Rockstars of the Rock World: 4 Extremely Rare Gems

by Kevin Smith Author

There are 200 known varieties of natural gemstones around the globe. Alongside precious gems such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, are semi-precious stones; some of which you can buy wholesale, rough stones and tumbled included. However, even though they are semi-precious, there is nothing "semi" about their worth; their value exceeds the worth of the world's most valuable rocks. Read on to learn about them.

The Darker, the Better with Black Opal

Opal is the national gemstone of Australia. It usually has a creamy-white shade and is unique with rainbow-colored inclusions; reflecting the light as the rock is moved. Among the different types of opal, its black variant is the rarest. It mostly has a solid ebony or gray hue, and it's said that the darker its background and the brighter it’s inclusion, the more valuable the gem.

The most famous piece ever discovered was the "Aurora Australis," uncovered in the '80s in Lightning Ridge. The 180-carat stone is admired for its size and exquisite harlequin coloration and is priced at about $763,000.

The Neon Luster of Paraiba Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a common gemstone in Brazil and can be found in many colors across the country. But among those shades, Paraiba is the only one with a bright turquoise hue thanks to its copper content. This rare stone is a sought-after piece because of its unrivaled neon blue luster.

This gem was first discovered in 1987 by a miner who believed that something special lurked under the hills in the state where the stone got its name. It's said that finding a Paraiba tourmaline is an astonishing feat as only one for every 10,000 diamonds can be unearthed.

The Color-Shifter Called Alexandrite

Alexandrite was discovered in the Ural Mountains in Russia in the 1830s and was named after Russian Czar Alexander II. Its optical properties made it especially coveted. In incandescent light, the gemstone looks reddish-purple; but under natural light, it turns blue-green like an emerald. This is due to the combination of minerals - chromium, iron, and titanium - within the gem.

Although some large cuts have been found - one of which is housed in the Smithsonian Institution at 65.08 carats - the majority are just under one. The value of a small piece may only be $15,000, but a larger one might fetch up to $70,000 per carat.

The Tiny Red Beryl

Pure beryl is usually colorless and only gains its hues from the minerals within it. Vanadium and chromium produce green, iron provides blue or yellow, and manganese adds that deep, scarlet shade red beryl is known for. This gem was first uncovered in 1904 in Utah and is identified to be closely related to aquamarine and emerald, but is considered to be rarer than the two.

It's estimated that a single piece is unearthed for every 150,000 diamonds. The majority of samples found are also just a few millimeters; too small to be faceted. Red beryl that is 2 to 3 carats is said to be exceptional and can garner up to $10,000.

Through the years, gemstones have been considered a symbol of luxury and extravagance. And they say that the rarer the gem, the more remarkable it is. Finding wholesale, rough stones and tumbled alike, for the gems listed above will require some tough luck, and owning a piece may be as unlikely as seeing one.