When it comes to gemstones, many people believe that diamonds are the rarest precious stones in the world. However, in reality, there are several types of gemstones that are even more valuable and rare than diamonds. Below are the 12 most expensive gemstones in the world.
12. Jeremejevite – $2,000 per Carat
Jeremejevite is a beautiful crystal with a pure blue color, classified among the rarest gemstones in the world. This crystal is named after the Russian mineralogist Pavel Jeremejev, who discovered it in 1883 in Namibia. In nature, this mineral can also appear in light yellow or colorless forms, and often in elongated, prismatic shapes. It has previously been mistaken for aquamarine. In early 2005, a 2.93-carat Jeremejevite was offered online for $2,000 per carat (equivalent to 42 million VND per carat).
11. Black Opal – $2,355 per Carat
The term Opal comes from the ancient Roman word Opalus (meaning rainbow-colored). This cat’s-eye gemstone is considered rare because it encompasses all the colors of other gems combined. Specifically, black opal is the most valuable variety when compared to white opal, fire opal, etc. They are believed to enhance eyesight and prevent graying hair. Australia is known as the country with the richest opal deposits, accounting for 95% of the world’s opal, with the remainder found in countries like Mexico, northern Brazil, Idaho and Nevada in the USA, and recently discovered in Ethiopia and Mali.
10. Benitoite – Around $3,000 – $4,000 per Carat
Valued at $3,000 to $4,000 per carat (approximately 63 – 84 million VND), this gemstone was only discovered in the San Benito River in San Benito, California. Thus, Benitoite has become a symbol of the state of California.
One of the most distinctive features of Benitoite is its dazzling fluorescence under UV light.
Although discovered in the early 20th century and its chemical composition studied for decades, the origin of its color and fluorescence remains a mystery.
9. Poudretteite – $3,000 per Carat
The first Poudretteite stones were discovered in the mid-1960s at a quarry in Mount Saint Hilaire, Quebec. However, this gemstone was only officially recognized in 1987 and fully described as a mineral in 2003.
Poudretteite typically appears in pink, purple, or colorless forms, with a hardness between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale. Today, this gemstone can also be found in the Mogok region of Shan State, Myanmar. Its price is around $3,000 per carat (approximately 63 million VND).
8. Red Beryl – $10,000 per Carat
This rare red beryl is primarily mined in the Thomas Range and Wah Wah Mountains in Utah, USA, as well as in some locations in Mexico. Here, red beryl is found within rhyolite, where these gems crystallize under extremely low pressure and high temperatures along magma-filled cracks and voids of volcanoes. It is said to be very difficult to find such a naturally cut and polished rare mineral like red beryl in the world.
7. Musgravite – $35,000 per Carat
Musgravite is one of the newest and rarest gemstones in the world. It is a silicate mineral composed of beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al). This crystal is named after the Musgrave Range in central Australia, where it was first discovered. Later, Musgravite was found in Greenland (Denmark) and Madagascar. In 1993, two rare faceted Musgravite stones were found for the first time in Sri Lanka.
6. Grandidierite – $50,000 per 0.5 Carat
This rare bluish-green mineral is primarily found in Madagascar and is named after the French explorer and natural historian Alfred Grandidier, who was part of the team that excavated a nearly half-ton elephant bird skeleton in Ambolisatra, Madagascar. The first and only faceted stone found to date was in Sri Lanka. Initially mistaken for Serendibite, it was later acquired by Swiss mineralogist Edward J. Gübelin (1913 – 2005) in May 2000. This stone weighs 0.29 carats and can change color from blue to green to bright white.
5. Painite – $50,000 to $60,000 per Carat
This stone was once considered the rarest mineral on Earth and is still regarded as extremely rare. In 1950, British mineralogist Arthur C.D. Pain discovered this stone for the first time in Myanmar. When it was identified as a new mineral, it was named after him. Over the years, only three small Painite crystals have been found globally. Until 2005, fewer than 25 crystals had been unearthed in Myanmar.
4. Blue Garnet – $1.5 million per Carat
Currently, garnets are found in many colors such as red, orange, pink, yellow, green, purple, brown, black, and colorless. Among them, blue garnet is the rarest, discovered in the late 1990s in Bekily, Madagascar, and in other locations in the USA, Russia, and Turkey. This gem can change color from greenish-blue in sunlight to purple under incandescent light. This phenomenon occurs because the blue garnet contains a high amount of vanadium, a rare blue, silver, and gray metal. In 2003, a 4.2-carat blue garnet was sold for $6.8 million.
3. Serendibite – $1.8 to $2 million per Carat
This gemstone has an unusually complex chemical formula consisting of calcium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, boron, and oxygen, and is a cyan-colored mineral originating from Sri Lanka. To date, only three faceted Serendibite stones have been found worldwide, weighing 0.35 carats, 0.55 carats, and 0.56 carats respectively. The first two were discovered by rare stone expert D. P. Gunasekera and later acquired by Swiss professor E. J. Gübelin. Among them, the smallest is priced at $1.43 million per carat.
2. Red Diamond – $2 to $2.5 million per Carat
Currently, red diamonds are the rarest minerals discovered among natural gemstones, with very few people having the opportunity to see them in person. This rare gemstone is not just deep red or bright red but has a purplish-red hue. Regardless of its size and weight, a red diamond is one of the most expensive diamonds in the world. The Argyle mine in Australia produces a small quantity of this gemstone, and every one or two years, the most beautiful and largest red diamond is auctioned off for millions of dollars.
1. Jadeite – Over $3 million per Carat
To date, Jadeite remains the most mysterious, rare, and expensive gemstone in the world. Due to its color-changing properties, shifting from blue to red and vice versa, Jadeite is also known as “Imperial Jade.” This stunning gemstone primarily originates from Madagascar. Additionally, it can be found in Mexico and California, USA. In 1997, a record price was set when a piece of jewelry featuring 25 Jadeite stones, each measuring 0.5mm in diameter, was sold for 9.3 million US dollars (equivalent to 195 billion VND).
