Our Earth never ceases to amaze us with its gifts. These are amazingly beautiful forests and lakes, rivers and mountains, but outlandish masterpieces from the bowels of the earth occupy a special place in their beauty. These are minerals from which, through human efforts, gemstones of amazing beauty are obtained. Jewelry has long been considered the embodiment of luxury and wealth. Collectors hunt for them, people commit crimes because of them, they are given as gifts in the hope of getting an answer to their feelings... Of course, what nature creates cannot be compared with the creation of human hands. Man can only add something to the beauty that nature gives us. Most people naively believe that the most expensive stone is only a diamond, but in the depths of our Earth there are unusual and very rare minerals. Here are the top 10 rarest gems. Meet, dream and enjoy!

Almost fifty years ago, this mineral was first discovered in southern Australia in the Musgrave mountain range. A few years later, the same crystals were discovered in Greenland, Madagascar, Tanzania and even in icy Antarctica. Now only fourteen musgravites were able to be mined, and the first unique crystal of jewelry quality was found in 1993 - it turned out to be a fairly large and transparent stone, and was easy to cut.
This relative of taaffeite comes in a variety of colors, from light yellow-green to violet-purple. Green musgravites are especially prized, and purple ones will cost even more, about $6,000 per carat.

This amazing stone can be found in different parts of our planet. The color of this mineral is bluish-green, but there are now only three such specimens in the world, while the bulk are dark blue and deep blue, so dark that it can safely be called black. The stone received its interesting “name” from the ancient Arabic “Serendibi”, which is how the island of Sri Lanka was called in ancient times. Serendibites of light blue shades are considered the most expensive; these unique pure stones were found in Sri Lanka (one carat of the smallest stone is estimated at $14,500), but dark ones are mined in Burma, the quarry is located near South Mogou. Dark serendibites are used to make gem-quality stones, and many collectors dream of owning them.

In 1956, in Burma (now Myanmar), the famous mineralogy researcher Arthur Payne discovered a strange mineral. This unique stone was later named after its discoverer. The color of painite can range from bright orange to dark brown. Blood-red gems are considered the most expensive, while brown ones are much cheaper. This representative of organic minerals is a very, very rare stone, which is why it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Ten years ago, only a few faceted painites existed. Later, a fairly large deposit was found, and accordingly, the number of cut stones increased. But the cost of this mineral remains very high, because the best stones are in private collections and institutes, and unprocessed stones can be seen on the market. Very often, painites offered for sale (especially red transparent ones) are an obvious deception. A real stone in the light of a blue lamp acquires an unusual greenish tint.
Painite has magical powers and healing properties. The cost of this unique mineral has increased thirty-fold over the past thirty-five years. Not every emerald or diamond can boast such an increase in its price!

It is found in nature a thousand times less often than diamond. This crystal became popular after the release of the film “Titanic,” where it “starred” as a blue diamond shining in the “Heart of the Ocean” pendant. Tanzanite is valuable because its only deposit is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in very small quantities. They say that its reserves will only last for 20 years. Therefore, those who know a lot about gemology are in a hurry to buy it.
The most amazing thing about tanzanite is its color. Like alexandrite, this mineral changes its color and it depends on the source and location of the light source. The same stone from different angles can be a deep sapphire blue, violet-amethyst and brown-green.

A rare mineral with shades of bluish and green. This stone was first discovered in Sri Lanka, it was described by Alfred Grandidier, a French traveler and naturalist, and a new unique mineral was named in his honor. The peculiarities of grandidierite include its ability to pleochroate, that is, change its color (up to white). There are now about twenty cut specimens on the planet, and accordingly, the cost of such stones is very high - about thirty thousand dollars per carat.

It is the official symbol of California, because it was found near San Benito, where the only large deposit is still located. Benitoite was discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century, but was initially mistaken for sapphire. Its color is very similar to sapphires, which is why they are confused. It can be from light blue to blue, it can be transparent, and even blue-red. Sometimes benitoite plays different shades, it depends on the lighting and viewing angle. The crystal itself is transparent and translucent to light. This stone is easy to process, but internal defects are common, so finding a stone suitable for cutting is quite difficult. This beauty is very rare, so most often it ends up in private collections, and less often in jewelry.

