Everyday Pride Jewellery: Small, Lasting Ways to Wear It
The easiest everyday Pride jewellery is a small piece in fine metal that you can wear with anything: a band set with coloured sapphires in flag colours, a single coloured stone, a symbol engraved inside a ring, or a small pendant. Gold, platinum and silver last for years, and sapphire rates 9 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Start with colour in a gemstone
Coloured stones let you wear flag colours without a flag. Sapphire is the most useful stone for this. GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, says that besides blue sapphire and ruby, "the corundum family also includes so-called 'fancy sapphires'" that "come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues." Ruby is the red member of the same family. GIA lists the Mohs hardness of sapphire as 9.
That means one family of stones can give you red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and pink, all with the same hardness. Set in a row, they make a rainbow sapphire band. One stone in a single colour is even quieter.
Flag colours and stones that can match
The colours below come from the Pride Flags Glossary of UC Santa Barbara's Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity. The stone column is our suggestion, using colours that GIA lists for sapphire.
| Flag | Colours | Stones that can match |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow flag (Gilbert Baker) | Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet | Ruby, then orange, yellow, green, blue and violet sapphires |
| Transgender flag (Monica Helms, 1999) | Light blue, pink, white | Light blue sapphire, pink sapphire, diamond |
| Bisexual flag (team led by Michael Page, 1998) | Pink, purple, blue | Pink, purple and blue sapphires |
| Lesbian flag (Emily Gwen, 2018) | Shades of orange, white, shades of pink | Orange sapphires, diamond, pink sapphires |
| Non-binary flag (Kye Rowan, 2014) | Yellow, white, purple, black | Yellow sapphire, diamond, purple sapphire, and a black stone or black finish |
The glossary also gives the meaning of each colour. For the transgender flag, light blue and pink are the traditional colours for baby boys and baby girls, and white stands for people who are transitioning or who have a neutral or undefined gender.
The rainbow flag's history, in short
The GLBT Historical Society says the rainbow flags were "first raised on June 25, 1978 in San Francisco's United Nations Plaza." Gilbert Baker created them, and they were "hand-stitched and dyed with the help of volunteers and friends." The original had eight stripes. The SFO Museum lists Baker's meanings: "pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing," "yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art," "indigo for peace and harmony, and purple for spirit." In 1979 the hot pink stripe was dropped because flag fabric in that colour was not available, and turquoise was removed to make an even number of stripes.
If you want the original eight colours, add a pink sapphire at one end and a teal or blue-green stone after the green.
Symbols you can engrave
Engraving inside a band is the most private choice. Only you know it is there. Good options:
- The doubled female sign ⚢ and the doubled male sign ⚣. Both were added to Unicode, the standard for characters on computers, in version 4.1 in March 2005 (U+26A2 and U+26A3). Both are simple line shapes, and both can be laser engraved.
- A date. The day you met, married or came out.
- Two initials. Yours and your partner's.
Hand engraving at Vanhess takes a day once the ring is made and sized. Engraved pieces cannot be returned, so check the drawing first. Our guide to engraving ideas for two grooms or two brides has more wording.
Symbols with history
Some symbols carry a long and sometimes painful past. Here is what our sources say, so you can decide what fits you.
The pink triangle
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum says men held in Nazi concentration camps as homosexuals were "typically required to wear a pink triangle on their camp uniforms as part of the prisoner classification system." Decades later, activists used it again. Poster House, a museum of posters, holds the 1987 Silence=Death poster and says the pink triangle "has been reclaimed in this poster as a weapon of resistance." You may want it as a memorial, or you may find it too heavy for daily wear. Either choice is fair.
Violets
JSTOR Daily says "Violets were associated with Sappho herself," meaning the poet Sappho. It also describes a play in which "one female character sends bunches of violets to another female character," and says the link to lesbian love from that play "led to plummeting violet sales at U.S. florists." A violet can be engraved or set as a small cluster of purple stones.
The green carnation
The same JSTOR Daily article says "the green carnation became a queer symbol in 1892," as "a secret, subtle hint that you were a man who loved other men." A green stone or green enamel flower is a quiet way to use it.
Choosing a piece that lasts
- Pick hard stones for rings. GIA's article on gem durability calls opal and tanzanite "not-so-tough" and says emeralds "are not tough gems to begin with." For softer or less tough gems in a ring, it advises: "reserve these pieces for special occasions."
- Use a low setting. Stones set level with the band catch less on clothes.
- Think about a pendant. A pendant takes fewer knocks than a ring, so it suits softer stones.
- Choose your size carefully. A band with stones all the way around usually cannot be resized, so a half row of stones is safer if your size may change.
Every Vanhess ring is made to order in any size and width, and every piece has a 2 year warranty. Our article on planning a ring stack shows how to plan bands that sit together on one finger.
Pendants and rings with colour
Key Takeaways
- Sapphire comes in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink and purple as well as blue, with a Mohs hardness of 9, according to GIA.
- Flag colours can be matched with sapphires, ruby and diamond in a band or a single stone.
- The doubled female ⚢ and doubled male ⚣ signs can be laser engraved inside a band.
- Symbols such as the pink triangle and violets have documented histories. Learn them before you choose.
- Keep softer stones such as opal and tanzanite for pendants or special occasions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a subtle way to wear Pride jewellery every day?
A subtle way to wear Pride jewellery every day is a small piece in fine metal with one detail that matters to you, such as a coloured stone or an engraved symbol. A band with a row of coloured sapphires, a single stone in a flag colour, or the doubled female or doubled male sign engraved inside a ring are all quiet choices. Subtle Pride jewellery works best in gold, platinum or silver, because those metals last for years of daily wear. Engraving inside a band is the most private option, since only you know it is there. A small pendant is another choice, and it takes fewer knocks than a ring. Choose one detail and keep the rest of the piece plain, so it suits work clothes as well as weekends.
