If you have a spare 72 million dollars laying around you may be able to take the record for the most expensive gemstone ever sold. There are other gemstones that have fetched lower prices but are still worth enough to break most banks.
If you’re interested in the most valuable gemstones that will take your breath away with their beauty, keep reading. These are the 10 most valuable gemstones in the world.
1. Emerald
The world’s most expensive emerald isn’t just a phenomenal example of what nature can make, it’s also believed to be cursed. The 841-pound gemstone is worth 400 million dollars and has lived an interesting life.
Since being discovered in 2001, it has cost the lives of miners and seen potential buyers landed in jail. When it was being excavated the team was killed by wild panthers. Rich families in Colombia turned violent when attempting to sell it and the infamous Bernie Madoff was arrested two days before he was going to take possession of it.
This emerald is massive and is truly breathtaking. If you have a chance to own this amazing piece, maybe think twice, it might not be worth your life or sanity.
2. Ruby
The Liberty Bell Ruby is the world’s largest ruby ever mined. With it being 8,500 carats, it is one of the most valuable gemstones in the world. It has been sculpted as a miniature Liberty Bell and has 50 diamonds implanted into it.
This ruby is unfortunately missing as it was stolen during a heist in 2014. The ruby hasn’t been seen since. You probably won’t be seeing it for sale any time soon.
3. Tanzanite
Tanzanite is in an interesting spot. While there isn’t really a single tanzanite gemstone worth a ton of money, it has the potential to carry serious value. It can only be found in a very small area and will soon be depleted.
All of this means that tanzanite value could soon skyrocket. With legal issues and mining technology problems, if there’s a time to invest in a gemstone, it’s now with tanzanite. This could be your opportunity to create the next famous gemstone.
4. Black Opal
The Aurora Australis is perhaps one of the most uniquely beautiful gemstones in the world. This particular one is also the world’s most valuable black opal. It weighs 180 carats and was valued at over one million dollars in 2005.
The Aurora Australis was dug up from an old sea-bed and has a striking pattern of red, green, and blue and contains an impression of a starfish. This polished stone needs to be seen by any lover of gemstones.
5. Pink Diamond
The Pink Legacy Diamond isn’t just a valuable gemstone, it’s the most valuable pink diamond ever sold. It’s valued at over 2.6 million dollars per carat and was sold for over 50 million dollars at auction.
It was originally owned by the family that created the famous De Beers, but the new owners have renamed it the Winston Pink Legacy. It was found in a South African mine and a gemstone like this is still virtually unheard of.
This particular gemstone has a gorgeous pink color and is very vivid. The popularity of pink diamonds continues to rise and this one probably won’t be dropping in value any time soon.
6. Jadeite
You’ve probably heard of jade, but jadeite is a very sought after version of jade. The jadeite is extremely rare and has a long cultural history behind it. Jadeite comes in different shades and the most valued one is found in Guatemala and California and is known for having an intense green color.
The jadeite is known for being extremely dense and is hard to break. If you own a piece, you still won’t want to drop it, but it does add to its value. A jadeite necklace called the Doubly Fortunate was sold for over 9 million dollars and that was in the nineties.
7. Blue Diamond
One of the most famous named gemstones in the world, The Oppenheimer Blue is a blue diamond that sold for 57.5 million dollars. The purchaser has remained anonymous, which is pretty smart considering the number of professional thieves that would be lusting after this gemstone.
Blue diamonds are very rare, comprising less than 1 percent of the world’s diamonds. To add on to that value and rarity, one of this clarity and vividness are even rarer.
8. Musgravite
You may not have heard of musgravite and that’s because it is one of the rarest gemstones in the world. It was discovered in Australia and less than a dozen are found every year. It currently is valued at around 6,000 dollars per carat and bears a beautiful purple color.
The largest piece of musgravite found weighed 5.7 carats and was sold for an unknown amount. With how rare this gemstone is, it’s very possible that we could see the value continue to rise and potentially find it’s way into a famous piece of jewelry.
9. Red Beryl
Some people consider red beryl to be the rarest gemstone on earth and are actually worth 1000 times more than gold. Its rarity means that only one crystal is found for every 150,000 diamonds that are mined.
It seems that this gemstone should be more popular but even though it’s worth quite a bit, a single gemstone hasn’t found its way into history yet. Maybe you’ll be the one to discover it.
10. Alexandrite
This beautiful gemstone is known for its color-changing and rarity. It was found over 200 years ago and is becoming harder to find. Alexandrite has been used to make many pieces of intricate Victorian jewelry.
You can actually visit the largest known piece of faceted alexandrite. The Smithsonian has a 66-carat alexandrite on display. The largest uncut piece of alexandrite was discovered in 1967 and weighs 122,540 carats.
The Most Valuable Gemstones
It’s amazing what is hidden under the earth. Fabulous and valuable gemstones of every color and shape are just waiting to be found. Since the popularity helps influence the price, you could find a lesser-known gemstone that you fall in love with that won’t cost you millions.
There’s more out there and you should check out more interesting guides and articles on gemstones and more right here on our site.
