10 Rarest Gemstones in the World

There are so many gemstones in the world and some of them are even rarer than diamonds. Do you know what gemstones are these? If you are looking for something unique and specific to surprise someone close to your heart then pay attention to these gems in the list. They will help you to make the jewelry piece extraordinary and exclusive.

Tanzanite

This stone was found only in one area of Northern Tanzania and was discovered in 1967. The birthstone of December features intensive blue-violet hues that it gets with a heat treatment. Naturally it has a reddish-brown color. The original blue tanzanite that hasn’t undergone heat treatment is more valuable and precious and it can be compared even to blue sapphire.

Tanzanite has enough hardness to be used for everyday wear (6-7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale). Besides, gemologists say that the supplies of tanzanite can be depleted in 20-30 years, which actually makes this stone more rare than diamonds.

The average price per carat of tanzanite is 1200 US dollars.

Taaffeite

One more rare gemstone in the world is Taaffeite. This beautiful slightly violet gem was discovered in 1945 in Sri Lanka and Tanzania and before it was considered as spinel, but then australian gemologist Richard Taaffe has noticed that the light in the gem is differently refracted as in spinel. It is very hard to source as most of the times the Taaffeite is not suitable for faceting. That is why this gem is a rarity in nature and is more rare than a diamond.

This stone features a very attractive lilac color and 8-8.5 level of Hardness on the Mohs Scale. It is more durable than amethyst that is considered to be very similar to Taaffeite despite the ametyst not being so brilliant. That is why you can go for an amethyst and only if you want something really rare. The average cost of the Taaffeite is $2,500.

Black Opal

There are many white, grey and green opals in the world, but Black Opal is very uncommon. It was found in New South Wales, Australia.

The Black Opal color as you may already guess from its name is black, but there are some variations: brownish, greenish or dark bluish. It features bright inclusions on the body that makes the gem so precious. It is hard to find two same Black Opals with similar inclusions. In 1938, in Lightning Ridge Australia, there was found the most valuable Black Opal of all times - Aurora Australis. It had 180 total carat weight and costed about $763,000 in 2005.

Nowadays, it is possible to imitate almost every gemstone and Black Opan is not an exception. So be careful and buy jewelry with Black Opal from the trusted jeweler (ybsoul.com). The average price per carat is over $3,500 for natural stone.

Jadeite

One of the top rarest gemstones in the list is Jadeite which features electric green color of imperial jade. Although, it has many other varieties of colors in nature like lavender, yellow, orange-red, blue, black, and colorless.

What is so special about the Jadeite? Its texture looks like a drop of colored water or oil. The price of the gem is also affected by the artistry of the stone, level of transparency and depth of color. The price on some of the Jadeites reached over $1 million per carat. But the average price of the gem is $20,000.

Alexandrite

The color-changing birthstone of June’s was chosen as one of the rarest gems in the world. It gained its value because of the chameleon's abilities to change its color from emerald green to blue in sunlight and ruby red to amethyst under incandescent light

It was found in 1830 in the Ural mountains of Russia when Czar Alexander II ruled the country. It was also discovered in Brazil, Sri Lanka and Asia. But still fine alexandrite specimens are still very rare and costly. If you found the original one it will averagely cost you about $12,000 per carat.

Benitoite

Once discovered in San Benito County, California, in the 1900s the Benitoite became one of the rarest gems in the world. It was misdefined as spinel but after the detailed examination of the stone it was reclassified because of the high brilliance of the gemstone.

If you want Benitoite Jewelry be ready to spend money for a high quality gem that will reflect the light in its better way. Stones that are too light will look washed out. So you need to find the happy medium. There are no big stones, about 3 carats. The price of it is approximately $3,800 per carat for stones with medium blue hues.

Red Beryl

This gemstone is extremely difficult to find. It was found in Utah and New Mexico in 1904. Red Beryl is not a kind of emerald as it has its own characteristics and classifications. It may have some inclusions but they won’t affect the value of a stone. You may find a Red Beryl without any inclusions and with a good clarity and color but only synthetically created.

It can be red, deep rose or raspberry pink in color. There is a lack of big Red Beryl stones as they are often sold to collectors as specimens. Most of the gems are under 1 carat weight and cost approximately $10,000 per carat for high-quality gem.

Paraiba Tourmaline

This is a very rare gemstone famous for its Neon Blue, Green and Blue Green Colors. In the 1980s it was discovered in the Brazilian state of Paraíba. Today it is mined from Nigeria and Mozambique. But still, the tourmaline remains among the rarest gems. Due to its mesmerizing neon glow and radiance that makes it look magical the prices on this tourmaline grew extremely in the past years.

If you want to buy a tourmaline ring, it is better to pay more attention to its color than to the clarity of the stone. The saturation of the gem makes it more valuable. It is ranked 7-7.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness.

Kashmir Sapphire

Nowadays, Kashmir Sapphire is ranked one of the rarest and expensive gemstones. In 2012 the ring with 8.91 ct Kashmir Sapphire was sold for $154,000 per carat. It features soft, velvety texture and saturated blue hues. It was mined in the Himalayas in 1930th, but then all its reserves were absorbed.

To buy a Kashmir Sapphire look at its color and inclusions. The low quality Kashmir Sapphire can be sold for $5,000 per carat.

Natural Pearl

Natural Pearls are so adored by people, because of its natural pure white beauty and simplicity. Natural pearls are extremely rare and becoming rarer every year. Because of the pollution of the seas and illegal fishing there is a danger that Natural Pearls will disappear. That is why they are mostly seen in ancient jewelry or museums. Natural Pearls are the only precious gems made by nature that affect the price too.

Natural pearls, because of their rarity, are incredibly expensive and mostly they are sold by auction houses as collector’s pieces.

What is your favorite rare gem? Share your thoughts in the comments.