The most expensive gemstones in the world
When we talk about precious stones, diamonds , emeralds, and real rubies immediately come to mind. And it's true that these are very valuable stones. But there are even rarer and more valuable ones. These precious stones are so rare that they exist in very limited numbers, making their value higher than, for example, emeralds. Here is a list of the most expensive precious stones in the world.
Lesser-known, but highly valuable, gemstones
There are over 4,000 types of stones lying deep within the Earth; even geologists will only encounter a small fraction of this assortment in the course of their work. Thanks to the magic of nature, some stones are extremely rare. They have always been coveted for their beauty, sometimes even sacred. For more mundane reasons, precious stones continue to fascinate today. Here is a ranking of the most expensive stones in the world at the time of this writing.
Blue Diamond
The most sought-after gemstones are colored diamonds . Diamonds, the April birthstone, are not only extremely rare, but they also possess spectacular brilliance and unparalleled hardness. Add to this rarity the marketing that goes into this stone, and you can see why colored diamonds are the most expensive gemstones in the world. Currently, a blue diamond holds the record for price per carat. The Oppenheimer Blue sold for $57.5 million. Based on the total price, another colored diamond holds the record, the Pink Star ($71.2 million).
Musgravite
The wonders of the Earth are such that new stones can still be discovered today. Musgravite is one of the more recent discoveries in this field: it was only in 1993 that a specimen of appreciable size was found. Today, the number of musgravites likely to lead to the creation of a piece of jewelry can be counted on the fingers of one hand. This rarity explains the extremely high price of this precious stone: it costs around $35,000 per carat.
Jadeite
Jadeite is the most beautiful, rarest, and therefore the most expensive variety of jade. It comes in various colors (lavender, mauve, apple green, etc.), but the most sought-after Imperial Jade tone, similar to emerald, is the most sought-after. The finest examples of jadeite are found in Cambodia. In some civilizations, such as the Aztecs and Mayans, jadeite was considered more precious than gold. And when you consider the Mesoamerican peoples' taste for the yellow metal, you can understand how much they valued jadeite, which today sells for up to $20,000 per carat.
Alexandrite
Alexandrite is another very rare gemstone and very difficult to acquire, even if you pay $12,000 per carat. This stone stands out from its peers due to its incredible optical properties. Depending on the lighting conditions, the stone changes color dramatically, whether in intensity or angle, from green to red. This stone was discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in the early 19th century. It was named after Alexander II , the future Tsar.
Red Beryl
Red beryl , also known as red emerald, is a very rare variety of beryl that ranges in color from raspberry to deep red. Despite its nickname, it is not an emerald. Red beryl was discovered in 1904 by a man named Bixby. To date, only one place on the planet is known to have it in its depths, namely the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah. Red beryl is so rare that it is estimated that there are 8,000 times more rubies in the Earth's crust! This explains why this stone, regardless of its quality, commands a high price. Around $10,000 per carat.
Padparadscha Sapphire
Padparadscha is the rarest and most expensive variety of sapphire in the world. It is characterized by a beautiful orange color with shades somewhere between ruby and yellow sapphire. Most Padparadscha sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, but they can also be found in Tanzania and Madagascar. Gemstones discovered in the latter country are pink, and therefore less sought after. This sapphire sells for around $8,000 per carat.
Benitoite
Considered one of the world's most beautiful gemstones, benitoite boasts an atypical blue color and a dispersion coefficient higher than that of a diamond. As its name suggests, it was first discovered in the San Benito River in California. However, its remarkable dispersion can be masked by the intensity of its blue. Benitoite enthusiasts are therefore faced with a choice:
- Choose a less intense blue to take advantage of its dispersion
- Opt for the intensity of blue at the expense of dispersion
Black opal
Black opal is a gemstone found primarily in New South Wales, Australia. It is particularly spectacular against a black background, when it displays all its subtle shades of color within. This stone is very valuable, but it has the disadvantage of being very fragile due to its sensitivity to shocks and temperature fluctuations.
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Demantoid
Demantoid is a gemstone from the garnet family with a lustre reminiscent of diamonds. In fact, its brilliance and dispersion are superior to those of diamonds . It is in its emerald green form that it is most valuable. Unfortunately, it is very rare to find it in large stones: demantoids rarely exceed 2 carats. It was first discovered in 19th century Russia by a Finnish-Swedish mineralogist, Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld. Given the rarity of this stone, demantoid jewellery is often antique jewellery .
Taaffeite
You may have never heard of taaffeite . It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's an extremely rare light purple stone. So rare that it's estimated that there are 1 million times fewer taaffeites than diamonds! Its name is derived from its first discoverer in 1945, Richard Taaffe . He didn't make his discovery in a mine or on a riverbed: it was in a jewelry store that his find took place. While observing a spinel jewel, the geologist noticed that the stone displayed different properties, particularly in terms of light refraction. Taaffeites are mainly found in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Not only is this gemstone rare, but examples suitable for cutting are even rarer.
- Also read: the largest diamonds in the world