Which gemstones match the rainbow flag colours?
Ruby and sapphires in orange, yellow, green, blue and violet match the six colours of the rainbow flag. GIA says that besides blue sapphire and ruby, the corundum family includes fancy sapphires that come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and other hues. Matching gemstones to the rainbow flag with sapphires gives every stone the same hardness, which GIA lists as 9 on the Mohs scale. That makes a rainbow band easier to wear every day than a band of mixed stones. If you want Gilbert Baker's original eight colours, add a pink sapphire at one end and a blue-green stone after the green. Ask to see the stones side by side in daylight before they are set, because shades vary from stone to stone.
Is a rainbow sapphire band strong enough to wear every day?
Yes, a rainbow sapphire band is a good choice for daily wear, because sapphire has a Mohs hardness of 9, according to GIA. Hardness measures how well a stone resists scratches, and a high number means fewer scratches from everyday dust and grit. A rainbow sapphire band for everyday wear also depends on the setting, so choose stones set level with the metal, which catch less on clothes and gloves. GIA notes that diamond is the hardest gemstone but not necessarily the toughest, which means even hard stones can chip with a hard knock. Take the band off for heavy lifting, gardening or sports. A band with stones only across the top half can usually be resized later, while a full ring of stones usually cannot.
What do the colours of the transgender flag mean?
The transgender flag uses light blue, pink and white, and it was designed by Monica Helms in 1999. According to the Pride Flags Glossary of UC Santa Barbara's Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, light blue is the traditional colour for baby boys and pink is the traditional colour for baby girls. The white stripe of the transgender flag stands for people who are transitioning or who have a neutral or undefined gender. In jewellery, the three colours can be matched with a light blue sapphire, a pink sapphire and a diamond. A short row of stones set in the same order as the flag's stripes keeps the design easy to read. Ask to see the blue and pink stones together in daylight, so the shades sit well side by side.
Can I engrave the double female or double male symbol inside a ring?
Yes, you can engrave the doubled female sign ⚢ or the doubled male sign ⚣ inside a ring, and both are simple line shapes that can be laser engraved. Both signs were added to Unicode, the standard for characters on computers, in version 4.1 in March 2005. Engraving the doubled female or male sign inside a band keeps the symbol private, because it touches your finger and nobody else sees it. You can add initials or a date next to it if there is room, for example both partners' first letters on either side of the sign. At Vanhess, hand engraving takes a day once the ring is made and sized. Engraved pieces cannot be returned, so check the drawing and the position of the symbol carefully before you approve the work.
What does the pink triangle mean on jewellery?
The pink triangle on jewellery recalls people who were persecuted for being gay, and it also became a sign of protest. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum says men held in Nazi concentration camps as homosexuals were typically required to wear a pink triangle on their camp uniforms. The meaning of the pink triangle changed when activists took it back. Poster House, a museum of posters, holds the 1987 Silence=Death poster and says the pink triangle was reclaimed in that poster as a weapon of resistance. Because of this history, some people wear it as a memorial, while others find it too heavy for daily use. If you choose it, a small engraved outline inside a band is a quiet and respectful option.
Why are violets a lesbian symbol?
Violets became a lesbian symbol through the poet Sappho and, much later, through a play. In a 2020 article on flowers with queer meanings, JSTOR Daily says violets were associated with Sappho herself. The same article describes a play in which one female character sends bunches of violets to another. The link between violets and lesbian love from that play, according to JSTOR Daily, led to plummeting violet sales at US florists. In jewellery, a violet can be engraved on a signet face, drawn as a small outline inside a band, or set as a small cluster of purple sapphires with a green stone for the leaf. Purple sapphire has a Mohs hardness of 9, so a violet cluster in a ring can be worn every day.
Which gemstones should I avoid in a ring I wear every day?
Avoid opal, tanzanite and emerald in a ring you wear every day, because GIA describes these as less tough stones. GIA's article on gem durability calls opal and tanzanite not-so-tough and says emeralds are not tough gems to begin with. For softer or less tough gems set in a ring, GIA advises that you reserve these pieces for special occasions. Choosing gemstones for an everyday ring is easier with sapphire or ruby, which rate 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. If you love a softer stone, put it in a pendant or earrings, which take fewer knocks than a ring. You can also choose a protective setting, where metal surrounds the edge of the stone, to lower the risk of chips.
Sources
- GIA, Sapphire Gemstone | Sapphire Stone. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- GIA 4Cs blog, More than the Mohs Scale: Understanding Gem Durability, 2016-03-14. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- UC Santa Barbara Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Pride Flags Glossary. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- GLBT Historical Society, The Rainbow Flag. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- SFO Museum, A Legacy of Pride: Gilbert Baker and the 40th Anniversary of the Rainbow Flag, exhibition 2018-04-14 to 2019-01-06. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Compart, “⚢” U+26A2 Doubled Female Sign Unicode Character. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Compart, “⚣” U+26A3 Doubled Male Sign Unicode Character. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust Encyclopedia, Gay Men under the Nazi Regime, last edited 2021-05-28. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Poster House, Silence=Death (PH.2025.1782). Accessed 2026-10-18.
- JSTOR Daily, Four Flowering Plants That Have Been Decidedly Queered (Sarah Prager), 2020-01-29. Accessed 2026-10-18.
Visit Vanhess
Browse our rings and pendants, or read the wedding ring guide for same-sex couples. To design a band with coloured stones, visit us at Coquitlam Centre or call 604-653-6449.
