Due to their high values, a lot of people think that gemstones like diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies are the rarest in the world.
But after some research we’ve discovered that they’re not even close. In fact, there are at least a dozen gemstones far rarer and more valuable than diamonds. One thing is certain: Rarity is often a bigger factor in determining a gemstone’s value than mere looks.
Take a look at this fun and educational list on the world’s rarest and most valuable gems!
1. Tanzanite
Said to be about 1,000 times rarer than diamonds, tanzanite is a deep-blue gemstone named after Tanzania, where it was discovered for the first time in 1967. Interestingly, tanzanite is only found in Mount Kilimanjaro’s foothills and is currently valued at about $1,500 per carat.
2. Demantoid
Demantoids resemble emeralds but are actually part of the garnet family. They range in color from a deep green to yellow, and the yellow in the stones is caused by ferric iron. Demantoids were discovered in the middle of the 19th century in the mountains of west-central Russia and have since been sought after by royal families all over the world. Royal dementoids are currently valued at around $2,000 per carat.
3. Blue garnet
Blue garnet can often be confused with a blue sapphire, but it has a slight greenish tint under sunlight. Although there are tales of blue garnet selling for as much as $1.5 million, We were unable to confirm this. Blue garnet is most prevalent in Madagascar and prices range from $1,500 to $2,000 per carat.
4. Jeremejevite
Jeremejevite can be sky blue, pale yellow or colorless. This gemstone was first discovered in Siberia, but Namibia is home to the highest-quality stones. Jeremejevite currently costs about $2,000 per carat.
5. Taaffeite
More than a million times rarer than the diamond Taaffeite was named after Richard Taaffe, who identified the stone in a Dublin jewelry shop in 1945. Taaffeite ranges in color from purple to red and is found in china, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. It currently costs $2,000 per carat.
6. Black opal
The black opal is the most valuable member of the opal family. It boasts about every color of the rainbow and, at about $2,350 per carat, is far more expensive than other opals. The vast majority of black opals are found in Australia.
Additionally, there is a type of black opal, the fire opal, that is worth even more. The fire opal can be dark red, dark orange or dark yellow. Most of them are mined in the Mexican States of Chihuahua, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Michoacan and Hidalgo.
7. Poudretteite
The poudretteite is a soft-pink stone first found in Quebec, Canada. Because of its soft makeup, the poudretteite is unsuitable for placement in rings, but it can be placed in earrings or brooches as long as its wearers are careful. Poudretteite typically runs about $3,000 per carat.
8. Benitoite
Exclusive to the San Benito river in California, benitoite is lush blue in color that. Benitoite glows beneath ultraviolet light, but experts are still not exactly sure why.
Benitoite can sell for as much as $4,000 per carat.
9. Alexandrite
Named for Russian Tsar Alexander II, Alexandrite is a part of the emerald family. These rare stones can be reddish-purple or blueish green and, at $10,000 per carat, are quite valuable. Alexandrite was not discovered until 1830, when it was found in the Ural Mountains in Russia. Alexandrite will currently cost consumers around $10,000 per carat.
10. Red beryl
The rarity and color of the red beryl makes it one of the most interesting stones on this list. In fact, red beryl is so rare that only one is found for every 150,000 diamonds. Red beryl is a member of the emerald family and exclusively found in the Wah Wah Mountains of
11. Paraiba tourmaline
This gorgeous light-blue gem hails from the State of Paraiba in northeastern Brazil and goes for $12,000 per carat. Not a particularly strong stone, Paraiba tourmaline cannot take much abuse, so wearers need to be especially careful with it. It is also a rather modern gemstone; it was not even discovered until Heitor Dimas Barbosa unearthed it in the 1980s.
12. Pezzottaite
Pezzottaite ranges from raspberry colored to orangish-red or even pink. Also called the raspberry beryl or simply raspberyl, this gemstone was discovered in Madagascar in 2002 and officially recognized by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) in 2003. Pezottaite goes for about $13,000 per carat.
13. Padparadscha Sapphire
This pinkish-orange member of the sapphire family is truly beautiful. It was originally discovered in Sri Lanka but has turned up in East Africa and Vietnam as well. High-quality Padparadscha can sell for as much as $30,000 per carat.
14. Musgravite
The dull coloring of this greenish-gray to purple gemstone is not necessarily the most attractive, but I cannot deny its rarity. It originally appeared in Australia and then later surfaced in Iceland and Greenland. Musgravite goes for a bank-breaking $35,000 per carat.
15. Grandidierite
Grandidierite is undeniably beautiful. Its deep-green hues and hardness make it ideal for jewelry, but its pretty uncommon. Mined mostly in Madagascar, Grandidierite emits white, green and blue light, and there are only a few hundred known to exists. If anything exceeds Grandidierite’s beauty, it is probably its price tag; grandidierite commands as much as $100,000 per carat.
16. Serendibite
Serendibite is definitely one of our favorites, but it is so rare that most people should not plan on ever seeing it. Serendibite, taken from the Sanskrit word for Sri Lanka is either nearly colorless or black and was discovered in Sri Lanka in 1902. To this day, there are only three faceted Serendibites in existence. If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to buy one of these elusive treasures, you had better have deep pockets; Serendibite sells for as much as $2 million per carat.