10 of the Rarest Gemstones in the World
Gemstones are a reflection of a person’s status in life. The
more rare that it gets, the more desirable it becomes. That is why those
seemingly innocuous stones and minerals can actually command millions of
dollars. On the dark side, it can also be a cause for exploitation and even
war.
1. Fancies
Fancies are diamonds with strong colors. While diamonds in
general are not that rare, fancies are. As a matter of fact, out of 10,000
carat of diamonds sold, only one carat is a fancy. This gemstone can take a lot
of colors, including black, blue, brown, gray, green, milky white, orange,
pink, purple, red and yellow. The brown fancies are also called champagnes,
while the black diamonds are also called carbonado. The latter has been proven
to be meteoric. Out of these super rare
fancies, the most rare is the red variety.
There are only around 35 red diamonds known to man, and most of it
weighs less than half a carat. The largest was the rough red diamond found by a
Brazilian farmer that weighed 14 carats. After cutting and polishing, the
largest left of it is the Moussaieff Red that weighs 5.11 carats. Red diamonds
are so priceless that none is currently available at any price.
2. Benitoite
This gemstone is named after San Benito County in
California, the only place where it can be found. It has a strong blue color
and emits dispersion similar to that of a diamond. Under ultraviolet light, it
radiates an intense blue-white color. Benitoites usually come less than a
carat, though the largest ever found weighed 15.42 carats. A flawless gem that
was shaped like a pear and weighed 6.52 carats once existed, but it got stolen
at the Zurich International Airport in Switzerland.
3. Musgravite
This rare mineral was discovered in 1967 in South
Australia’s Musgrave Range, hence, the name. The gemstone has since been found
in Madagascar, Antarctica and Greenland. Only eight specimens of this gem have
been identified. Musgravite, however, is very similar to another gem called
taaffeite, so it is possible that some taaffeites have just been misidentified. Green laser spectroscopy can be used to
differentiate the two.
4. Taaffeite
The Irish gemologist Richard Taaffe discovered this rare
stone in 1945. The color may vary from purple or mauve to red. The red is the
most rare, and less than ten of this variety has been discovered. Even the
relatively more common purple and mauve are so rare that you cannot even fill
half a cup using all the taaffeite found in the planet. Experts say that
taaffeite is actually a million times harder to find compared to diamonds.
5. Bixbite
It is now more commonly known as red beryl so as to avoid
confusion with bixbyite. This mineral was named after the mineralogist Maynard
Bixby in Beaver in Utah in 2004. Beryl is actually a compound made up of
oxygen, aluminum, beryllium and silicon. Colors may be aquamarine, gold, green,
emerald, or red, depending on the trace metal that is derived from the stone.
As an example, iron metal is derived from the aquamarine and golden variety of
beryl. Chromium or vanadium may be derived from green and emerald beryls.
Cesium and lithium can be found in pezzotaite beryls. For morganites, trace
metals of manganese can be seen.
6. Jeremejevite
The Russian mineralogist Pavel Jeremejev discovered this
mineral in 1883. It can be found in small crystals shaped like obelisks, and it
has often been mistaken for aquamarine. The best quality jeremejevite can be
found in Namibia. Colors may range from sky blue or pale yellow, or it can be
colorless as well.
7. Grandidierite
The French natural historian Alfred Grandidier discovered
this rare gemstone. Grandidierite is a bluish green mineral found mainly in
Madagascar. It is trichroic, meaning it transmits three colors, namely blue,
green and white light. This mineral is sometimes mistaken for serendibite.
8. Poudretteite
Poudretteite was discovered in 1987 in a quarry located in
Mont Saint Hilaire in Quebec in Canada. The Poudrette family operated the
quarry. It was initially thought to be extremely rare, but several of this gemstone
was discovered in Myanmar in 2000. The heaviest was a pale pink stone weighing
9.41 carats. Pourdetteite, however, is a ver soft stone, making it unsuitable
for rings. It may be used for earrings, pins or pendants however, provided that
a lot of care is taken when using it.
9. Serendibite
Sri Lanka was called Serendib in the past. This rare stone
was discovered in that country, thus the name. Serendibite has a cyan color,
and it has a very complex formula made up of aluminum, boron, calcium, magnesium,
oxygen and silicon. Only three faceted specimens are known to exist, with each
weighing less than a carat. One measured 0.35 carats, another weighed 0.55
carats and the last one came in at 0.56 carats. D. P. Gunasekera, a specialist
in rare stones, discovered the first two stones.
10. Painite
This rare stone once held the distinction of being the most
rare gemstone in the world. The British gemologist named Arthur Charles Davy
Pain discovered it in Mogok and Kachin state in Myanmar. Colors may vary from
brown to red and pink. It is also pleochroic, meaning it can emit different
hues depending on the angle you are coming from. When placed under short wave
ultraviolet light, this rare stone will emit and fluoresce a strong green
color. Eighteen specimens of this gemstone have been found.
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