Ribbon and Stone Color Guides
Colored ribbons are increasingly being used as symbols of support for cancer awareness or to bring awareness to other causes or diseases. This chart lists the cancer ribbon and awareness ribbon colors and their commonly associated meanings. A chart of birthstones has also been provided for your reference.
Pink Ribbon: Most commonly associated with breast cancer awareness, this ribbon is also a symbol for both parents, and childhood cancer awareness. (alternative color: light blue)
Red Ribbon: Most commonly associated with the fight against AIDS and HIV, this ribbon also is a symbol for heart disease, stroke, substance abuse, MADD, DARE, epidermolysis bullosa, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
Burgundy Ribbon: This color is a symbol of brain aneurysm, Cesarean section (worn upside down), headaches, hemangioma, vascular malformation, hospice care, multiple myeloma, William’s syndrome, thrombophilia, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and adults with disabilities.
Purple Ribbon: This color is symbolic of pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, domestic violence, ADD, Alzheimer’s, religious tolerance, animal abuse, the victims of 9/11 including the police and firefighters, Crohn’s disease and colitis, cystic fibrosis, lupus, leiomyosarcoma, and fibromyalgia.
Lavender Ribbon: This color is a symbol for general cancer awareness. It can also be a symbol for epilepsy and Rett syndrome.
Periwinkle Ribbon: This color is a symbol of eating disorders and pulmonary hypertension.
Blue Ribbon: This color is a symbol of drunk driving, child abuse, osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), the victims of hurricane Katrina, dystonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), alopecia, Epstein-Barr virus, Save the Music and education. It is also a symbol of colon cancer, colorectal cancer, and anti-tobacco although brown may also be used as the alternative ribbon color for each of these.
Dark Blue Ribbon: This color is a symbol of arthritis, child abuse prevention, victim’s rights, free speech, water quality and water safety.
Light Blue Ribbon: This color is a symbol of childhood cancer (alternative color: pink), prostate cancer, Edwards syndrome, scleroderma and male breast cancer.
Teal Ribbon: This color is a symbol for ovarian, cervical and uterine cancers as well as sexual assault, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and tsunami victims.
Green Ribbon: This color is a symbol of childhood depression, missing children, open records for adoptees, environmental concerns, kidney cancer, tissue/organ donation, homeopathy, and worker and driving safety.
Orange Ribbon: This color is a symbol of leukemia, hunger, cultural diversity, humane treatment of animals, and self-injury awareness.
Yellow Ribbon: This color is commonly seen as the symbol used to support our troops, but it is also a symbol for MIA/POW, suicide prevention, adoptive parents, amber alerts, bladder cancer, spina bifida, endometriosis, and a general symbol for hope. A yellow ribbon with a heart is used to represent the survivors left behind after a suicide.
White Ribbon: This color is a symbol of innocence, victims of terrorism, violence against women, peace, right to life, bone cancer, adoptees, and retinoblastoma.
Pearl Ribbon: This color is a symbol for emphysema, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and multiple sclerosis.
Black Ribbon: This color is a symbol of mourning, melanoma, and gang prevention.
Grey Ribbon: This color is a symbol of diabetes, asthma, and brain cancer.
Silver Ribbon: This color is a symbol for children with disabilities, Parkinson’s disease, and mental illnesses such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders.
Gold Ribbon: This color is a symbol for childhood cancer.
Brown Ribbon: This color is an anti-tobacco symbol as well as a symbol of colon cancer and colorectal cancer (alternative ribbon color for all of these is blue)
