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TOP 10 RAREST GEMSTONES »
Top 10
rarest gemstones rated by the LoveToKnow editors.
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Top 10 List
how we choose
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Benitoite
This brilliant gem is a rare blue mineral and those of gemstone quality have
so far only been found in California. This might be why it is California's
state gem. Benitoite crystals glow a brilliant blue under UV light. Not all
of the gems have the same coloring. A sapphire blue is the most popular, but
the gem can also come in pink, white and muted greens. There is a pretty
detailed process to get the gems out of the crystals and to market. |
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Black Opal
Opals are found in Australia and come in a huge range of color variations.
The black opal is one of the rarest opals. Opals flash iridescent colors
when the light hits them. The colors can range from red, blue, green, orange
and even yellow. Common opals are mostly white with very little color
throughout.
Black opals are mostly black or another dark color with fiery reds and
deeper colors running through the gem. |
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Grandidierite
This extremely rare
gemstone is found mainly in Madagascar. It has a bluish-green
appearance. The iron content will make the color vary. Higher iron makes the
gem greener. The gem is not typically translucent, but when it is it is
truly breathtaking. You can also find the gem in Malawi, Algeria, Ontario,
Canada, New York, New Zealand, Norway, Surinam and Italy. However, the gem
is in very short supply in these other locations. |
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Jeremejevite
This gem is an aluminium borate mineral. It has variations in fluoride and
hydroxide, which can make the color vary. The color typically ranges from
almost colorless to pale blue, pale yellow, pale greenish-blue or pale
yellow brown. The gem is not found in many places. It has been discovered in
Mount Soktuj in Transbaikal, Russia; Eifel volcanic region of Germany;
eastern Pamirs in Tajakistan; and southwestern Pamirs. |
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Majorite
This is a mineral found in Earth's crust. It stores oxygen and when brought
to the surface actually begins to release that oxygen. Scientists believe
that the mineral may help keep the surface moist. Majorite is also a truly
beautiful gemstone that falls in the garnet group. The gem is
semi-transparent and can come in purple, pale yellow-brown, clear, or have
purple running only through a small strip. You can read about other gems in
alphabetical order or by
mineral group. |
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Painite
Painite is an extremely rare borate mineral found in Myanmar. There have
only been a few of these crystals found and some of those were incomplete.
The crystal is either a reddish-brown or orangeish-brown. Many people do not
care for the way this gem looks when cut, but few can argue with how rare it
is. For many years, there were less than a handful of this gem in existence.
Recently, the original source for the gems was discovered and now there are
several hundred. Even with the discovery, however, the gem is still one of
the rarest in the world. You'll find many other
articles on jewelry at this site, including about the Hope diamond and
blue and red diamonds. |
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Red Beryl Emerald
If you're used to your emeralds being green, think again. Although quite
rare, this beryl emerald is a brilliant red. The only place the gemstone has
been found is in the Ruby Violet Mine which is located in southwest Utah in
the Wah Wah Mountains. Because it is so rare, and because most people would
never think to ask for a red emerald, the gem is not seen often in jewelry.
The emerald was discovered by
Maynard Bixby in 1904. His discovery was not gem quality, but it paved
the way to the discovery of gem quality red emeralds in 1958. |
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Red Diamonds
There aren't many places where you can find authentic natural red diamonds.
Red is the rarest of diamond colors. It can range from a brilliant
Valentine's Day red to a purplish hue. Scientists have not yet figured out
what makes the diamonds appear red, so there is some mystery to the jewel.
The American Museum of Natural History has a rare red diamond of five carats
on display called the Kanzanjian diamond. View pictures of red diamonds and
the different shade variations. You may also want to look at the info on
blue diamonds and
violet diamonds. |
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Serendibite
This gem is a deep bluish-green. It is sometimes confused with sapphire and
zoisite. It was first described in 1903 and is one of the rarest gems in the
world. It is in the Aenigmatite group. The gem is currently only found in
Sri Lanka, Kolonne and Ginigalgoda. Prior to the year 2005, there were only
three known Serendibite gems. New stones were then found in Myanmar.
Although the Sri Lanka stones are a clear blue-green, the Myanmar stones are
more black in appearance. Even without the blue-green tones, the gems sell
for hundreds of dollars per carat because of their rarity. |
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Taaffeite
The gems were first discovered from already cut minerals that didn't quite
match up to known gemstones because of the way they refracted light. When
gems are discovered in this way, it can be hard to trace where they are from
and to locate more. This gem is a light pinkish-mauve or violet color. The
gem is either transparent or translucent, depending on the quality of the
stone and the cut. Sri Lanka is the primary source for this gem, but it is
also found in Tanzania. It is one of the rarest gems. You can find a
complete
list of gems in the same family on the site as well. |
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