This is a very rare precious specimen, it was found absolutely by accident in the middle of the last century by R. Taaffe, after whom the stone was later named. An amateur gemologist discovered a mineral, looking at a batch of already cut stones, very similar to spinel; one of them, the color of a mallow, interested him. Taaffe handed this specimen over to the gemstone laboratory for more careful study, because he had never seen such an unusual gem before. After studying the properties of the unusual pebble, scientists came to the conclusion that it was a new, hitherto unknown mineral. It received its name in 1951, although it was discovered six years earlier, and after numerous analyzes the final conclusions were made that it is an independent mineral species with unusual optical properties. The uniqueness of taaffeite is that it was discovered after it had been processed.
This gem is considered extremely rare, because on Earth it is found in incredibly tiny quantities, and only in isolated deposits located in the lands of Tanzania or Sri Lanka, several specimens were found in the East of Siberia and Karelia.
The color range of taaffeits varies from pale pink to lavender. One carat can cost from five hundred dollars to twenty thousand.

Another representative of the precious stone family. It was found in the eighties of the twentieth century, near the city of Montreal (Canada), in the depths of the Saint Hilaire Mountains, and its “name” was given in honor of the owners of the mine - the Poudrette family. Over the next few years, several dozen more specimens were found here. These crystals were almost colorless or pale pink in color, having low hardness, they lend themselves well to cutting. After processing, poudretteite changes color, it can be from deep pink to purple. At the very beginning of this century, a purple mineral was found in Burma, which, after cutting, turned into a precious stone weighing three carats. For five years, quite large stones were found here, and since 2005. the poudretteit did not reveal itself. The starting price of this stone starts at two thousand dollars, and can rise to ten thousand dollars per carat, and it depends on the clarity and saturation of the color.

It was first encountered in Siberia during the last years of the nineteenth century. It acquired its name after the Russian academician P.V. Eremeev. In the natural environment, it exists in the form of transparent, beautifully colored crystals. Its color is not rich or bright. Eremeevit comes in sky blue, light yellow, and soft green colors, but very often you can also find colorless ones; dark blue ones are very rare. Nowadays it is mined in Namibia, and can rarely be found in Tajikistan, Germany, and Madagascar. In the early seventies of the last century, beautiful pale blue and yellowish crystals were discovered in Namibia, and their size reached ten centimeters, and then eremeevite was “assigned” the status of a precious stone, and a very expensive and rare one at that. It is a hard, transparent stone with a bright shine. The price for one carat of eremeevite reaches $10,000.

The most expensive and rarest precious gem on Earth is this amazing mineral; it is mined only in the Argyle mine in Australia. The uniqueness of this crystal is expressed, first of all, in its color. The natural color of red diamonds is purple-red. Only a few lucky people had the opportunity to see and hold this stone in their hands. Only fifty pure red diamonds are known, some of which are in the collections of the most sophisticated connoisseurs, and some are considered missing. The largest crystal, called the “Red Shield” because of its triangular shape, weighs 5.11 carats. At the beginning of the 21st century, this crystal was purchased for $8,000,000. Red diamonds weighing more than 0.1 carat can only be purchased at auctions, and their price reaches more than $2,000,000 per carat.

And one more thing... Remember that when purchasing rare and precious stones, be sure to use the services of specialists!

Exclusive stone

There are quite a lot of precious stones on earth. They are very beautiful and quite rare, but they are incredibly expensive. Stones are widely used in the production of jewelry and exclusive products.

Collectors from all over the world often hunt for them, and many famous society ladies are not averse to showing them off. These are symbols of wealth, status and human well-being. Scientists are still arguing about what is the most expensive mineral on Earth.

Discovery history

Today, one of the most famous and rare minerals in the world is Painite stone. The history of its discovery is connected with the name of Arthur Payne. In Southeast Asia in 1956, a transparent and rare red-brown stone was found. An unknown mineral was discovered by Arthur Charles Dave Payne, a popular British mineralogist of the time. A little later, he himself examined and described the stone. The mineral was named in honor of the scientist, which today is considered the most expensive and quite rare on Earth.

