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It is possible that some of the most valuable gemstones in the world are ones that you would not expect. Jewels like the diamond are only the tip of the iceberg. Countless other gemstones are found in nature all around the world. While many people see religious symbols, healing properties, and personal meaning in gemstones, they are frequently used for decoration. Some people just find the beauty and quality of expensive stones fascinating.
Precious gems, including diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, are often considered the most valuable gemstones. You shouldn’t write them off. Although diamonds are the most famous gemstone, not all gemstones with the highest prices are also the most widely recognized.
A gemstone is… The mineral’s aesthetic and commercial worth make it extremely valuable. However, cheap precious gemstones do exist.
The most valuable gemstones are breathtaking, and you can find them featured on the jewelry of top companies. However, there are two other things that they share. These rare diamonds are worth a fortune. All of these gemstones are genuine, unlike the many valuable ones that are synthetic.
You won’t see all of them in high-end jewelry very often. You could have a hard time finding some of these in your average jewelry shop. The most valuable items may change hands due to the discovery of new precious stones, as happens in many other sectors. However, the value of these rare gemstones is expected to persist for quite some time.
These distinctive gemstones have been adorning the red carpet. They can be found on some of the most extravagant footwear ever made.
We are compiling a list of the top ten most valuable gemstones, ranging in price from least to most, and their colors range from cold pink to vibrant green:
The Most Valuable Gemstones in the World
In this regard, there are elements that have a considerable influence on their value. Size, quality, and color are other crucial considerations to take into account.
This list includes the most expensive gemstones per carat, which is how they were selected.
10. Tanzanite, $1,200 per carat
The gem Tanzanite, which was found for the first time in 1967, is at the top of our list.
Near Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, in the Mirelani Hills—a mining area that is barely 4.3 by 1.2 miles—is where you can find tanzanite. Since Tiffany & Co. began utilizing it in 1968, this gemstone, which has a rich blue-violet tint, has been used into jewelry. The value of tanzanite is expected to rise further since its supplies are being exhausted.
In 2020, miners in Tanzania discovered two tanzanite stones with a Mohs hardness of 6 to 7. Two of them weighed in at 20.4 and 11.3 pounds, respectively. According to CNN, the Tanzanian government purchased them for $3.3 million!
You may have suspected from the name, but Tanzanite is located only in the northern Tanzanian slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tiffany & Co.’s use of tanzanite in their jewelry catapulted the gemstone to fame. Distinct from sapphires, this gem has a deep blue-violet color. Market analysts predict a meteoric rise in value for this gem over the next twenty to twenty-five years, even if its current price of $1,200 is very low when compared to the other valuable stones on our list. That is mostly due to the fact that the tanzanite supply is decreasing.
9. Opal, Black: $9,500 per Carat
Opals are available in a rainbow of colors and are often highly costly. But when it comes to value and desirability, black opal is at the very top. The Lightning Ridge region in New South Wales, Australia, is the most prolific source of black opal stones. Among the most notable is “Royal One,” a diamond that weighs 306 carats and is worth $3 million.
Nearly all black opals originate in the Lightning Ridge region of New South Wales. The mysterious diamond has a weight of 306 carats. Actually, the miner who found it chose to sell it after it had gone undetected for fourteen years.
Nevertheless, in March of 2020, Medici Collection, LLC’s 819.50-carat black opal was confirmed. A high-quality black opal can run more than $10,000/carat, making it a very costly gemstone!
This black opal would be worth around $8.2 million if that value were to be used.
8. Red Beryl—$10,000 per carat
There is red beryl in Mexico, New Mexico, and parts of Utah, but the only gem-quality beryl has comes from the Utah Mountains, more especially the Wah Wah Mountains. Their many enthralling tones of a deeper crimson are hard to pick out from one another. Beryls, of which emeralds are a kind, are among the most uncommon gemstones in the world. Consequently, collectors frequently refer to red beryl as the “red emerald.” Red beryl, like emeralds, are prone to flaws and inclusions. Assuming you can track down a piece, the price of this unusual diamond may go as high as $10,000/carat.
7. Musgravite: $35,000 per carat
The Musgrave Ranges in Australia are the site of the 1967 discovery of musgravite, an extremely rare gemstone. Along with beryllium, zinc, and magnesium, it is a mineral that contains aluminum oxide. In 2005, when research established that musgravite was a separate species within the taaffeite family, only eight gem-quality stones were extracted from the earth.
Musgravite, which can come in any shade from a transparent green to a grayish purple, is highly sought after for its lustre and radiance and is worth around $35,000 per carat. With a Mohs hardness ranging from 8 to 8.5, it is also quite durable. When compared to other valuable gemstones, the price of high-quality natural musgravite may be comparable to that of diamonds. On the other hand, musgravite created in a lab is usually less expensive.
