TOP 10 most expensive gemstones of all time

Gemstones are probably one of the most exquisite treasures given by nature and people from all cultures seems to appreciate it. There are different reasons of wearing gemstones, commonly used for decoration but in some culture, they believe it gives healing powers and other religious symbolism. Gems differ in look and often the rarest gems are the most expensive due to the fact that there are not many of them. Read ahead to see which ones are the most expensive gems today!

10.Tanzanite ($1,200 per carat)

Tanzanite is a relatively new gem on the market, in fact it was discovered in 1967 and as the name suggests it can only be found in Tanzania. This gem is very rare, much rarer than diamonds yet the price is lower usually due to the fact that diamond market prices are controlled. They estimate that within the next 20 – 30 years, its price will skyrocket. One of the most expensive Tanzanite gems cost about $1,200 per carat which seems a lot but still nowhere near to the upcoming gems.

9. Black Opal ($9,500 per carat)

Black opal is one of the most valuable opals in the world today that comes with a price of $9,500 per carat. One of the most expensive Black opal that has ever been sold was valued about $3 million. They named this beauty the “Royal One” which is a 306-carat gem that was in a storage for 14 years until the owner decided to sell it when it became one of the best pieces ever found.

8. Red Beryl ($10,000 per carat)

Red Beryl is part of the Beryl family which emeralds are also part of which is the reason why sometimes it is referred to this gem as the “red emerald”. The price of this gem can go up to $10,000 per carat but that is only if there is an opportunity to do so. It is extremely rare and anyone should feel lucky owning a one of a kind gem. It was found in New Mexico and Mexico regions where couple variation of red shades can be located which are all mesmerising.

7. Musgravite ($35,000 per carat)

Musgravite is another beauty that was first discovered in Australia in 1967. This gem is so rare, for a long time there wasn’t a price for it, but today it is estimated around $35,000 per carat which is already an extreme amount yet nowhere near to the first in our list. Such price and rarity make this gem the 7th rarest gem.

6. Alexandrite ($70,000 per carat)

Alexandrite is an interesting gem because it can change colors which makes it staggeringly beautiful and very valuable. Alexandrite was discovered in Russia in 1833 but also mined in Sri Lanka, India and Tanzania. It is usual that this gem appears in smaller pieces which makes larger ones even more expensive. One of the largest pieces weights 65 carats which is valued at over $4 million.

5. Emerald ($305,000 per carat)

Emeralds are one of the most popular gemstones in the world which usually appears in exotic green tones. Brazil, Zambia and Zimbabwe are one of the main places where emeralds can be found and mined. One of the most expensive emeralds ever sold was the 18 carat “Rockefeller Emerald” that was sold for $5.5 million, in other words, $305,000 per carat. The price of the emerald goes significantly down if mined in smaller pieces which is how it often happens to be.

4. Ruby ($1.1 million per carat)

Ruby is a charming looking gem that features a spectrum of vibrant red. Ruby is often referred to as the “King of Gemstones” which symbolises passion and zest. The most expensive and rarest ruby ever sold was the 26-carat gem, named “The Sunrise Ruby” which was sold for over $30 million, that is over $1.1 million per carat. Such price makes ruby the 4th most expensive gem ever sold.

3. Pink diamond ($1.2 million per carat)

Pink diamond is one of the rarest diamonds and just in general, pink colored gems are only forming 0.1% of all gems which makes most pink colored gemstones very valuable. Pink diamond holds the record in terms of the most expensive gemstone ever sold, however it is mainly because of the fact that it is a 60-carat gem while there are others with higher price per carat. The mesmerising 60-carat pink diamond was sold for over $71 million where each carat costs about $1.2 million.

2. Jadeite ($3 million per carat)

Jadeite is probably one of the most vivid and valuable gemstones in the Jade family and although it is often appearing in green hue, but has a variety of colors such as yellow and red. The most expensive Jadeite necklace was sold for $27 million that consisted of 27 large Jadeite beads. They named this beautiful piece of necklace the “Hutton-Midivani Necklace” which is the most expensive Jadeite ever sold!

1. Blue diamond ($3.9 million per carat)

Our list finished off by the blue diamond which is unarguably the most expensive gemstone by price per carat. The pink diamond holds the record for the most expensive gemstones ever sold, however blue diamond costs almost 3 times more per carat, but the fact that this diamond is significantly smaller. The largest blue diamond was named “The Oppenheimer Blue” which weights 14.62 carats. It was sold in 2016 in Geneva for more than $57 million which means each carat costs about $3.9 million.