10 Most Valuable Gemstones In the World

We begin our list with Tanzanite, a gem which was first discovered in 1967. As you may have guessed from its name, Tanzanite is only found in northern Tanzania, in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanite became popular after Tiffany & Co. began using the gem in their jewelry. This gemstone features a deep blue-violet hue that is distinct from one of the sapphires. While $1,200 may not seem like such a high number, especially compared to the other gems on this list, the market expects it to skyrocket in the next 20 to 25 years. That's mostly caused by the depleting supply of Tanzanite. Black opals are the most desired and valuable opals in the world. The stone features a dark body which provides the perfect backdrop for the extraordinary play of colors. Black opals come almost exclusively from Lightning Ridge area in New South Wales. They are, indeed, widely considered one of Australia's national treasures. The royal one is the most precious black opal in the world, valued at $3 million. The elusive gemstone weighs 306 carats. In fact, it went unreported for 14 years before the miner who had discovered it decided to sell. While red beryl has been found in Utah regions, New Mexico, and Mexico, only those mined specifically in the Wawa Mountains of Utah have been of gem quality. They exhibit a few different shades of a darker red color, all of which are equally mesmerizing. This variety is one of the rarest in the beryl family, which emeralds are also a part of. As a result, red beryl is sometimes referred to as the red emerald by collectors. Similar to emeralds, red beryls also often feature inclusions and fractures. Prices for this uncommon gemstone can reach up to $10,000 per carat, but that's only if you can find one for sale. Musgravite is another gemstone that was first discovered in Australia in 1967. The name comes from the Musgrave region where it was found. In 2005, only eight gem-quality Musgravite stones were mined. That shows exactly how rare it is. The handful that was found included colors that range from translucent olive green to a grayish purple. Due to its exceptional rarity, it's difficult to put a price tag on this gemstone. Although, experts generally value it at close to $35,000 per carat. Alexandrite is a rare gem that changes colors. This not only makes Alexandrite unbelievably beautiful but also valuable. Though they are primarily found in Russia, discovered in 1833, they've also been mined in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and India. Interestingly, they are almost always found in sizes smaller than one carat. Thus, when a bigger stone is up, the price value goes up exponentially. For example, they can cost $15,000 for a single carat, but up to $70,000 per carat if it's a larger stone. The Smithsonian Institute owns what is believed to be the largest faceted Alexandrite in the world, a cushion-cut stone weighing 65.08 carats valued at over $4 million. Emeralds are some of the most popular gemstones in the world, known for their exotic green tones. Found primarily in four different countries – Brazil, Colombia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Most emeralds available on the market feature minor imperfections. Thus, in the rare opportunity that a natural emerald without flaws goes up for sale, it can fetch mind-blowing figures. When Christie's announced that the historic Rockefeller emerald would be auctioned off, experts knew it would break records. The 18.04 carat gemstone got purchased by John D. Rockefeller for his wife. Later, it was passed down to their son and then sold privately. At the Christie's auction, it was purchased for $5.5 million, or $305,000 per carat. That made it the most expensive emerald per carat ever sold. Commonly referred to as the king of gemstones, rubies feature a spectrum of vibrant red hues. They range from pink all the way to a darker red. The fiery gem is a symbol of passion and a zest for life. This meaning has been passed down through ancient cultures who believed the colour represented blood. In 2015, an extremely rare Burmese ruby was auctioned off at a Sotheby's event in Geneva for over $30 million. This meant the 26 carat gem, named the Sunrise Ruby after a poem by the legendary 13th century poet Rumi, sold at $1.18 million per carat. That's a staggering number which makes it the most expensive ruby ever sold. While all coloured diamonds are rare, pink diamonds are arguably the rarest of them all. In the annual production of diamonds throughout the world, these pink coloured gems represent less than 0.1% of the total. When the pink diamonds make it to auction, they regularly break the $1 million mark for price per carat. In 2017, a stunning pink diamond weighing 59.60 carats was sold at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong for a That's $1.19 million per carat. Known as the Pink Star Diamond, it's the largest fancy vivid pink diamond ever graded as internally flawless by the Gemological Institute of America. Jadeite is the purest, rarest, and most vivid gemstone in the jade family. Though it's available in a variety of colours including red, yellow, and black, green is most common with the stone. A specific shade of semi-transparent emerald green known as Imperial Jade is the most sought after in the world. Jadeite plays a particularly significant role in Chinese culture, symbolising prestige and status. In 2014, everyone expected a jadeite necklace that once belonged to American heiress Barbara Hutton to set a record for most expensive jadeite jewellery ever sold. The Hutton-Mitivani Necklace, which consists of 27 large, top-quality jadeite beads, did just that. After 20 minutes of intense bidding from eight potential buyers, the piece sold for $27.44 million to Cartier, the original designer of the necklace. We finish off our list with one of the most legendary gemstones in the world, the blue diamond. Given its rarity, any time a blue diamond is set to appear at an auction, the world's top collectors line up for a chance to own one. They are more than willing to spend millions of dollars to make it happen. This was certainly the case in 2016 when a jaw-dropping emerald-cut vivid blue diamond weighing 14.62 carats came to Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva. The diamond, named the Oppenheimer Blue in honour of its previous owner, sold for a final price of $57.5 million. While the pink star diamond broke its record for most expensive jewel ever sold, the blue diamond holds the record for the most valuable price per carat at $3.93 million. There you have it, the 10 most valuable gemstones in the world. If you could pick one, which one would you choose? Important to note, while these gemstones might be the most expensive ones, they aren't necessarily the most special.