Gemstone is nature’s treasure given to human by nature. It has been worshiped, loved and appreciated from time to time throughout history. When we think of expensive gems, only one diamond comes to our mind, but there are many other gems which are much more expensive than this.
These days they are used for ornamental, healing powers, personal meaning and as religious symbols. There are more than 4000 minerals on mother earth. These are some of the gemstones that are the most expensive gemstones which are mentioned below:
What Is The Most Expensive Gemstone?
Every gem is special in itself. Even though one gemstone is rarer than the other which affects the cost of gems with respect to size, grade, color etc.
1. Jadeite – $3 million per carat
Jadeite is a member of the jade family. It is known for its purest, rarest and aliveness. This gemstone has the composition of NaAlSi2O6. It has a hardness of 6.5 to 7.0 Mohs due to its density.
Found in many colors like red, yellow, black and green. This gemstone plays an important role in Chinese culture as it is a symbol of prestige and status.
2. Red Diamond – $1 million per carat
A red diamond contains the same properties like a white diamond. Only 29 diamonds are found in the earth. Now you can guess it’s rarity and price. Most of the red diamonds found are less than 1 carat.
3. Pink Diamond – $700,000 per carat
Pink diamonds are known for their extreme rarity. There are only 0.0001% pink diamonds in the womb of Mother Earth. It is a symbol of beauty and harmony. A pink diamond is born without any defects.
4. Musgravite – $35,000 per carat
Musgraviate is also known as “magnesiotaphyte-6n’3s”, composed of a rare oxide mineral. It has the chemical structure of Be(Mg, Fe, Zn)2Al6O12 and belongs to the taphite family of minerals and has a hardness of 8 to 8.5 on the Mohs scale.
It was first discovered in 1967 and the name comes from the Musgrave region of Australia. Musgraviate is an aluminum oxide stone with magnesium, iron and zinc. Color of this gemstone varies from olive green to brownish-purple.
5. Taaffeite – $35,000 per carat
Taaffeite has chemical structure of BeMgAl4O8. The gem is named after the famous explorer Richard Taff, who first found it in October 1945 in the capital of the Republic of Ireland.
This gemstone is made from chemicals like beryllium, magnesium and aluminum. It is also the first gemstone to contain both the chemical beryllium and magnesium.
6. Grandidierite – $20,000 per carat
It was first discovered in 1902 in southern Madagascar. This gem was also named after a French explorer, Alfred Grandidier. Grandidierites gems exhibit a strong Trichroic pleomorphism phenomenon.
This phenomenon shows three different colors when viewed from different angles. These colors are dark blue, light yellow and dark green. Iron (Fe) plays an important role in making it appear more blue and has a chemical formula of ((Mg,Fe2+)Al3(BO3)(SiO4)O2).
7. Serendibite – $18,000 per carat
Its chemical formula is ((Ca,Na)2(Mg,Fe2+)3(Al,Fe3+)3[O2|(Si,Al,B)6O18]). They are extremely rare gems.
8. Alexandrite – $15,000 per carat
The chemical formula of alexandrite is BeAl2O4. First found in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1830. It is best known for its color changes that make it a ruby stone in the dark and an emerald in the light.
The change of colors in this gemstone with the change in the surrounding light is called “metamerism”. Metamerism refers to the change in color from green to red with the change in the source of incident light.
It is also mined in India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Alexandrite gemstones are composed of impurities such as chromium, iron and titanium.
9. Red Beryl – $10,000 per carat
Red Beryl is also known as “Bixbite”. This gem is very rare and found only in a few locations such as Wah Wah Mountains, Beaver County, Utah; Paramount Canyon and Round Mountain, Sierra County and New Mexico.
It shows many shades of deep red. This gem belongs to the Beryl family. Its chemical formula is (Be3Al2Si6O18). This gemstone is composed of minerals like silicate, beryllium and aluminum. Pure beryl gemstones are actually colorless, with their colors later derived from added dyes.
10. Black Opal – $10,000 per carat
Black opal is the most expensive opal among the various types of opal gemstones. The body of this gemstone is dark and the colors vary from gray to jet black.
The blackness in opal gemstones is due to the presence of the elements carbon and iron oxide. This iridescent color is better visible due to its dark body color. Best quality opal gems can be sold for over $15,000 per carat.
11. Blue Diamond – From $6,800 to $11,200
We can say that blue diamond is another type of diamond. The only difference is the blue color. Blue color of a blue diamond is due to the presence of boron which alters the structure of the crystalline lattice.
12. Benitoite – $4,000 per carat
It has a chemical formula which is (BaTiSi3O9). This blue gemstone is made from minerals like barium, titanium and silica. Gemstone Benitoite is formed after the cooling of hydrothermally changed serpentinite. Benitoite is named after the San Benito County, California.
13. Poudretteite – $3,000 per carat
It was discovered in the year 1960 at Mont St Hilaire, Canada. And also named after the family that operated the site where podratite gems were mined. Has chemical formula is (KNa2B3Si12O30) and a hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale.
14. Diamond – From $2,500 to $18,000 per carat
The carbon atoms in diamond are arranged in a face-centered cuboidal structure also called a diamond lattice. It is known for its physical properties present due to the strong covalent bond between the diamond atoms.
Diamonds are used in cutting, polishing, knife and anvil cells in a range of industrial applications. It is made of pure carbon and has incredible strength and durability. They are found in cold kimberlites and take over 1 to 3 billion years.
15. Jeremejevite – $2,000 per carat
Its chemical formula is (Al6B5O15(F,OH)3) and hardness ranges from 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. This gem was discovered in the year 1883 in the Adu-Chilon Mountains of Siberia.
16. Tanzanite – From $600 to $700
Tanzanite gemstone was discovered in the year 1967 and is found only in Tanzania. It has a blue-violet hue of colors.
17. Ruby – US$10 to US$12,000
Ruby is known as the “king of gems”. It reflects the spectrum of vibrant red colors that range from pink to deep red and also symbolizes vigor and zest for life.
This beautiful red blood colored stone has a poem written on it, which is called “The Sunrise Ruby”. It was written by the popular poet Rumi in the 13th century.
18. Fire Opal – From $10 to $10,000 per carat
It has warm body colors that change from orange to yellow and yellow to gold. A city in Mexico called Santiago de Queretaro is the most popular supplier of this gemstone, which is why it is sometimes called Mexican fire opal. The chemical composition formula of opal is SiO2 nH2O. It is basically the hydrated form of silicon dioxide.
19. Emerald – From $1 to $100,000 per carat
Emerald is a member of the beryl family and its chemical structure is (Be3Al2(SiO3)6). Its green color is due to the presence of chromium and sometimes vanadium and has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale. This stone is soft because it has very little resistance and mainly found in 4 countries which are Zimbabwe, Brazil, Zambia and Colombia.
Conclusion
Above is a list of the most expensive gems in the world. Which do you want to buy? Gemstone is the only gem that is obtained from a living being. Choose a gemstone that fits in your pocket.
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