The rarest gemstones are not the only stones that are considered to be rare; other gemstones are also considered to be rare. In the case of a valuable piece of jewelry, the ruby is usually the most difficult to come by because of its rarity. Painite, the world’s most valuable gemstone, is housed in the British Museum, which has a massive specimen on display. Due to the rarity of Painite, a single carat can fetch upwards of $60,000. Over two thousand distinct diamonds can be found in the British Museum’s collection. A few different sorts of gemstones are highly uncommon, and these are described here.
A couple of others are even more valuable than the rest of them. For example, there are many different blue opal kinds available, but they are the most expensive. They’re all precious, too! This article analyses the world’s top three most valuable gemstones, as determined by their rarity. In addition, it is the most expensive in the entire world.
Most Rarest Gemstones
Gemstones are among the most beautiful natural treasures on the planet. Throughout history, people from worldwide have admired them for various reasons. They are most typically used as decorative ornaments, but they also have religious significance. Such jewels have long been prized for their purported therapeutic properties. Gemstones are made up of various minerals, rocks, and organic matter. There are sure to be some gemstones that are substantially more uncommon and precious than the iconic diamond, with over 300 gemstones now documented.
A few of the world’s most costly jewels are crystals, which we will almost certainly never see in person. Museums and collectors are clamoring for these stones. With the correct amount of money, you can get other expensive jewels. This list covers ten rare and costly gemstones, as well as information on their origins, purchasing advice, and more.
Tanzanite
Tanzanite is the most costly gemstone in the world. Beginning with Tanzanite, a gem discovered for the first time in 1967; we go on to other gemstones. Tanzanite is exclusively found in northern Tanzania, in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, as you would have inferred from its name. Tanzanite rose to prominence after Tiffany & Co. began incorporating gemstone in their jewelry designs. This gemstone has a solid blue-violet color, distinguishing it from the other sapphires in the family. While $1,200 may not appear to be a significant sum (especially compared to the other jewels on this list), the market anticipates it to climb in the next 20-25 years as demand for diamonds increases. Because of the diminishing quantity of Tanzanite, this is primarily the case.
Tanzanite has a hardness of 6-7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, making it durable enough to be worn daily. The most sought-after color is a pure blue nearly indistinguishable from blue sapphire in its appearance. The majority of Tanzanite’s color intensity can be attributed to heat treatment. If you want to maximize color possibilities, go for stones that are at least 5 carats in weight.
Taaffeite
Taaffeite is another rare and valuable gemstone. Taaffeite is a unique gemstone that is so uncommon that most people have never heard of it. Richard Taaffe, an Australian geologist, discovered the pale violet gemstone in 1945. Taaffeite was previously thought to be spinel before his discovery. This gemstone does not refract light, as well as spinel does. Taaffe’s discovery represents the first time a gemstone was discovered as a faceted gemstone rather than a raw gemstone.
Taaffeite is exclusively discovered in two places: Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Most materials are unsuitable for faceting, making it even more challenging to find. The gemstone is so uncommon that it is valued at almost a million times that of a diamond.
Consider acquiring well-cut variants of amethyst in a lilac tint if you desire the look of taaffeite but don’t want to spend the high price of a collector’s item. Though amethyst isn’t as bright as sapphire, the color is similar. If you’re prepared to put in some effort, you can find a stunning and uncommon taaffeite gemstone. It’s worth considering because the stone has a Mohs hardness rating of 8-8.5, making it more durable than amethyst. The average price per carat in the United States is $2,500.
Painite
The Painite gemstone is the rarest of all gemstones, and this mineral is also the most expensive of the bunch, at least now. As the most valuable gemstone on the planet, it holds the Guinness World Record for being the most valuable gemstone. In 1951, a group of stones was discovered in the Ural Mountains, but until recently, it was only recognized as a collection of less than two dozen stones. Myanmar’s mines began producing painite gemstones in 2008, marking the beginning of the country’s gemstone production. They are, nonetheless, quite precious, with a few specimens fetching more than $100 in the market.
Painite’s extreme rarity is due to the chemical elements zirconium and boron, which do not normally associate with one another in nature and do not occur together in any other mineral. Zirconium and boron are not generally associated with nature and do not occur together in any other mineral. Ironically, some painite crystals have been partially changed to form a crust of tiny pink crystals of ruby, which is more frequent.
Alexandrite
Alexandrite is the name given to the stone that has the highest monetary worth. It was discovered in the Ural Mountains of California in 1830, and it was designated as the state jewel in 1985. As a result of the gemstone’s distinctive color, it was initially misidentified as a sapphire. It was eventually established, however, that it was a mineral that had never been discovered before this discovery. This stone is very uncommon and precious to the point that its mine was forced to close in the mid-2000s. Because it is so rare, it will continue to be the most valuable stone on the planet.
Alexandrite has been mined in Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Asia as well as other locations, but beautiful alexandrite specimens are still tough to come by and quite expensive. If you’ve discovered a heritage alexandrite gem that is enormous in scale and exhibits outstanding clarity, you’re most likely dealing with a synthetic alexandrite gemstone. It is actually synthetic corundum that gives these stones their colors of blue and purple rather than green and red. The average price per carat ranges between $12,000 and $14,000.
Black Opal
Black opals are the most valuable and sought-after opals on the planet. The stone has a dark body that serves as the perfect backdrop for the brilliant color play. Black opals are nearly entirely found in the Lightning Ridge region of New South Wales. Indeed, they are often regarded as one of Australia’s national treasures. The “Royal One,” valued at $3 million, is the world’s most valuable black opal. The elusive gem is 306 carats in weight. It went unnoticed for 14 years before the miner who discovered it decided to sell it.