It is surprising that at the beginning of the 19th century, Russian mineral scientists discovered a deposit of a hitherto unknown stone. The rare stone was first discovered in 1874 in the Urals near the city of Yekaterinburg near the river at the Bobrovka military training ground. The stones looked incredibly beautiful. Their color, from orange-bloody to red-brown, resembled slices of ripe pomegranate. The people immediately nicknamed the amazing gem “Bobrovsky garnet”, and popular rumor gossiped about a new incredibly rare and beautiful stone - the “Ural emerald”.

Diamond prototype

A few years later, the most expensive mineral was discovered in Kamchatka. And in 1990, scientists in Namibia found another rare mineral similar to painite. At the beginning of the 21st century, in the north of Southeast Asia, mineral scientists discovered a new location of painite. As it turned out later, the stones that were found then looked less transparent and contained many impurities.

Currently, mineral scientists from all over the world have not discovered any more locations of this rare and expensive mineral. Few people know that painite is the prototype of diamond. There are only about 300 of these incredible and amazing gems in the world. Their quality is internationally confirmed; no one doubts it.

The color spectrum of this unique stone ranges from pale pink to red and brown. Surprisingly, it is quite easy to distinguish a real mineral from a fake. All these exclusive stones change their noble and bright “garnet” color to dark green, as soon as you place them under the light of an ordinary blue lamp.

Stone that brings good luck

Painite is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the rarest and most expensive mineral in the world. It is truly priceless because it is so rare that no one can determine its value. The stone has a beneficial effect on the digestive organs, promotes skin rejuvenation, and has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system and the activity of the endocrine glands.

Painite is believed to be the stone of the fire signs of the zodiac. It brings luck to women in love, and to men in gambling, and it can also develop in people the ability to sense impending danger.

There is a belief that this stone protects the house and can protect against fire and theft. Most of the stones of the most expensive mineral on Earth, painite, are currently in private collections and museums around the world.

According to the federal law of our country, natural diamonds, rubies, alexandrites and emeralds, pearls and sapphires, as well as amber, both in raw and processed form, are considered precious stones. Let's figure out what the most expensive stone in the world is and how much it costs in 2017-2018.

A gemstone is a complex composition of chemical elements found in nature. The gem is evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • By color;
  • By cleanliness;
  • By weight;
  • By location of the deposit;
  • In terms of durability.

Crystals are divided into organic and inorganic. The latter are compounds of special strength, in which the chemical structure is unchanged. About a hundred minerals are mined in the world, and only twenty to thirty of them are classified as precious, including the most expensive stone in the world. Precious minerals are wear-resistant, rare and very beautiful.

Organic gemstones, such as amber or pearls, are created by animals or plants.

Stones have always attracted attention due to their fascinating appearance, as well as the properties that they have on humans. What is the most expensive stone in the world? Diamonds have long been considered the most expensive gem.

But the secrets of nature are unknown, and some time ago another beautiful gem was discovered, costing much more than its fellows. This most expensive stone in the world is called and is the most expensive of the diamond family, as well as among other jewelry in the world. There is only one deposit of this mineral in nature, and it is located in Australia. And, even though the mine has existed for many years, during its entire existence, people have mined only a few copies of red diamond. At the same time, the maximum size of the stone did not exceed half a carat. Specialists from gemological centers claim that the color of the gem is purple-red. This most expensive stone in the world, the photo of which you will see below, costs $1 million and can be bought mainly at auctions.

What is the most expensive stone in the world? Top Ten!

Crystals, which have a number of valuable qualities, are highly valued in the jewelry market, as well as among collectors and lovers of presentable jewelry. Some copies are sold exclusively from hand to hand, never ending up on the shelves of regular stores.

Below you will see a list of gems and their approximate cost. The most expensive stone in the world is discussed above, and therefore is not included in this list.

  • Grandidierite from 100 thousand.
  • Padparadscha from 30 thousand
  • Jadeite (imperial) from 20 thousand.
  • Diamond - 15-17 thousand.
  • Ruby from 16 thousand.
  • Alexandrite from 12 thousand.
  • Paraiba tourmaline - 13-14 thousand.
  • Bixbit - 10-12 thousand.
  • Sapphire from 9 thousand.
  • Emerald from 8 thousand.

Other gems known to mankind

In addition to the stones that we talked about above, there are others that delight people with their beauty and positive properties. Among them you can find: pearls and coral, aquamarine and heliodor, garnet and chrysolite, beryl and chrysoprase, topaz and opal, amber and many others. In our article we will look at the most beautiful and famous crystals.

