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The List of the World's Most Valuable Gemstones

The World’s Most Valuable (Prized) Gemstones

By Marissa Haysbert

Diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and other gemstones are widely coveted throughout the world. While these gemstones are beautiful, the most valuable precious stones in the world offer specific qualities, such as rare details, unique colors, or rich history, that transcend them beyond typical value and into pricelessness.

Explore the world’s most valuable gemstones and learn how Jeweler’s Touch can help you find your own priceless jewelry.

The Most Valuable Gemstones in the World Today

Gemstones have been treasured for thousands of years, valued not just for their beauty but also for perceived spiritual, cultural, and even medicinal significance. Modern assessments determine the value of a gemstone by its color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. However, unique qualities and overall rarity are often the common denominators across the world’s most expensive stones.

Tanzanite

Discovered in 1967, Tanzanite is a relatively modern gemstone found only in Tanzania’s Merelani Hills, within the same region as Mount Kilimanjaro. Maasai herders encountered the striking blue-violet gemstones while tending livestock and alerted a prospector named Manuel d’Souza. He began mining them, believing they were a newly discovered sapphire deposit until realizing they were a unique variety of the mineral zoisite.

Tanzanite’s vibrant and subtly shifting blue, violent, and even burgundy hues result from the small amounts of vanadium in its composite and pleochroic properties.

Tiffany & Co. quickly became the primary distributor of tanzanite, launching it to the global jewelry market in 1968 as an alternative to sapphire. Tanzanite supply is limited, and its primary mine site may be depleted within a few decades. Given its limited geographic source and growing demand, tanzanite is expected to become even more valuable over time.

In 2020, a small-scale Tanzanian mining company discovered two tanzanite stones weighing over 20.4 and 11.3 pounds, respectively. They sold the stones for $3.3 million to the Tanzanian government.

Tanzanite Gemstone Image

Black Opal

Precious opals feature a unique quality, referred to as play-of-color, that results in a vibrant flash of rainbow on its surface. Among the various colors of opals, black opals are the rarest and most prized. The darkness of black opal is a contrasting backdrop for its play-of-color qualities, highlighting its brightness, range, and pattern. High-quality black opals can exceed $10,000 per carat, with exceptional specimens earning even higher sums.

Precious black opals come from a select few regions, with most found in the Lighting Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia. One of the largest is the Royal One, a 306-carat gemstone known for its intense blue and green hues and valued at $3 million. Considered one of the world's most beautiful opals, the Virgin Rainbow is a 72.65-carat black opal that exhibits gem-quality colors and is rumored to glow in the dark.

Black Opal Gemstone Image

Musgravite

Musgravite was discovered in 1967 in the Musgrave Ranges of Australia. Belonging to the taaffeite family, it’s composed of beryllium aluminum oxide with traces of iron, zinc, and magnesium. Musgravite rarely appears in jewelry pieces, and there are only a few cut specimens in the world.

Valued at approximately $35,000 per carat, musgravite ranges in color from translucent olive green to a greyish purple and is admired for its brilliance, sparkle, and 8 to 8.5 Mohs hardness durability. High-quality natural musgravite can rival the value of diamonds and other precious high-value gemstones.

Musgravite Gemstone Image

Red Beryl

Beryl consists of beryllium, aluminum, and silicate. This gem is colorless in its pure form and adopts other colors, such as emerald or aquamarine, depending on the conditions of its formation. Red beryl contains manganese instead of aluminum, which colors it from a vibrant raspberry red to a more muted purplish-red.

Gem-quality red beryl is primarily found in topaz rhyolite lava flows from the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah, which create rare geological conditions that allow the mineral to form in close proximity to other minerals containing manganese. Red beryl gems carry valuable properties, but their scarce availability makes the few gem-quality stones coveted collector’s items, driving the price for rare specimens to $24,000 per carat or more.

Red Beryl Gemstone Image

Alexandrite

A type of chrysoberyl, alexandrite’s primary draw is its color-changing abilities that activate under different types of lighting. In daylight, it appears green or blue-green, then shifts to a deep red or purple-red under incandescent lighting. Discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains in the 1830s, this gem is rumored to be named for the then-future Czar Alexander.

The original Ural Mountain source of alexandrite has dwindled, with most specimens reserved as Russian crown jewels. Several mines around the world now produce alexandrite, but the gemstone remains exceedingly rare and valuable, often priced at about $15,000 per carat. Russian alexandrite stones ranging from 1 to 2 carats earn about $20,000 per carat, while 3-carat stones can cost $35,000 per carat. Larger stones have sold for as much as $50,000 or over $100,000 per carat.

Alexandrite Gemstone Image

Emerald

Valued for their vivid green hues resulting from chromium and vanadium traces, civilizations dating back to Ancient Egypt mined and treasured emeralds. Still one of the world’s most popular gemstones, flawless but rare emeralds can earn up to $305,000 per carat.

These are some of the most valuable emeralds in modern history:

  • Rockefeller Emerald: This 18.04-carat gemstone, once owned by John D. Rockefeller’s wife, sold for $5.5 million at a Christie’s auction.

  • Chalk Emerald: One of the most famous in the world, the Chalk Emerald weighs 37.8 carats.

  • Stotesbury Emerald: The 34-carat Stotesbury Emerald sold for $1 million in 2017.

