Gemstones are made up of different minerals, rocks, and living things. With more than 300 known gemstones, there are bound to be some that are much rarer and more valuable than the famous diamond.
A few of the world’s most valuable gems are crystals that most of us will probably never see. Museums and people who collect stones are very interested in these ones. With enough money, you can get your hands on other valuable gems. This list shows 10 rare and expensive gemstones, where they come from, how to buy them, and more.
1. Tanzanite
Unlike most gemstones, which can be found in many places, this relatively new stone has only been found in Northern Tanzania. Ali Juuyawatu, a member of the Masai tribe, found the first gem in 1967. Tanzanite is a blue type of zoisite that is good enough to be a gem.
It is one of the official December birthstones. Experts think that the world’s supply of tanzanite could run out in the next 20 to 30 years, making it a lot rarer than diamonds.
Tanzanite has a hardness of 6-7 on the Mohs scale, which means it can be worn every day. The most sought-after colour is a pure blue that looks almost exactly like blue sapphire. Most of the colour in tanzanite comes from heating it. Find stones that are 5 carats or more if you want the most colour. The average price per carat for good stones is $1,200.
2. Taaffeite
Taaffeite is a rare gem that most people have never heard of because it is so uncommon. Richard Taaffe, an Australian gemologist, found the light violet stone in 1945. Before he found it, taaffeite was thought to be spinel. This gemstone does not bend light the same way that spinel does. Taaffe’s discovery is the first time a gemstone was found already cut and polished, not as a rough stone.
Only in Sri Lanka and Tanzania has taaffeite been found. Most things can’t be cut into faces, which makes it even harder to find them. The gem is so rare that it is thought to be rarer than a diamond by more than 1 million times.
If you like the look of taaffeite but don’t want to pay for a collector’s item, you could buy well-cut lilac amethyst stones. Even though amethyst isn’t as bright, it has a very similar colour. You can find a rare and beautiful taaffeite gemstone if you are willing to look for it for a while.
On the Mohs scale of hardness, the stone is between 8 and 8.5, which makes it more durable than amethyst. The average price per carat is $2,500.
3. Demantoid Garnet
Demantoid is a green type of andradite garnet that was found in Russia in the middle of the 1800s. Even though other warm-coloured garnets are common and cheap, demantoid garnet is one of the rarest and most expensive of this group of gems.
Since most crystals are small, it will be hard to find a demantoid garnet that is bigger than 2 carats. One great thing about demantoid garnets is that, unlike many other gemstones on the market, they are rarely treated.
On the Mohs scale of hardness, demantoid garnet is between 6.5 and 7.5, which means that with proper care, it can be worn every day. Since this type of garnet rarely comes in big sizes, your best bet is to look for a stone between.5 and.75 carats. Make sure it is cut well so that the natural shine of the stone can be seen. For high-quality natural stones, the average price per carat is $3,300.
4. Black Opal
Black opal is the most valuable and rarest kind of opal. It is also thought to be one of the rarest gems. Almost all of the black opal in the world comes from Lightning Ridge, which is in New South Wales, Australia.
The main thing that makes black opal different from regular opal is its body tone. Even though black opals can be many different colours, they are always on the darker side of the colour spectrum.
There are fake black opals and treatments for them on the market that are hard to tell apart without the help of a lab. Make sure to buy black opal from a dealer you can trust. Fine-quality stones usually cost more than $3,500 per carat on average.
5. Benitoite
Most people who like jewellery will never be able to see how beautiful benitoite really is. Only in San Benito County, California has this sapphire-blue gem ever been found. It was first found by George D. Louderback in the early 1900s. In 1985, it was named the state gem of California.
In the past, the stone was mistakenly called a spinel, but its high level of brilliance led to it being looked at again and reclassified.
If you want to buy benitoite, you’ll have to do some research to find a reliable and legal source. If you do, be ready to spend money. You should look for a stone with a medium body tone and a cut that brings out the most fire in the stone.
If a stone is too dark, it won’t reflect light well. If the stones are too light, they will look dirty. Don’t look for stones that are bigger than 3 carats. The average price for stones with medium blue tones is $3,800 per carat. The price per carat can go down a lot if the stones are smaller than 1 carat.
6. The Padparadscha Sapphire
Padparadscha sapphires, which are very rare and can be said “pad-pah-raj-ah,” are mostly found in Sri Lanka, parts of Madagascar, and Tanzania. This stone is very popular among collectors because it has a unique mix of pink and orange colours. There are many different colours of the gemstone, but the ones with medium tones seem to be the most popular and attractive.
Padparadscha sapphires are so rare that buyers may have to make concessions when they buy one. This could mean choosing a stone with less brilliance and a duller colour, or a smaller stone. Because gem cutters try to get the most carat weight out of each stone, the shapes are often strange and varied.
This is due in large part to how rare this stone is and how much people want it. You will have to pay more for these sapphires that are bigger than 2 carats. For high-quality gems, the average price per carat is $8,000.
7. Red Beryl
The only places where red beryl has ever been found are in Utah and New Mexico. In 1904, Maynard Bixby was the first person to find it. Even though red beryl has been found in two places, it has only been mined in Utah.
Some people call this rare gem the “red emerald.” It is very hard to find because it only forms in very specific ways. Red beryl is not a type of emerald. Instead, it is a different kind of gemstone with its own categories.
Like emeralds, red beryl often has inclusions, but they don’t always lower the value of the stone as a whole. Red beryl has been made in a lab, so be careful. If you find a high-quality red beryl stone that is very clear and has a lot of carat weight, it is likely to be man-made.
Large pieces of red beryl are so rare that they are often sold to collectors without being cut. The majority of cut red beryl stones weigh less than one carat. On average, high-quality material costs $10,000 per carat.
8. Alexandrite
The ability of the official June birthstone to change colour is enchanting. Alexandrite is one of the few gemstones that changes colour. It looks green in sunlight and red in incandescent light. In 1830, the stone was found in Russia’s Ural Mountains, which are also home to some other strange minerals. After that, the stone was given the name of Czar Alexander II.
Smaller types of alexandrite have been found in Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Asia, but high-quality alexandrite is still hard to find and expensive. If you find an heirloom alexandrite gem that is big and clear, it is probably made in a lab. Most of the time, these stones are blue and purple instead of green and red, and they are made of corundum. The average price per carat can be as high as $12,000.
9. Jadeite
One of the most expensive gemstones in the world is jadeite. This gem is the most expensive and beautiful kind of jade. This deep green gem is much more valuable than other kinds of jade because it is so much rarer.
If you like the look of jadeite but can’t afford the price, consider buying nephrite, which is less expensive, or aventurine, which looks like jade but isn’t. The value of jadeite is based on how clear it is and how deep its colour goes.
Some very nice pieces have even sold for more than $1 million per carat. Most jadeite sold on the market will go for a lot less. On average, high-quality material costs $20,000 per carat.
10. Musgravite
Musgravite was found in 1967, and it might be the world’s rarest gemstone. It was first found in Australia’s Musgrave Ranges. Later, it was found in Greenland and Madagascar. In 1993, the first large piece that could be used as a gem was found. About ten stones that are good enough to be used as gems have been found and recorded.
Because this stone is so rare, it’s unlikely that a buyer would find it on the open market. If you think you’ve found musgravite, you should send it to a gemology lab to be tested because it looks a lot like the less rare taaffeite. Based on what has already been sold, the average price per carat is $35,000.
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