The critical feature that distinguishes black opal from common opal is the body tone. Even though black opals occur in various colors, their overall composition is on the darker side of the spectrum. On the market, there are synthetic black opals and treatments that are impossible to distinguish without the help of a lab. Make sure you purchase black opal from a trusted source. For fine-quality stones, the average price per carat is more than $3,500.
Red Beryl
The variety of beryl known as red beryl is scarce. Maynard Bixby was the first to find it in 1904. While red beryl has been discovered in Utah, New Mexico, and Mexico, only those mined in Utah’s Wah Wah Mountains have been of gem quality. They come in various darker red colors, all of which are equally captivating. This variation is one of the most unusual in the beryl family, including emeralds. As a result, collectors sometimes refer to red beryl as the “red emerald.” Red beryls, like emeralds, are prone to inclusions and fractures. The cost of this rare diamond can approach $10,000 per carat, but only if you can find one for sale.
Elements are common in red beryl, just as they are in emeralds, but they don’t always affect the gemstone’s total value. Be wary of red beryl that has been synthesized. You’re probably dealing with a synthetic if you come across a high-quality red beryl stone with superb clarity and a considerable carat weight. Large red beryl stones are so rare that they are frequently left uncut and sold as specimens to collectors.
Musgravite
Musgravite was discovered in 1967 and is considered one of the world’s most valuable gemstones. It was discovered for the first time in Australia’s Musgrave Ranges and afterward discovered in Madagascar and Greenland. The first significant gem-quality specimen was discovered in 1993, and it was rather large. In terms of gem-quality stones, there are approximately ten specimens that have been discovered and documented.
This stone is unfortunately scarce, and it is unlikely that a consumer will ever come across it on the open market because of its rarity. Due to the crossover between this gemstone and the less rare taaffeite gemstone, if you do come across suspected musgravite, you should send it to a gemology lab for examination. Based on the prices of specimens already been sold, the average price per carat is $35,000 a carat.
Benitoite
Most regular jewelry collectors will never be able to appreciate benitoite’s genuine beauty. Only in San Benito County, California has this sapphire-blue gemstone been discovered. George D. Louderback was the first to find it in the early 1900s. In 1985, it was designated as California’s official gemstone. The stone was once misdiagnosed as spinel, but due to its high brightness level, it was eventually re-examined and reclassified.
To buy benitoite, you’ll need to research to find a reliable and legitimate provider. Be prepared to spend when you do. You’ll want to look for a stone with a medium body tone and a cut that brings out the fire in the stone. Stones that are too dark will have a poor ability to reflect light. Overly bright stones will appear washed out. Expect to see no stones larger than 3 carats. For stones with medium blue tones, the average price per carat is $3,800. Smaller stones, less than 1 carat, can considerably lower the price per carat.
What Color Gemstone Is The Rarest?
Red is one of the most challenging hues to find in the gem world, and a pure red ruby, such as the renowned pigeon’s blood ruby, is even more challenging to find. Red gems are typically either orangey-red (spinel), pink-red (spinel, garnet), or purplish-red (ruby, sapphire) (rubellite tourmaline).
It is also considered to be one of the most valuable gemstones available. Lightning Ridge, in the Australian state of New South Wales, is home to almost all of the world’s supply of black opal.
What Is The Best Way To Tell If A Gemstone Is Valuable?
Pay according to transparency: After you’ve decided on the parameters mentioned above, you should look into the gemstone’s transparency. The greater the transparency of a gemstone, the higher its monetary worth. But take care: the transparency should be natural and not the result of heating, glass-filling, or metal filling in the material becoming transparent.
In the traditional measurement system, the size of the diamond is expressed in carats, which is a unit of weight (1 carat = 0.2 gram). The value of a stone is determined by its quality and size, expressed in terms of a rate per carat. To get the selling price of a stone, the rate per carat is multiplied by the actual weight of the stone.
What Gems Sells The Most?
Here are some of the most popular gemstones that people are looking to buy and sell:
- Rubies. Rubies, those lovely and deep red jewels, are always in demand, and the most costly rubies can fetch up to one million dollars per carat in the most prestigious auctions.
- Emeralds. Emeralds are still another popular gemstone in today’s buyer’s market, and they are particularly popular in the United States.
- Alexandrite.
In The World Of Diamonds, How Do You Determine Rarity?
It is also possible to define a piece of merchandise as “unusually good or extraordinary” using the term “rare.” As fresh deposits of gem materials are discovered every month in a world where new deposits of gem materials are being discovered, this may be the most appropriate application of the term ‘rarity’ in the company.
As a result of a general glut of products on the market, those things that are genuinely exceptional stand out and command the most significant level of desirability. Hence, the highest prices… one could say they are the finest of the best.
Conclusion
When we think of precious stones, we immediately think of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies, the most valuable gemstones on the planet. In contrast, and perhaps shockingly, there are a plethora of gemstones that are even more difficult to come by and, thus, even more precious.
The red beryl is the most difficult to come by. This gemstone can only be found in the southern portion of Australia, where it was discovered for the first time in 1967 in South Australia. It has been discovered in Greenland, Antarctica, Madagascar, and Tanzania, among other locations. The painite beryl is the most expensive of the beryls. Aside from that, it is also the most expensive gemstone on the planet. Furthermore, as the name implies, it is precious.
