We love to adorn our hands with jewels, so extending the sparkle to our nails is a natural next step. Gem nail designs can range from subtle and demure to bold and chunky. It all depends on the size, number, and color of your gems.
“Gems are a way to step up the glam to another level,” says celebrity nail artist Sarah Chue. Nail artist Mazz Hanna adds that they “enhance a basic look and add a unique dimension to your nail art.”
Meet the expert
If you’re doing your gem mani yourself, there are a few different ways to adhere them. “It’s easiest to encapsulate the gems with a thick topcoat,” says Hanna. However, for longer-lasting results, she says to consider sealing the gems in with a builder gel. This not only provides a smoother finish to your manicure but also ensures your nail gems can last for two weeks or more.” Chue is a fan of Makartt Rhinestone Glue ($6) for smaller gems and IBD Hard Gel ($q9) for larger gems. Both are gel-based and require a UV or LED light to cure.
Ahead, find 30 gem nail looks to recreate.
Cabouchon
KISS
Celebrity nail stylist Gina Edwards created this gorgeous look for Sergio Hudson’s fall 2024 show using KISS press-ons as the base. It features inlaid stones surrounded by gold, reminiscent of a cabochon ring. “This is a glamorous, embellished nail look,” says Edwards. “We have ’70s throwback glam — think about Diane Carroll, Diana Ross. Those were the two women that Sergio was inspired by for this collection.”
Shimmer and Shine
“This was done for Priah Ferguson, attending a Summer Miu Miu event,” says Chue. “We used the gems [play off of] her studded dress which tied in beautifully.”
Strawberry Quartz
“This was my first time using ORLY Builder in a Bottle ($29) to adhere gems to my nails,” says Hanna. “It worked like a dream and ever since then, this is how I have been adhering 3D nail art to my nails.”
Pinks and Purples
This nail tip design features a cluster of different-sized pink, purple, and silver gems on a milky white base. It yields a fun, hyper-feminine look.
Pierced Detail
These nails go hard, featuring literal belly button rings as the gems. The rings are attached through holes in the nail, cementing the pierced effect.
Pinky
The pinky is the star of this gem nail design by Edwards. It’s covered in silver gems on a silvery base and complemented by milky nude nails with gems and a single French tip.
Cherries on Pink
This look features gems as cherries on a pink French tip for a cutesy cherry manicure.
Color Dots
This colorful design blends gems with aura-like two-toned dots. The two elements come together to create a super funky look.
Down the Middle
This design by Edwards keeps things simple with a line of gems running lengthwise down the center of the nail. The gems are all different colors, but since they’re placed in a straight line, the look maintains a bit of uniformity.
Aura Accents
A peach-to-nude aura nail serves as the base of this design. Atop the aura sit silver gems and cream stars and hearts.
Cotton Candy Bling
This sweet aura design features a pink base with a blue center and tiny silver gems. It’s giving big cotton candy energy.
Bejeweled Frenchie
Step up your classic French manicure and adorn it with gems. Each nail features three to four well-spaced gems. To keep the look soft, the tip uses a warm, creamy white instead of a stark white.
Red Velvet
These nails combine a bubble gum pink glazed base with shimmery, crimson-matte flames. Within the fire are a few crimson gems.
Like a Ring
One nail in this sparkle-laden look features a line of silver nail foil with a silver gem in the middle, creating what looks like a mini ring on the nail.
Cherries on Green
To do the gem cherries in a way that’s a touch less sweet, pair it with a minty green French tip instead of the bubble gum pink.
All Silver
This silver manicure was inspired by Olivia Rodrigo’s song “good 4 u.” It features a silver shimmer French tip accented by silver gems and a nail that reads “You Look Good.”
At the Base
This milky manicure features a cluster of gems at the base of each index finder. The nails are laid in a super artful way for an intricate look.
Unicorn Tip
This nail look features lilac French tips and one gem-encrusted tip for a whimsical, unicorn vibe. The gem tip blends pearls and gems of different sizes for an intentionally chaotic finish.
Dangling Diamonds
This look features strings of crystals that travel down the nail and extend an inch or two beyond the tip, dangling like jewelry. Practical? No. Sick as hell? Yes.
Jewel Tones
This design uses a true white polish for that stark white French and contrasts it with deep jewel-toned gems for an extra impactful look.
Diamond-Studded Bows
This sweet nail design features bows punctuated by a silver gem in the middle.
Chunky Mix
This nail looks like what would happen if you put on a thick coat of clear polish and dipped your fingers in a jar of craft gems. The gems are all different shapes and sizes and are placed in a mosaic style around the nails.
Bubble Tea
This bubbly manicure features a chartreuse-to-blue ombré tip accented with bright pink 3D blobs and blue gems. It’s insanely fun.
Gem French
Go all in with your French manicure and create the tips using nothing but gems. This design features a ton of crystals of varying sizes and no space between them for a full-coverage look.
Clean and Simple
This demure look is proof that gem nail designs don’t have to be bold. It features a milky white base finished off with a baby pink gem at the top of the nail’s half moon.
Big Gem
Instead of using a ton of small and medium gems to accent a design, this look proves that you can go bold with one or two massive gems.
Pearly Touches
Pearls and gems come together to create this luxe black French tip nail design. The combination creates a bold and heavy look.
Accent French
This square-tip French manicure is accented by two nails that feature clusters of gold gems for the tips.
