10 Most Valuable Gemstones You’ll Have To Sell A Kidney To Buy

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You’ve heard it – diamonds are a girl’s best friend. And coming up we have not one, not two, but three different diamonds on this list. Also, we will be serving you other rarer, more costly gemstones that are more valuable than diamonds. The question is, are you ready to find out just how much some of the most valuable gemstones cost, and decide what you have to do to get your hands on them? In no particular order:


1) Ruby

Prices can go up to $1.18 million per carat

Also known for being the traditional birthstone for July, rubies are popular and well-known to just about everyone. Rubies exist on a spectrum of red hues, from pink to the brightest and most valuable shade of red – blood-red/pigeon blood. As they are exceptionally durable and are a symbol of passion and zest for life, rubies are known as the “King of Gemstones” as well. The most valuable ruby thus far is the Sunrise Ruby, valued to be at $30.42 million.

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2) Black Opal

Price on average reported to be $9,500 per carat

Did you know? The opal is the national gemstone of Australia! This is because opals are mined almost exclusively in Australia. Among them all, black opals are the most wanted and valuable opals in the world, because its dark body is the perfect backdrop for colour play in the gemstone. Currently, the most valuable black opal is The Royal One, valued to be at $3 million.

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3) Jadeite

Prices can go up to $3 million per carat

Jadeite is one of the two minerals commonly known as “jade”; the other being nephrite. The rarer and harder variety, no wonder its prices are higher too! Most jadeite are white, pale apple green or a deep jade green, but they can also be in other unusual colours such as pink or lavender. One of the most expensive jadeite pieces is a necklace with a ruby and diamond clasp, worth $27.4 million.

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4) Taaffeite

Prices can go up to $250,000 per carat (though some say $35,000 per carat, but still)

Prior to its discovery in 1945, taaffeite was considered spinel. However, even after its discovery, taaffeite remains elusive, and is stated to be over a million times rarer than diamonds! Therefore, this gemstone which comes colourless to a variety of colours fetch skyrocketing prices. Fun fact: taaffeite is named after its discoverer, Count Edward Charles Richard Taaffe.

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5) Red Diamond

Price on average reported to be 7 figures per carat

According to sources, red diamonds are the rarest among all, and therefore the most treasured as well. Nobody can really put a finger on why it gets its red hue, making it all the more mysterious. Currently, there are less than 30 known red diamonds, which is very scarce indeed. A 5.11 carat Moussaieff Red Diamond sold for $8 million in 2001, and it is now estimated at a value of $20 million.

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6) Emerald

Price on average reported to be $305,000 per carat

Yet another popular and well-known gem, emeralds are known for its exotic green hues. Emeralds are found primarily in Brazil, Colombia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In fact, one of the world’s single largest shard of diamond weighing 341 kg was mined in Bahia, Brazil and valued at $400 million, but its true value remains unknown. However, the most expensive emerald ever sold was the Rockefeller Emerald, which cost $5.5 million.

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7) Blue Diamond

Prices can go up to $3.93 million per carat

Here we go again with the diamonds! A natural blue diamond is indeed very rare, though synthetic blue diamonds do exist as well. What causes the blue hue is trace amounts of boron, though it’s not a 100% guarantee. Natural blue diamonds usually have very few mineral inclusions as well, boosting its price. One of the most famous gems in the world is a blue diamond – the Hope Diamond – rumoured to carry a curse and valued at $250 million.

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8) Musgravite

Prices can go up to $70,000 per carat

Musgravite is actually one of the rare varieties of taaffeite, and was only discovered in the late 1960s in the Musgrave Ranges of Australia. Back in 2005, there were only eight gem-quality musgravite stones, but it is unclear if more have been found since then. Musgravite colours range from translucent olive green to greyish purple.

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9) Pink Diamond

Prices can go up to $1.19 million per carat

Ah, here’s the diamond most of us know and love, largely popularised by celebrity engagements and of course the Pink Panther show itself. Pink diamonds are one of the fancy colour diamonds, and also one of the most expensive stones. The CTF Pink Star, a 59.60 carat Fancy Vivid Pink, was sold at an auction in Hong Kong for a whopping $71.2 million. As a pink’s size and colour intensity grows, so does its price!

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10) Alexandrite

Prices on average reported to be at $70,000 per carat

The alexandrite is a super cool gem because of its colour-changing abilities! Due to certain impurities in the stone, alexandrite is different in colour under natural light and artificial light. First discovered in the Ural Mountains in the 1830s, alexandrite was named for the then-future Czar of Russia, Alexander II. Currently, the Smithsonian Museum holds the largest faceted alexandrite at 66 carats, though its value is unknown.

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Besides these, you may want to check out red beryls and padparadsha sapphires as well, if you’re looking for more expensive gemstones. As for me… I’m trying to decide which organ I need less. Hmm, kidney, liver, or lung?