Rare and Unique Gemstones
We stock a comprehensive
collection of stunning gemstone pieces, but it’s crazy to think that each one
of these stones has taken millions of years to form, before being discovered,
mined, cut, set in their precious metal of choice and sold to gemstone
jewellery fans like yourself. There are however semi-precious stones that are
rarer than others, and whilst diamonds are known as a girl’s best friend, the
world’s rarest stones demand a much higher price. Here we countdown five of the
rarest gemstones on the planet…
Steinmetz pink
After fetching the highest
price ever recorded when it was sold at auction in 2013 - £52 million to be
exact – it’s no wonder than Steinmetz pink takes the crown for the rarest
gemstone in the world. This particular stone, known as the ‘Pink Star’, was
mined in Africa in 1999 and took two years for jewellers to cut and polish it
to its finished 59.6 carat state.
Painite
Despite its unusual brown
colour, painite is one of the most valuable stones on the planet. A rare borate
mineral, there are few gemstones of this kind available on the market, with
those that are accessible commanding a particularly high price. Some experts
even describe painite as ‘priceless’.
Musgravite
Discovered in Australia,
musgravite is a stunning stone known for its green-grey to purple shade. This
gemstone is so rare that just two faceted stones are known worldwide. After the
first stone was discovered in 1967, only small quantities of musgravite have
been found in Greenland, Antarctica, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Tanzania.
Jadeite
Whilst many semi-precious
stones are known for their pronounced and vibrant colours, jadeite (often
referred to as jade) is renowned for its deep green shade. Again this gemstone
has only been discovered in small quantities, meaning when a prized jadeite
necklace went up for auction in 1997, it was sold for almost $10 million.
Unfortunately the rareness of jadeite has led to many forgeries on the market,
as traders have used colour treatment to pass off less valuable stones as
jadeite.
Alexandrite
It’s fitting to include
alexandrite in our top five, as not only is it one of the rarest and most
valuable stones around, it is also one of the birthstones for June, alongside
pearl and moonstone. Named after Tsar Alexander II after being discovered in
Russia, alexandrite is known for its colour changing properties. Whilst the
original mine in Russia has run dry, small finds have been made in Brazil,
Africa and Sri Lanka.
Alexandrite looks different colours in different lights and always looks truly wonderful. Some of you may have seen a stone called "mystic quartz" which is plain quartz treated with a multi coloured film. It is not alexandrite!
You may not have the budget for
these rare gemstones but you can still add to your jewellery collection. Browse
our online store to discover a vast selection
of gemstone jewellery pieces.