Delicate pearls

This mineral is of organic origin and is a waste product of mollusks, which is formed as a result of a foreign body entering their shell. The stone is extracted from the sea or river bottom, and it can also be grown in artificially created conditions.

The advantage of pearls is that they do not need special treatment. Nature made it beautiful, it has the correct shape.

This most expensive organic stone in the world comes in different colors.

  • Pink pearls are mined on the Indian coast, in the Bahamas or in the Gulf of California;
  • Panama gives the world gold-colored stones, sometimes with brown inclusions;
  • The red mineral is mined in Mexico;
  • In Japan or Australia, white and silver stone is found;
  • There are deposits of yellow and cream pearls in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf;
  • Tahiti is famous for its black pearl stones.

People also learned to catch river pearls. It can be found in China, Russia and Germany.

It is believed that this not the most expensive stone in the world, the photo of which you will see below, protects against infections, accumulates vital energy and promotes longevity.

If you want to extend the life of your pearls, you need to care for them correctly and on time. Do not allow cosmetics and household chemicals to come into contact with their surface, do not overdry the stones or expose them to excess moisture. The cost of this gemstone depends on how smooth and even it is, as well as the size of the pearl and its color and brightness.

Previously, it was believed that only unmarried girls could wear pearl jewelry. They can be worn during daylight hours.

Mesmerizing ruby

This stone belongs to the corundum class and differs from the others in its red color. Its cost is determined by its antiquity. Crystals are formed due to the movement and interaction of tectonic plates: magma and the earth's crust. Currently, such a process does not occur, and deposits of rubies can only be found in those rocks that are more than five hundred thousand years old. Ruby is not the most expensive stone in the world, but it is very beautiful.

The color palette of the mineral ranges from light pink with a hint of raspberry to fiery red. The rarest representative of rubies is a stone of bright red color with a purple tint. In our country, the mineral is mined in the polar Urals. Other countries are India, Burma, Ceylon and Thailand.

The stone helps a person strengthen those qualities that are given to him by nature. It is believed that you cannot wear a ruby ​​all the time, as it can turn into an energy vampire.

Back in the nineteenth century, ruby ​​was the most expensive stone in the world, and cost more than diamond. Today, the cost of low-quality minerals mined in Burma does not exceed three dozen dollars per carat, while elite specimens cost $100,000 per carat.

Mysterious emerald

When answering the question about what is the most expensive stone in the world, one cannot ignore the mysterious emerald, which belongs to the beryl group. Its color varies from light green to green-blue, light or dark. Mining is carried out in such countries as:

Brazil, Russia, Colombia, Egypt. The darker the stone, the higher its value, so color is the deciding factor in determining value, not transparency.

Emerald is a very fragile precious crystal. Quite often, small defects can be found on natural stones, which easily disappear after various synthetic treatments.

Sapphire

Another not the most expensive stone in the world, but still worthy of attention, is sapphire. It is also a type of corundum. It is characterized by high hardness and strong shine. In nature, blue, white, yellow, pink, as well as black and star colors of this stone are found. The last color is characterized by an optical effect when a small star is visible on an opaque background.

Sapphires are mined in bulk in the following mines on the planet:

  • In India. The blue-colored mineral is mined here. Now you know what the most expensive stone in the world is among the “sapphire” family;
  • In Australia. The largest-scale stone mining takes place here, and stones of all colors are found here;
  • Pink and blue sapphires are mined in Sri Lanka;
  • In Thailand (greenish, not the best quality), Russia and the USA.

Sapphires are actively used by people for the production of jewelry, as well as for industrial purposes.

This crystal is a symbol of purity and purity; it helps to reveal the positive traits of human character; even a child can wear it.

Precious diamond

Another most expensive stone in the world is the diamond, which is particularly popular. After cutting, it acquires another name – diamond. It is the oldest among gems known to mankind.

The first diamond deposits appeared in India, and then in Brazil. Today, about twenty tons of this precious stone are mined every year in countries such as Africa, Russia and Australia.

It should be noted that large stones are quite rare; usually their maximum weight is no more than one carat. Diamond differs from other minerals in its varied range of colors; in nature you can find: black, red, white, yellow, green, orange, blue, pink and even brown diamonds.

