12 of the world's rarest gemstones

When it comes to gemstones, many people believe that diamonds are the rarest in the world. But in reality, there are some types of stones that are even more valuable and rare than diamonds. Below are 12 of the most expensive gemstones in the world.

12. Jeremejevite – 2,000 USD/Carat

Jeremejev is a stunning pure blue crystal, considered one of the rarest gemstones in the world . It is named after the Russian mineralogist Pavel Jeremejev, who discovered it in Namibia in 1883. In nature, this mineral also appears pale yellow or colorless, and in an elongated, pyramidal shape. It has also been mistaken for aquamarine in the past. In early 2005, a 2.93-carat Jeremejev was offered for sale online at a price of US$2,000 per carat (equivalent to VND 42 million per carat).

11. Black Opal – $2,355/Carat

Opal originates from the ancient Roman word Opalus (meaning rainbow). This cat's-eye-shaped gemstone is considered rare because it possesses all the colors of other precious stones combined. Black opal is the most valuable type, alongside white opal and fire opal. It is also believed to improve eyesight and prevent graying hair. Globally, Australia is considered to possess the largest opal deposits (accounting for 95%), with the remainder scattered across countries such as Mexico, northern Brazil, the US states of Idaho and Nevada, and recently discovered in Ethiopia and Mali.

10. Benitoite - approximately $3,000 - $4,000 per carat

This type of gemstone, valued at $3,000 to $4,000 per carat (approximately 63-84 million VND), was only recently discovered in the San Benito River in San Benito, California. Because of this, Benitoite has become the state gemstone of California.

One of Benitoite's most striking characteristics is its incredibly bright fluorescent glow under UV light.

Although discovered in the early 20th century and its chemical composition studied for decades, the origin of its color and fluorescence remains a mystery.

9. Poudretteite - 3,000 USD/carat

The first poudretteite stones were discovered in the mid-1960s in a mineral mine in Saint Hilaire, Quebec. However, this type of stone was only officially recognized in 1987 and fully described as a mineral in 2003.

Poudretteite is typically pink, purple, or colorless, with a hardness of 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. Today, it is still found in the Mogok region of Shan State in Myanmar. Its price is around $3,000 per carat (approximately 63 million VND).

8. Red Beryl Emerald - $10,000/Carat

This rare red beryl is primarily mined in the Thomas Range and Wah Wah Mountains in Utah (USA) and some locations in Mexico. In these areas, red beryl is found in rhyolite minerals, where the gems crystallize at extremely low pressure and extremely high temperatures, along fissures and cavities containing volcanic magma. It can be said that it is very difficult to find naturally cut and polished specimens of this rare mineral anywhere in the world.

7. Musgravite – 35,000 USD/Carat

Musgravite is one of the newest and rarest gemstones in the world. It is a silicate mineral composed of beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al). The crystal is named after the Musgrave Mountains in central Australia, where it was first discovered. Later, Musgravite was found in Greenland (Denmark) and Madagascar. In 1993, two rare faceted Musgravite stones were discovered for the first time in Sri Lanka.

6. Grandidierite – 50,000 USD/0.5 Cara

This rare, bluish-green mineral is found primarily on the Madagascar peninsula and is named after the French explorer and natural historian Alfred Granidier – one of the group who unearthed the nearly half-ton elephant bird skeleton in Ambolisatra, Madagascar. The first and only faceted specimen found to date was in Sri Lanka. Initially mistaken for Serendibite jade, it was later acquired in May 2000 by Swiss mineralogist Edward J. Gübelin (1913–2005). This stone weighs 0.29 carats and has the ability to change color from blue and green to bright white.

5. Painite – $50,000 to $60,000 per carat

This stone was once considered the rarest mineral on Earth, and remains so to this day. It was first discovered in Myanmar in 1950 by a British mineralogist. When identified as a new mineral, it was named after him, Arthur C.D. Pain. Over the years, only three small Painite crystals have been found worldwide. Prior to 2005, fewer than 25 crystals had been unearthed in Myanmar.

4. Blue Garnet – $1.5 million/Carat

Garnets are found worldwide in many colors, including red, orange, pink, yellow, green, purple, brown, black, and colorless. Among them, blue garnets are the rarest, discovered in the late 1990s in Bekily, Madagascar, and in other locations in the United States, Russia, and Turkey. This gem has the ability to change color from bluish-green under sunlight to purple under incandescent light. This phenomenon occurs because blue garnets contain a high concentration of vanadium – a rare metal with blue, silver, and gray hues. In 2003, a 4.2-carat blue garnet sold for $6.8 million.

3. Serendibite Jade – $1.8 to $2 million/carat

This gem, with its unusually complex chemical formula of calcium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, boron, and oxygen, is a cyan mineral originating from Sri Lanka. To date, only three faceted Serendibite gems have been found worldwide, weighing 0.35 carats, 0.55 carats, and 0.56 carats respectively. The first two were discovered by rare gem expert DP Gunasekera, and later acquired by Swiss professor EJ Gübelin. The smallest of these is valued at US$1.43 million per carat.

2. Red Diamonds - $2 to $2.5 million per carat

Currently, red diamonds are among the rarest natural gemstones in the world, with very few people having the opportunity to see them in person. These rare stones are not simply deep red or bright red, but rather a purplish-red hue. Regardless of size or weight, red diamonds are among the most expensive diamonds in the world. The Argyle mines in Australia produce a small quantity of these gemstones, and every one or two years, the most beautiful and largest red diamond is selected and auctioned off, fetching millions of dollars.

1. Jadeite – over $3 million/carat

To this day, jadeite remains considered the most mysterious, rare, and expensive gemstone in the world. Due to its ability to change color from blue to red and vice versa, jadeite is also known as 'jadeite'. This stunning gemstone originates primarily in Madagascar. It is also found in Mexico and the state of California (USA). In 1997, a record price was set for a piece of jewelry containing 25 jadeite stones, each 0.5mm in diameter, selling for $9.3 million (approximately 195 billion VND).