6. Alexandrite—$70,000 per carat
One of the rarest gems, Alexandrite, can change colors. Because of this, Alexandrite is very precious in addition to being quite attractive. They were discovered in 1833 in Russia, although they have also been mined in India, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka. Curiously, their size is often less than one carat. As a result, the value of a larger stone increases at an exponential rate. One carat could cost $15,000, but a bigger stone can go as high as $70,000 per carat. The Smithsonian Institute is the owner of a cushion-cut Alexandrite valued at over $4 million and weighing 65.08 carats.
5. Emerald: $305,000 per carat
The going rate for an emerald is $305,000/carat. Its beautiful green tones make it one among the most beloved gemstones in the world. Although most emeralds have some flaws, a pristine one may fetch astronomical prices.
Christie’s paid $5.5 million for an 18.04-carat diamond that once belonged to John D. Rockefeller’s wife at an auction. Reduced from its initial 38.4 carats, the Chalk Emerald, one of the most renowned gemstones in the world, now weighs 37.8 carats. In 2017, the 34-carat Sterling Emerald fetched $1 million at auction, while the 75.61-carat emerald necklace belonged to Catherine the Great and fetched $4.5 million at an auction in Geneva hosted by Christie’s.
On the other hand, in 2011, an unbelievable $24,799,000 was paid at Christie’s for Elizabeth Taylor’s 5-piece Bulgari Emerald Suite!
4. Ruby: $1.18 million per carat
At a 2015 Sotheby’s auction, a rare Burmese ruby weighing 25.59 carats fetched $30.3 million, with a per-carat value of $1.18 million.8 But in 2023, an auction for a 55.22-carat ruby set a new record, fetching $34.8 million and cementing its position as one of the world’s most costly gemstones.
Ruby colors span from pinkish-red to deep crimson, and the precious stone is famous for its vivid red tones. Passion and a love of life are what they represent to a lot of people. The majority of these stones come from Mozambique, where a huge ruby deposit was discovered in 2009, leading to the emergence of a ruby industry and a subsequent increase in demand. The initial weight of the biggest ruby stone was 101 carats.
3. LA PEREGRINA [$11.8 million in total]
It was during a Christie’s auction in 2011 when a necklace called La Peregrina, which dates back to the 16th century, fetched $11.8 million. The necklace is adorned with diamonds, pearls, and rubies. La Peregrina found that jewelry with a mix of pearls and other gemstones is very appealing. Pearls not only provide a special sparkle to the necklace but they also bring out the best in the other gemstones.
2. Diamond: $1.19 million per carat
One carat of a natural diamond, which is constituted entirely of carbon, may cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000. A red diamond, on the other hand, may cost up to $1,000/carat, and there are less than 30 of them in existence. At Christie’s Magnificent Jewels’ 2015 auction, a 14.62-carat, extremely rare blue diamond known as “the Oppenheimer Blue” brought in $57.5 million. The stone may fetch prices as high as $3.93 million per carat.
Even in the most recent sales, diamonds remain a timeless accessory. The 15.10-carat De Beers Blue diamond, which was internally perfect, fetched $57.4 million USD at auction in 2022 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.11 That same year, an 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star diamond fetched $57.73 million at auction. The raw diamond had been listed at $49.9 million before the auctioneer’s fees, for a total of about $4.5 million per carat—roughly $1 million more than the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond per carat.
1. Blue Diamond—$3.93 million per carat
The blue diamond, one of the world’s most renowned gemstones, rounds up our list. The most prestigious collectors from across the globe wait impatiently for the opportunity to purchase a blue diamond at auction because of how rare they are. Millions of dollars will be spent, no problem, by them to make it happen.
In 2016, an emerald-cut Vivid Blue diamond with a weight of 14.62 carats arrived at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva, proving this to be true. A final price of $57.5 million was achieved for the diamond, which was christened “The Oppenheimer Blue” in recognition of its former owner. Blue diamonds had the record for most costly price per carat at $3.93 million, while pink star diamonds broke the record for most expensive jewel ever sold.
Conclusion
Finally, the top ten most valuable gemstones in the planet. Please tell me which one you would choose if given the chance. Be advised that certain gemstones, while being the most costly, do not always possess the most exceptional qualities. Pearls, for instance, are unique among gemstones in that they originate from a living organism. One of the most timeless accessories that can complete any look is a pearl necklace. Next, turquoises are stunning, although they aren’t quite as uncommon as red beryls. Lastly, topaz isn’t the most expensive gemstone, but it’s one of a kind due to its rainbow of hues. Choose a stone that has sentimental value to you, regardless of your final decision.