Due to the fact that the described crystal has increased strength characteristics, it is widely used in industrial applications.

There are more than a thousand types of jewelry diamonds in nature, and all of them are without defects.

The average price of a 2-carat stone in Russia is about 120 thousand rubles.


The largest diamonds in the world:

  • "Kullian" - equal to 94 tons of gold;
  • "Hope" - costs 350 million dollars;
  • "Century" - estimated at $100 million.

By the way, it was diamonds and precious metals that were used to create the most expensive phone in the world

What stones are rare in the world?

The rarest stones:

Eremeevit. It comes in light yellow, white and blue. First discovered in Russia (Trans-Baikal Territory). The name was given in honor of Pavel Eremeev, a mineralogist. There are 100 products in the world that include faceted stone. Externally similar to aquamarine. Costs $1,500 per carat.

Blue Garnet . It changes shade depending on the lighting; in daylight it has blue, cyan and green tints, and in artificial light it has red or purple tints. It was found in Madagascar at the end of the last century. Currently mined in Norway and Tanzania, as well as Sri Lanka.

Demantoid. It is a variety of pomegranate and has a yellow-green or green color. This most expensive stone is found among rare ones in Russia, Kenya, Iran and Pakistan. Until recently, it was known only among collectors, and it was not sold in jewelry stores. Today, the crystal is becoming increasingly popular, which contributes to an increase in its price, which is already more than $2,000 per carat.

Taaffeit. Shimmers in all sorts of shades of pink. It was accidentally discovered by Eduard Taaffe, who drew attention to an interesting sample located among the crystals of other cut stones. Stone deposits are located in China, Sri Lanka, and Southern Tanzania. The cost ranges from two to five thousand dollars per carat.

It's powdery. There are about six hundred gems of different texture, quality and richness in the world. They are all pink. The first deposits were discovered in Canada in the eighties of the twentieth century. The mine is owned by the Poudret family, however, there are no more gems there (hence the name). Currently, the main mining sites for this stone have been exhausted, and it is no longer mined. The cost ranges from three to five thousand US dollars.

Musgravit. Similar to the stone described above. Mineral deposits are located in Greenland, Australia, Madagascar, Tanzania and Antarctica. This stone is greenish and purple in color. Moreover, green costs from 2 to 3 thousand dollars, and purple is less common, so its price reaches 6 thousand dollars.

Benitoite . It is a deep blue mineral. When exposed to ultraviolet light, a fluorescent glow appears on it. There is only one known deposit of this stone, and it is located in the USA, in California. It is considered a gem of national significance for this state, as it is very rare. On the jewelry market it is estimated at 4 – 6 thousand US dollars per carat.

Tanzanite - is a blue crystal and belongs to cyosites. The deposit is located in Tanzania, on Mount Kilimanjaro. The color of the stone improves as the air temperature rises.

Larminar, which is mined in the Dominican Republic, has a bluish tint. For quite a long time, no importance was attached to the stone, although it was known for several centuries, as gems were thrown onto the sea coast. Deposits were found only in the 70s of the last century, and the mineral began to be mined.

Bright turquoise Paraibe TourmalineA. It was found in the late 80s, last century, in Brazil. The peculiarity of the stone is that, by transmitting light through itself, it creates a glow similar to neon. In the early 21st century, turquoise minerals were found in Mozambique and Nigeria.

Grandidierite blue-green color. Named after the French explorer Alfred Grandidier. It was discovered in Madagascar. Deposits of the mineral are distributed throughout the planet, however, the highest quality stones can be found, in addition to Madagascar, in Sri Lanka. Most minerals are translucent, and therefore the most transparent of them are considered the most expensive.

Red beryl – or red emerald. It forms its shade due to the presence of manganese impurities. Found in the USA and Mexico. It cannot be cut or faceted due to its microscopic size.

Alexandrite . It is a chameleon - in the sun it turns blue-green, and in artificial light it turns red-violet. It was found in Russia and named after Emperor Alexander II. If the stone weighs one carat, its price will not be more than 15 thousand dollars. If the mass of the mineral is higher, then its price can reach 70 thousand dollars per carat. The stone belongs to the chrysoberyl class.

