers that still work

Red coral set in a silver split band ring — **Red coral in silver.** Coral is traditionally set in gold. Silver is thought to be cooling, so some people choose it to soften coral’s heat.

Keshi pearl in a gold trident pendant — **Pearl in gold.** The Moon’s pearl traditionally goes in silver. This Keshi pearl is set in yellow gold for a client who prefers gold.

Blue sapphire in a gold pendant — **Blue sapphire in gold.** Saturn’s gem is traditionally set in silver because Saturn is a “cold” planet. But sometimes gold jewelry makes the difference between the owner wearing it proudly every day, or not often.

Cat’s eye set in a gold band ring — **Cat’s eye in gold.** Ketu’s gem traditionally goes in silver or white gold. Occasionally an astrologer suggests gold for a personalized reason.

Gold: 14k and up

Use gold of 14k or higher. 14k gold is more durable than 18k gold, but a little less yellow. 18k is the most common gold we use. 22k gold is too soft for everyday wear in most cases, unless the setting is very substantial and securely built. We never use 24k gold because it’s too soft.

Why we don’t use copper or three-metal rings

You’ll often see Jyotish gems sold in copper, or in a three-metal ring, also called a tridhatu, or “three metals,” ring, which blends gold, silver and copper. Its cousins are the panchdhatu, a five-metal alloy, and the ashtadhatu, an eight-metal alloy. We don’t use any of them. Copper tarnishes and can turn the skin green, and it’s too soft to hold a valuable stone securely through years of daily wear. Blended metals share the same problems, and they’re hard for a jeweler to repair or resize. A Jyotish gem is often worn for life, and its setting should last as long as you wear the stone.

Blue sapphire silver scroll band ring, front view — **Front view:** blue sapphire in a silver scroll band ring.

Blue sapphire silver scroll band ring, back view showing the open setting behind the stone — **Back view:** the same ring, open behind the stone so it can touch the skin.

In our experience, copper and three-metal settings have no real bearing on the effect of the gem either. The effect comes from the stone.

Whatever the metal, open behind the stone

For Vedic astrology, gemstones should be set in jewelry that’s open on the underside, allowing the gem to lightly touch the skin when possible. This allows light and color to pass through the stone without being blocked by metal. Rings and pendants both work, and the chain makes no difference at all. Read the traditional finger and day for each gem here.

Not sure which gem is yours? Start with our Free Gem Report. If you’re ready to buy, order a Personal Consultation to confirm the gem is the right match for you. The consultation fee is credited back with any gemstone purchase over $500.