  • Catherine the Great’s emerald necklace: Christie’s auctioned off the famous Russian monarch’s 75.61 emerald for $4.5 million

  • Bulgari Emerald Suite: Christie’s auctioned Elizabeth Taylor's five-piece Bulgari Emerald Suite for about $24.8 million.

Emerald Gemstone Image

Ruby

Rubies are prized for their deep red color, which comes from trace amounts of chromium. The most expensive gems range from $30,000 to $400,000 per carat and exhibit a rich, “pigeon blood” red hue. They originate from Myanmar, though deposits also occur in Mozambique, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The record price for any ruby was set in June 2023 by the Estrela de Fura, a 55.22-carat Mozambique ruby that sold for $34.8 million — about $630,000 per carat.

Ruby Gemstone Image

Diamond

A typical 1-carat natural diamond costs around $5,000 to $8,000 due to its brilliance and durability. Many diamonds hold historic and cultural significance, and the rarest have sold for exorbitant amounts. Most are colorless, but trace elements create diamonds of various colors and value — for example, red diamonds may earn up to $1 million per carat.

These are some of the most impressive modern diamond sales:

  • The Oppenheimer Blue sold for $80.71 million at a 2024 Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction. 

  • In 2022, the De Beers Blue diamond collection was auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for $57.4 million.

  • The 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star diamond sold for approximately $57.7 million.

Diamond

Experience the Jeweler’s Touch

Although $80 million diamonds aren’t for the average buyer, fine jewelry can be equally as affordable as it is precious. At Jeweler’s Touch, we offer a wide selection of natural and lab-grown diamonds, coveted jewelry lines, custom bridal rings, and more. Contact us today to explore our fine jewelry services.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are gemstone prices determined? What factors are most important?

Color, clarity, cut, and carat weight influence gemstone pricing. Jewelers evaluate these four factors to assess the quality of the gemstone and determine its value. The price also reflects the rarity and current demand for the gemstone.

Which gemstones are becoming harder to find and why? 

Gemstones such as benitoite, black opal, red beryl, and ammolite are some of the world’s rarest gemstones. They’re only found in certain parts of the world, and deposits become depleted as demand increases. 

Are there trends in gemstone popularity? 

Fashion and technology trends often influence gemstone popularity. As trends evolve, the color and cut of specific gemstones become more popular than others. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds remain timeless and are consistently popular.

Do certain gemstones have cultural or symbolic significance? 

Many gemstones hold cultural or symbolic significance in various regions or cultures around the world. For example, diamonds are often used for engagement and wedding rings due to their association with love and purity. In Chinese, Meso-American, and Maori cultures, jade is symbolic of different traits, such as good fortune and virtue.

Are gemstones a good investment? What makes them different from buying gold or stocks? 

Some rare gemstones can be a good investment, but typically gemstones are purchased for their beauty and enjoyment. They differ from gold and stocks because they’re not as easily liquidated and may take longer to find a buyer.

I inherited a gemstone piece of jewelry. How can I get it appraised?

If you inherit a gemstone piece of jewelry, bring it to Jeweler’s Touch for appraisal service. Our GIA gemologists view your jewelry through a 10X gemscope to thoroughly evaluate the piece. We’ll give you an official appraisal document with a detailed description of the item and its appraised value.

What's the best way to care for and clean gemstone jewelry?

Clean your gemstone jewelry at home using a mild cleanser and a soft toothbrush. Store it in secure locations, remove it during exercise or physical labor, and minimize its exposure to harsh chemicals and sunlight. Bring your gemstone or crystal jewelry in for professional cleaning at Jeweler's Touch in Brea.

Do certain countries produce higher-quality gemstones?

Some countries are known for producing high-quality gemstones due to unique geological conditions. Myanmar is famous for pigeon’s blood rubies, Colombia for deep green emeralds, Sri Lanka for high-clarity sapphires, and Brazil for Paraíba tourmalines.

What certifications should buyers look for when purchasing gemstones?

Reputable gemological laboratories independently verify gemstone authenticity, quality, and treatments. For example, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is considered an authoritative source on diamond, sapphire, ruby, and other gemstone evaluation.

Sources:

  1. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/africa/tanzanite-largest-gems-scli-intl/index.html 
  2. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/98069-largest-cut-black-opal 
  3. https://instoremag.com/red-beryl-a-gem-rarer-than-diamond-and-more-valuable-than-gold/ 
  4. https://www.gemrockauctions.com/learn/a-z-of-gemstones/red-beryl 
  5. https://rapaport.com/magazine-article/alexandrite-the-great-one-of-natures-scarcest-gems/ 
  6. https://galeriemagazine.com/worlds-most-famous-emerald-jewels/ 
  7. https://www.christies.com/en/stories/collecting-guide-emeralds-cf3d71f0c10e4f9d95834b1b91e0e39e 
  8. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bethbernstein/2023/04/09/the-most-valuable-ruby-will-hit-the-auction-block-at-sothebys/?sh=78e058aa47e7 
  9. https://www.cnn.com/style/ruby-sothebys-auction-record/index.html 
  10. https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydemarco/2016/05/18/oppenheimer-blue-diamond-sells-for-world-auction-record-58-2-million/?sh=5cfbb258459a 
  11. https://www.lifestyleasia.com/sg/style/jewellery/the-most-expensive-diamonds-in-the-world/ 
  12. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/10/07/pink-diamond-auctioned-per-carat-world-record/8209350001/ 

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