10 Stones That Can Make You Rich.
Number 10.
Priced at $2,500 per carat, Taaffeite is not
very familiar to many due to how rare it is.
In fact, it is so scarce that it's considered
to be a million times rarer than a diamond.
It was discovered by gemologist Richard Taaffe
in 1945 in a jeweler's shop in Dublin, Ireland.
Prior to his discovery, it was misidentified
as spinel until he noticed some inconsistencies,
such as the gem refracting light differently
compared to the spinel.
It is known to only be found in two locations,
Tanzania and Sri Lanka, and some of them are
not even suitable for faceting which makes
its supply even more limited.
Number 9.
Priced at $3,300 per carat, Demantoid is a
green gemstone that has a "diamond-like" adamantine
luster.
Fascinatingly, its brilliance and dispersion
actually exceed that of a diamond's.
Its golden-colored "horsetails" that include
cat's eye gems is one of its identifying characteristics.
It was identified as a variety of andradite
by the mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenski'ld
during the 19th century in Russia which is
long known to be a sole source of the rarest
garnets.
While new sources have been discovered, demantoid
remains to be very rare.
It is also difficult to look for a demantoid
larger than 10 carats as these stones are
typically small in size.
Number 8.
Priced at $3,500 per carat, Opal gemstones
have a different evaluation process than other
gemstones with each one of them having their
own distinct individuality.
Compared to other opals, black opals are considered
rarest and most popular.
Its body has a black color with a firey pattern
that looks spectacular in contrast to the
dark background.
Majority of the supply around the world came
from Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia.
Number 7.
Priced at $3,800 per carat, Benitoite has
a striking blue body color that has a dispersion
higher than a diamond.
As its name, it was discovered by the headwaters
in San Benito River in San Benito County,
California where it's now declared as its
state gem.
While it has a high dispersion, its intense
blue color can mask it.
Hence, admirers may have to choose between
letting go of its dispersive display for the
stone's darker blue color or opting for a
lighter one with more evident dispersion.
Furthermore, it looks fascinating under UV
light where it fluoresces its glowing blue
chalk color.
Number 6.
Priced at $8,000 per carat, Padparadscha sapphire,
has a beautiful pinkish orange color that
exhibits the mixture of the hues of ruby and
yellow sapphire.
Its name is derived from the Sanskrit/Singhalese
word for "aquatic lotus blossom" due to its
color.
Most of these stones are mined from Sri Lanka
but they can also be found in Madagascar and
Tanzania.
The finer ones, however, are mostly found
in Sri Lanka as the ones in Madagascar are
pinker which makes it have a lower price.
Number 5.
Priced at $10,000 per carat, Red beryl is
an extremely rare type of beryl with a raspberry
pink to almost purplish red color.
Despite its name, it is not an emerald but
it's an entirely different gemstone.
It was first discovered in 1904 by Maynard
Bixby.
Meanwhile, its gem quality stones can only
be found in one site, the Wah Wah Mountains
in Utah.
It is so rare that rubies, which are also
rare gemstones, are said to be 8,000 times
more plentiful than red beryl.
With that, any clarity and color grade in
any size piece of this stone can easily land
a ready buyer.
Number 4.
Priced at $12,000 per carat, Alexandrite is
a very rare gemstone variety.
It is popular for its remarkable optical properties:
it undergoes dramatic color shifts depending
on the lighting condition.
This is caused by the rare combination of
minerals including chromium, iron, and titanium.
It is strongly pleochroic which means it changes
color as you rotate it in your hand.
But furthermore, it also changes colors independently
of your viewing angle under an artificial
light source.
It is greenish blue under natural light and
then becomes reddish purple in soft, incandescent
light.
The Alexandrite was discovered in Russia's
Ural Mountains during the 1830s and named
by Count Lev Alekseevich Perovskii in honor
of Alexander II, the then-future Czar of Russia,
in 1834.
Number 3.
Priced at $20,000 per carat, Jadeite is jade's
most expensive, beautiful, and rarest variety.
While it can be found in many colors, its
association with the rich-emerald color of
"imperial jade" continues to be highly valued.
The finest stones in this color can be found
in Myanmar.
In the Chinese, Maori, and Meso-American cultures,
it is a huge part of their historical weapons,
jewelry, carving, religious and medicinal
purposes.
It is even valued more than gold by the Aztecs,
Mayas, and Olmecs.
Number 2.
Priced at $35,000 per carat, Musgravite is
an extremely rare gemstone in the taaffeite
family.
The mineral was first discovered at the Musgrave
Range (thus its name) in South Australia.
It has shown up in other areas such as Antarctica,
Greenland, and Madagascar but in highly limited
quantities.
The first sizable gem-quality Musgravite specimen
was found in 1993.
It was the first one that is large and pure
enough to be cut and shaped.
As of 2005, there are only 8 known specimens
of this stone to exist.
Number 1.
The most expensive gemstones in the world
are colored diamonds.
Not only are they rare, but they are also
known to have a spectacular brilliance and
are the hardest substance found on earth.
Out of all other gemstones, they are arguably
the most popular among people; and also the
most advertised and romanticized.
Its wide spectrum of colors includes black,
blue, champagne, chocolate/brown, cognac,
green, pink, red and yellow.
Its value is at an entirely different level
with the price of $3.93 million per carat.
