A perfect illustration of the direct correlation between rarity and worth is depicted in the following list of the ten rarest and most valuable gemstones ever unearthed by man.
1. Jadeite
Worth more than $3 million per carat, the Jadeite is regarded as the most expensive gemstone in the world. Its price is attributed to its incredible rarity and breathtaking beauty, as judged by the intensity of its green shade and the degree of its translucency. The more intense and translucent the Jadeite is, the higher the assessed price.
Jadeite is actually an elusive type of jade mineral made from compounds of silica. It is normally used for ornamental purposes such as incorporation in high-class jewelry pieces and other types of adornments. It typically comes in shades of green, but may also come in pale shades of blue, white, yellow, or pink. This precious mineral had been first discovered from the rich lands of Guatemala and of some states in the Californian region.
Nowadays, this most valuable gemstone is being mined in other countries like China, Italy, Mexico, Russia and the United States.
2. Red Diamonds
Diamonds are said to be a girl’s best friend. Well, who can blame her, when one can’t simply resist its razzle-dazzle! This, however, is not within every female’s means. The most coveted red diamonds cost an intimidating $2 million to $2.5 million per carat!
Each year, only a very few of such gemstone is revealed in an Australian mining company, so you can only imagine how interests are whetted with each auctioned find.
3. Serendibite
Serendibite is a rare crystallized mineral discovered in Gangapitiya, Sri Lanka in 1902. This translucent compound is composed of the chemical elements calcium, aluminum, magnesium, boron, silicon, and oxygen. It has a grayish blue-green to deep blue, green, black, pale yellow or brown hue. Its current market value is established at $1.8 million to $2 million per carat. How’s that?
4. Blue Garnet
The Blue Garnet is valued at $1.5 million per carat. However, despite the already pricey assessment for such gemstone, it is still in the dribbling interest of the elite. In fact, in 2003, an auction of a 4.2 carat Blue Garnet hit record sales of $6.8 million
What’s unique about this gemstone is that there are a few finds that have unraveled a color change phenomena. If exposed to daylight, this stone exhibits a greenish blue color. However, if exposed to incandescent indoor light, the color dramatically shifts to a startling purplish red.
5. Grandidierite
This gemstone is named after its French discoverer, Alfred Grandidier, who is a famous figure not only in the world of gemology but also in archaeology. Discovered in Sri Lanka, Grandidierite earned its place in the most expensive gemstones category due to its assessed market value pegged at $100,000 a carat.
This translucent gem is bluish green or greenish blue in color. The substance is composed of the elements magnesium, iron, aluminum, and boro-silicate. The amount of iron in the compound enhances the green tint in it.
6. Painite
Valued at $50,000 to $60,000 per carat, Painite is another stunning addition to the list of the most precious stones man is lucky enough to discover.
This gem is so rare that you may not have even heard about it. Discovered in Myanmar around the 1950s by Brit gemologist Arthur Charles Davy Pain, this reddish brown beauty has only a few hundred crystallized cut stones in existence. It was branded by the Guinness Book of World Records as one of–if not–the rarest gemstone ever to be found.
7. Musgravite
Musgravite is an extremely rare constituent of the taaffeite mineral family, a group of compounds made up of traces of the chemical elements beryllium, magnesium, aluminum, and oxygen. It was discovered in 1967 at the Musgrave Range, a place situated in the southern region of the Australian continent. It comes in different colors: light olive green, mauve, grey, and grey purple. Its current market value is estimated to be $35,000 per carat.
8. Bixbite
Bixbite, which is also known as the red beryl emerald, has a current market value pegged at $10,000 per carat. It is a very unusual find, unearthed from only a few recognized locations in Utah and New Mexico.
Its first discovery took place in 1904 at western Utah through an American mineralogist named Maynard Bixby. As a member of the Beryl family, this precious stone is chemically composed of the elements beryllium, aluminum, and silicon.
9. Black Opal
The Black Opal is the rarest and the priciest of all opals. It is currently priced at $2,355 per carat. This gem is not your typical mineral stone, but an unstructured form of silica. It has been desired by royalties not only from the past but even up to the present, because of the majestic beauty it inherently possesses.
Its most often found in Lightning Ridge of New South Wales. However, it is getting more and more difficult to haul exquisite finds of such gemstone. The scarcer it will be, the higher the worth of a carat of it will get.
10. Jeremejevite
Jeremejevite is not to be left out of the equation, for it is worth a smashing $2,000 a carat. Its chemical composition consists of aluminum borate compound with fluoride and hydroxide ions within. The gemstone is named after its discoverer, Pavel Vladimirovich Eremeev.
It comes in different hues: colorless, white, greenish, yellowish, violet, and blue. Since its discovery in the Siberian territory, it has been also unearthed in other few areas around the world– Namibia, Tajikistan, and Germany.
By now you can only imagine how highly sought-after these listed gemstones are. Those dollar figures may seem quite exorbitant, but what can you expect from limited editions? A real treasure indeed comes from the most extraordinary and unusual finds. You can’t disagree with that.