Black opal. Its peculiarity is that its surface shimmers in different shades, the number of which reaches several hundred. The color of the stone ranges from creamy white to black, and includes all the colors of the rainbow. The most expensive representatives of this mineral are dark specimens with bright inclusions. This stone is mined in Australia, Brazil and Mexico. It costs from 2 thousand dollars per carat.

Painite . It is a dark red mineral. It is considered one and only, and therefore is kept in the London Museum. A little later, over a thousand similar stones were found in Myanmar, but they were all of low quality.

Gems and precious stones

According to their properties, as well as their effect on humans, precious stones are classified by color:

  • White minerals are a symbol of perfection, loneliness and concentration (pearl, diamond);
  • Greens are considered a symbol of harmony, wisdom and peace (emerald, malachite, tourmaline);
  • Blue – an indicator of practicality and peace, as well as peace (sapphire, topaz);
  • Red stones symbolize strength, power and passion (ruby, garnet and others);
  • Violet is a symbol of honesty, mysticism and receptivity (amethyst).

Remember that when buying jewelry there is always a risk that you will purchase a fake, so ask the seller for complete information about the stone, its origin and processing method.
Read

Precious stones and minerals can captivate anyone with their uniqueness and beauty. The play of light, cutting and other nuances that make stones literally live their own lives make them worthy of fabulous prices. We bring to your attention a selection of the rarest of them, the cost of each of which reaches indecently large amounts, comparable to.
1. Majorite

Majorite is the rarest form of purple garnet. It was named after geophysicist Alan Major, who studied ways to form garnets under ultra-high pressure.

2. Poudretteite


Poudretteite - this pale pink mineral has been known since 1987. There are about 300 stones in the world.


Painite is included in the Guinness Book of Records and is officially recognized as the rarest mineral, since only about 25 of them have been found so far.

4. Grandidierite


Grandidierite is a blue-green transparent mineral from the south of Madagascar, named after the famous traveler and naturalist from France.

5. Serendebit


Serendebite is a mineral with an incredibly complex chemical composition and a wide range of possible colors, the most common of which is black.

6. Eremeevit


Eremeevite was named after the Russian mineralogist Pavel Eremeev, who discovered it in the Namib Desert in 1883. Until now, this stone can only be found there.

7. Taaffeit


Taaffeite was often confused with spinel. The pink-lilac mineral was discovered by Count Taaffe in 1945.

8. Red Diamond


A red diamond (brilliant) is one, since only a few of them were mined.

9. Benitoite


Benitoite is a rich blue mineral, the deposit of which is currently considered only in San Benito County in California.

10. Musgravit


Musgravite is considered a relative of taaffeite, but in 2003 scientists proved that these are different stones. Musgravite was discovered even in Antarctica, and was first found in the Musgrave Range, which gave it its name.

The gifts of our Mother Earth are represented not only by the abundance of lakes, rivers, forests, but also by underground minerals - oil, gold, gas, and many other minerals. But there are such works of nature that make your head spin. Most of them are precious and rare minerals that are turned into jewelry. Unfortunately, not everyone knows that our planet gives us other precious stones besides diamonds. Here are 10 of the rarest and most precious stones.

Musgravit

About half a century ago, this mineral was discovered in southern Australia in the Musgrave Range region. A few years later, the same crystals were discovered in other parts of the world - Greenland, Madagascar, Tanzania and even in Antarctica.

During all this time, only 14 musgravites were obtained, and only in 1993 they obtained a unique crystal that could be used for jewelry purposes. It was quite large in size, transparent and easy to cut.

This “relative” of taaffeite comes in a variety of colors, from light yellow-green to violet-purple. Green crystals are of particular value, and purple ones will generally cost a lot of money. One carat has a price of about 6,000 US dollars.

Serendibit

This amazing mineral can be found in different parts of our planet. The colors of these stones can range from bluish-green to deep blue. The first ones are very rare. It is known that there are only three copies of them. This gemstone got its name from the ancient Arabic “Serendibi”, which is how the island of Sri Lanka was called in ancient times. Crystals of light blue shades are considered the most expensive, which is exactly what they found on this island. One carat costs approximately $14,500. Stones with dark shades are mined in Burma. This deposit is located near Mogou. Dark serendibites are used to make jewelry stones that are of great interest to collectors.

