Top 10 Most Extraordinary Gems

Gems are nature's way of showcasing its incredible beauty. Humans have long been captivated by them, using these precious stones to create stunning adornments that catch the eye. From necklaces to bracelets, and brooches to pendants, rare and valuable gems have been a timeless symbol of wealth and prestige. Here, we present the ten rarest gems on the planet.

10. Jeremejevite USD $2000/Carat

Pronounced ye-REM-ay-ev-ite, this rare stone appears in colorless, sky blue, or pale yellow hues, with the finest specimens originating from Namibia. It forms in small obelisk-shaped crystals and has sometimes been mistaken for aquamarine. The gem was named after Russian mineralogist Pavel Jeremejev, who discovered it in 1883. By early 2005, a 2.93-carat clean faceted stone was fetching $2000 per carat on the Internet.

Australia is renowned as the opal capital of the world, supplying nearly 95% of all fine opals globally. While a small portion is mined in Mexico, Brazil, Idaho, and Nevada, recent discoveries have also been made in Ethiopia and Mali. The Black Opal, characterized by its dark gray body, displays an exceptional play of colors that is nothing short of spectacular.

Red beryl is predominantly found in the Thomas Range and Wah Wah Mountains of Utah. It has also been reported in a site in Mexico (likely near San Luis Potosi, one of the rare locations where beryl is also found in rhyolite). In Utah, it forms on rhyolite, crystallizing under conditions of low pressure and high temperatures, often in fractures, cavities, and porous volcanic rhyolitic magma. Cut specimens of red beryl are extremely rare.

Musgravite is one of the most recent and rarest gemstones discovered. It is a silicate mineral primarily composed of beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al). Named after the Musgrave region in Australia where it was first found, musgravite has also been discovered in Greenland and Madagascar, though neither location produces gem-quality specimens. The first faceted gem-quality musgravite pieces were reported from Sri Lanka in 1993. It's important to note that this is the least expensive among the top ten rarest gems.

This bluish-green mineral is mainly found in Madagascar. The first known clean faceted specimen, discovered in Sri Lanka, was initially mistaken for a serendibite and was purchased by Prof. Gübelin from Murray Burford in May 2000. The gem weighs 0.29 carats. Grandidierite is trichroic, displaying blue, green, and white light. It was named after Alfred Grandidier, a French explorer and natural historian who unearthed the bones of the extinct half-ton elephant bird in Ambolisatra, Madagascar.

Painite Faceted4

Garnet species come in a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink, and even colorless. The rarest among them is the blue garnet, first discovered in the late 1990s in Bekily, Madagascar. It is also found in certain regions of the United States, Russia, and Turkey. This extraordinary gem exhibits a remarkable color change, shifting from blue-green under daylight to purple under incandescent light, due to its high vanadium content. The most expensive blue garnet, a 4.2-carat gem, fetched $6.8 million in 2003.

This gem is a cyan-colored stone that originates from Sri Lanka. It has an exceptionally complex composition, containing calcium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, boron, and oxygen. To date, only three faceted (cut) specimens exist, weighing 0.35 carats, 0.55 carats, and 0.56 carats. The first two were discovered by rare gem expert D. P. Gunasekera and were acquired by the late Prof. E. J. Gübelin from Switzerland. The smallest specimen was sold for approximately $14,300.00 per carat.

Only a handful of red diamonds are ever discovered, and it is rare for even one treated red diamond to be seen. The gemstone is described as a purplish red, differing from pure red, crimson, vermilion, or scarlet. Despite its size, it is one of the most costly diamonds ever. The Argyle Mine in Australia produces a limited number of red diamonds, with the largest and most exquisite being auctioned every one or two years, fetching millions of dollars.

Jadeite, once considered a mysterious mineral, has recently revealed its primary sources in Guatemala and several California locations, where white or grayish jadeite can be found. In San Benito County, California, boulders containing small, freestanding jadeite crystals have been discovered, along with additional finds in Clear Creek, between New Idria and Hernandez. All Mexican jadeite comes from unknown sources and is found in artifacts. The highest price ever paid for a single jadeite piece was set at a November 1997 Christie’s Hong Kong auction, where Lot 1843, a necklace with 27 jadeite beads approximately 0.5 mm in size, was sold for US$9.3 million.