Top 10 Purple or Violet Gemstones

Purple and Violet are different colors but their essence is similar. Purple is more intense. Violet has the highest vibration in the visible spectrum.

Historically, purple was traditionally the color of royalty and other prestigious social groups having high status and purple symbolized wealth, power and royalty.
For example, in the Roman Empire only the emperor was allowed to wear purple clothing. Nero even criminalized wearing purple clothes by anyone but him - it was a crime punishable by death.
In antiquity, purple was the rarest and most expensive color for clothing because it was hard to dye garments that color. Because purple was the most expensive color, it became associated with wealth because rich people were the only ones who could afford it.

Purple clothing (and perhaps rings) were also used by people with high ranks/positions in the Christian religion hierarchy (for example, bishop, monsignor).

According to Color Psychology the color purple is the color of the imagination and spirituality because it's thought to stimulate the imagination and inspire high ideals. It is an introspective color, allowing people to get in touch with their deeper thoughts. (but I don't know if these thing are true)

The Top Ten

1 Purple Diamond

Don't be surprised - diamonds aren't only colorless, they actually occur in all colors but diamonds with colors are much rarer.

2 Purple Sapphire

3 Purple Taaffeite

It's a very rare and expensive gem

4 Chambersite

It's one of the rarest gems though. It was discovered in Texas, US

5 Amethyst

It's a violet variety of quartz. I would rather buy a whole rough crystal than a cut gem. Because their rough crystals are so unique and beautiful.

6 Purple Spinel

7 Purple Tanzanite

Royal blue is its more valued color but purple/violet varieties are pretty good, too.
Often the purple-ish shades can be seen in a predominantly blue gem (it's visible even in the image - the gem is zoned: blue, violet and red hue zones).
Tanzanite a rare gem found only in Tanzania.

8 Iolite