Painite

In 1956, in the same Burma (today Myanmar), the famous mineralogy researcher Arthur Payne discovered a strange mineral. Later he received the name of his discoverer. Color varies from bright orange to dark brown. The most valuable specimens are blood-red in color, brown ones are slightly cheaper. This organic stone is very, very rare and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. A few years ago there were only a few cut examples. Later, a large deposit was found, which increased the number of stones in the world. But this did not affect its price, because the most expensive ones are still in private collections and museums.

Very often you can find these minerals (red transparent) on the market; these are scammers trying to deceive the buyer. Real painite has a greenish tint in the light of a blue lamp. Over the past 35 years, the price of this stone has increased 30 times. Not every diamond or emerald can boast such a price increase.

Tanzanite

It is found in nature a thousand times less often than diamond. This stone became popular after the famous film “Titanic”, where it “played the role” of a blue diamond. Its value is due to the fact that only one deposit is known in the world - in Africa, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Some experts say supplies could run out within 20 years.

The most amazing thing about this mineral is its color. It changes color, like alexandrite, which depends on the source and location of the light. From different angles it can be a deep sapphire blue, amethyst violet and brownish green.

Grandidierite

A rare mineral with shades of bluish and greenish color. Discovered in Sri Lanka by Alfred Grandidier, a French traveler and naturalist. The peculiarities of this stone include the ability to pleochroate, which means changing its color - even white. There are only 20 cut precious stones in the entire globe. The price, of course, is appropriate - 30 thousand dollars per 1 carat.

Benitoite

It is the official symbol of California, as it was found in the San Benito area, where the largest deposit is located to this day. It was discovered in the early 20th century, but was mistaken for sapphire due to its strong resemblance to it, which is why it is in demand among buyers. The color range is from light blue to blue. It can be transparent and even blue-red. The crystal itself is transparent and translucent to light. It is easy to cut, but stones with internal defects are often found. For this reason, it is very difficult to find a jewelry example. Due to its rarity, it is more often found in private collections than in jewelry stores.

Taaffeit

A very rare specimen, which by luck was found by R. Taaffe, who bears his name. He found it while looking at an already cut batch of precious stones. It was he who attracted the attention of the scientist. It was sent to the laboratory for careful analysis, because he had never heard of it before. After a while, scientists said that this was a mineral unknown to science. The uniqueness lies in the fact that it attracted the attention of a gemologist after being processed.

It is found very rarely, and only in certain deposits in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and has also been discovered in Eastern Siberia and Karelia.

It can range in color from pale pink to lavender. The price for one time can vary from 500 to 20 thousand dollars.

Poudretteite

It was found in the 80s near Montreal, Canada, in the depths of the Saint Hilaire Mountains. Received the name in honor of the owners of the mine - the Poudrette family.

Over the past decade, several more similar specimens have been found in this location. They have a colorless or pale pink color and low hardness, which makes them easy to cut. In the early 21st century, several purple minerals were discovered in Burma. Over the course of 5 years, several large stones were found, but since 2005, none have been found. Minimum price is $2,000 and can go up to $10,000 depending on shade and clarity.

Eremeevit

It was discovered in the last years of the 19th century in Siberia. It got its name from the Russian academician P.V. Eremeeva. It exists naturally in the form of beautifully colored crystals. The color is not rich or bright. They range from colorless to dark blue. The latter are very rare. Today, it is mined in Namibia, less commonly in Tajikistan, Germany and Madagascar. About 40 years ago, a new deposit was discovered in Namibia, in which stones several centimeters in size were found. This gave it the status of a precious stone, and a very rare one at that. The price can reach 10 thousand dollars.

Red diamond

The most expensive and rarest gem is this pebble, which is mined in the only quarry on the planet - Argyll, in Australia. The uniqueness lies in its color. Natural color is purple-red. There are only 50 pure red diamonds known in the world. Some of them are in collections, and some are missing. The largest crystal weighs 5.11 carats. It is called "Red Shield". He received it because of its shape - a triangle. At the beginning of the new 21st century, it was bought for $8 million. Red diamonds can only be purchased at auctions. The price for such luxury is $2,000,000 per 0.1 carat.


Alexander Volkov