Colored gem

A Colored Gem is a special type of gem that appears in the Crash Bandicoot series. They are similar to the regular gems that Crash can commonly collect by breaking a certain amount of crates in each level, except these gems are rarer, alternatively shaped, and appear in a variety of different colors. A colored gem usually requires a different method of collection than the regular gems, usually by performing hidden tasks or challenges in the game. The method of collecting a colored gem varies depending on the game, but usually the same colored gems appear in each game. When Crash collects a colored gem, it will be added to his gem percentage collection.

Once Crash collects a colored gem, he is able to unlock new paths in certain levels. These new paths can be accessed with the use of a special lift in the shape of one of the colored gems. These special gem lifts will appear as an outline before collecting the colored gem. Once Crash collects the corresponding colored gems though, the lifts will be accessible and be used to reach new paths in different levels. Usually these paths allow Crash to break additional crates, collect additional gems, or activate special portals to other levels.

The colored gems appear in blue, red, green, yellow, purple and orange.

Crash Team Racing
In this game, there are five colored gems: blue, red, green, yellow, and purple. Each of these gems is acquired by winning the corresponding gem cup.

Crash Bash
Each minigame (except boss fights) contains a green gem. These are the only gems in the game.

Crash Nitro Kart
In this game, there are four colored gems: blue, red, green, and purple. Each of these gems is acquired by winning the corresponding gem cup.

Crash Twinsanity
In this game, colored gems are the only types of gems in the game. The gems are mostly hidden in levels, but some of them are very easy to obtain. There are six gems in each level/hub.

Trivia

 * The colored gems are used as stabilizers for the Planetary Minimizer in Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure