1.Blue Diamond – $3.93 million per carat
2.Musgravite – $35,000 per carat
3.Jadeite – $20,000 per carat
4.Alexandrite – $12,000 per carat
5.Red Beryl – $10,000 per carat
6.Padparadscha Sapphire – $8,000 per carat
7.Benitoite – $3,800 per carat
8.Black Opal – $3,500 per carat
9.Demantoid Garnet – $3,300 per carat
10.Taaffeite – $2,500 per carat
For thousands of years, man has been besotted by the beauty and sparkle of gemstones. These stones are meant to be special, and they are even described as fragments of stars and tears of the gods. They have been a part of man’s history and ancient culture – whether as amulets and charms or adornments to the nobles. Gemstones continue to hold magnificent value even to this day. With that, we searched and gathered the most expensive gemstones in the world to acquire and admire this 2018.
Rarity, size, and hardness are only some of the driving factors that determine a gemstone’s value and worth. These mineral crystals are cut and polished carefully by artisans to reveal its unique beauty and color. Some are regarded as more valuable than others that they are sought after by museums and collectors for a huge sum of money.
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Shopping for these precious stones for your collection tend to be confusing as prices may vary from various pieces of jewelry and stones, especially when they appear to be similar. Before spending a fortune, know what you’re getting yourself into – is it natural, genuine, synthetic, simulated or treated?
Many factors are to be considered to determine which gemstone is valuable, but one of the first places to start is knowing if it’s natural. Natural gemstones are those that
naturally came from nature without interference and modifications from humans aside from its mining, cutting, and polishing. While they look different from their original forms, they are not altered, treated, and enhanced. Some lower quality gemstones, such as a genuine gemstone, are real but they are treated by jewelry manufacturers to enhance its look. Of course, knowing your purpose in acquiring can help you determine which type to choose, especially since rarity is a major factor that determines its price. The rarer the gemstone, the higher its price tag.
Now, without further ado, let’s jump ahead to the top 10 list of most expensive gemstones in the world.
10. Taaffeite – $2,500 per carat
Taaffeite is not very familiar to many due to how rare it is. In fact, it is so scarce that it’s considered to be a million times rarer than a diamond. It was discovered by gemologist Richard Taaffe in 1945 in a jeweler’s shop in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to his discovery, it was misidentified as spinel until he noticed some inconsistencies, such as the gem refracting light differently compared to the spinel. It is known to only be found in two locations – Tanzania and Sri Lanka – and some of them are not even suitable for faceting which makes its supply even more limited. The light violet, almost clear gemstone is the only one that has been initially identified from a faceted stone.
Buying tip: It ranks 8 to 8.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness which means its durability can be trusted; although searching for one can be time-consuming and quite costly.
9. Demantoid Garnet – $3,300 per carat
Demantoid is a green gemstone that has a “diamond-like” adamantine luster. Fascinatingly, its brilliance and dispersion actually exceed that of a diamond’s. Its golden-colored “horsetails” that include cat’s eye gems is one of its identifying characteristics. It was identified as a variety of andradite by the mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld during the 19th century in Russia which is long known to be a sole source of the rarest garnets. While new sources have been discovered, demantoid remains to be very rare. It is also difficult to look for a demantoid larger than 10 carats as these stones are typically small in size. With the low supply, they are only usually seen on antique jewelry pieces.
Buying tip: It is 6.5 on the Mohs scale which makes it highly durable at any setting and fairly resistant to scratching. However, it may still be scratched by dust.
8. Black Opal – $3,500 per carat
Opal gemstones have a different evaluation process than other gemstones with each one of them having their own distinct individuality. Compared to other opals, black (with body tones from N1 to N4) are considered rarest and most popular. Its body has a black color with a firey pattern that looks spectacular in contrast to the dark background. Majority of the supply around the world came from Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia.
Buying guide: Opals, in general, are extremely sensitive to shocks and temperature changes so it must be handled with care at all times. Since there are synthetic opals given with treatments that may be difficult to determine, it is important to transact with reputable sellers.
7. Benitoite – $3,800 per carat
Considered as one of the most beautiful gems, Benitoite has a striking blue body color that has a dispersion higher than a diamond. As its name, it was discovered by the headwaters in San Benito River in San Benito County, California where it’s now declared as its state gem. While it has a high dispersion, its intense blue color can mask it. Hence, admirers may have to choose between letting go of its dispersive display for the stone’s darker blue color or opting for a lighter one with more evident dispersion. Furthermore, it looks fascinating under UV light where it fluoresces its glowing blue chalk color.
Buying tip: Searching for a benitoite that shows a good balance between visible dispersion and rich blue body color is worth the time. It is a collector’s gem that is highly wearable with a hardness of 6.5.