Rare gems. The most expensive gems in the world (20 photos). Stones that are close in value to the most expensive
History knows a lot of precious stones that cost their owners a tidy sum, but we have collected 5 of the brightest "contemporaries" that still excite the minds and hearts of both connoisseurs of gemmology and just lovers of jewelry. Among them are the iconic necklace from the Titanic, the rarest Australian diamond and some specimens from Mr. Graff's personal collection. Details are below.
What color do you think is the most expensive diamond in the world? Red! The “pebbles” found throughout human history can be literally counted on the fingers of both hands. The weight of most of them does not exceed 0.5 carats. The deposit is an Australian diamond mine called Argyle (Australia). Every year, it searches for purple-red diamonds, and the lucky ones get the chance to purchase the coveted gem at auctions. The price per carat is about 1 million dollars.
The most expensive stone in the world has long been considered the dark blue diamond "Wittelsbach" (Wittelsbach), whose weight is 35.56 carats. During its existence, the stone managed to show off in the crowns of Austria and Bavaria. In 2008, luck smiled on the world-famous London jeweler Lawrence Graff, who paid about $23 million for the nugget. He “conjured” a little over the pebble, reducing it in weight, but raising it in price and purity, and decided to put his work under the hammer. Risk is a noble cause: after 3 years he was lucky enough to sell a diamond to a monarch from Qatar - already for 80 million dollars!
Considered until 2013, the world record holder for the high cost of jewelry also did not bypass the skillful hands of Mr. Graff. At first, this honorary title was worn for a long time by the Graff Pink ring, or “Pink Graff”, which was purchased by a private collector from another influential jeweler, Harry Winston, and then bought by Graff. The issue price at that time was $46.2 million.
In November 2013, the place of the Pink Graff was taken by the Pink Star, a ring with an oval African diamond weighing 59.6 carats. The owner of the treasure at that time was someone named Isaac Wolf, who did not spare $ 83 million for the decoration. Some time later, however, the owner went bankrupt, and the ring reappeared at the auction, having noticeably lost in price - now it cost "only" 72 million!
What do you think, which “cinematic” decoration has acquired the largest number of all kinds of replicas and imitations? Of course, the precious "Heart of the Ocean", which could well be listed in the credits of "Titanic" as a separate acting character in the film. Arguably the most recognizable piece of jewelry in the world, used during filming didn't have too much value. Only after the release of the film, Harry Winston created an exact copy of the famous necklace, which was estimated at $ 17 million. At the premiere of Titanic, 86-year-old Gloria Stuart, who played the elderly protagonist of the film, Rose, shone in it. It is curious that even jewelry replicas of jewelry do not sell for less than 3.5 million dollars!
Expensive stones form chemical elements. Their value is determined by:
- color;
- composition;
- Mass;
- place of extraction;
- durability;
According to the chemical classification, they are divided into organic and inorganic. Precious stones belong to the second type. They have increased strength and attractive appearance. It is not often possible to find them; out of hundreds of minerals, only 20-30% are of great value.
Minerals have a rounded shape, colored, but there are colorless and transparent.
Rating of expensive minerals
Gemstones differ in appearance, shape, color and strength. The list shows the characteristics of the most expensive of them:
Rarely beautiful, desirable prey for collectors. The most expensive gem is mined only in Australia, in the Argyle spring, only a few copies a year. The largest red diamond mined is on display at the Smithsonian. Its weight approaches 5 carats. The stone is formed from the chemical element carbon. He is very strong. The cost of a red diamond is estimated at $1 million per carat.
The second most expensive stone is named after the scientist who discovered the mineral in the wild. It has three colors: white, blue and green. About 20 such minerals have been found on the planet. The price of grandidierite is 100 thousand dollars per carat.
The name of the mineral is translated as "Sunrise". Padparadscha is mined in two places on the planet: on the island of Madagascar and in Tanzania. A stone of unusual beauty and color. For its purchase, collectors pay from 30 thousand dollars per carat.
Jadeite or imperial
The stone managed to leave an imprint in history: the Aztec Indians worshiped jadeite. The statue of the emerald Buddha in Thailand is also made from it. The price of jadeite is $20,000 per carat.
Few people have not heard of this gem. In culture, the diamond has become a metaphor for purity and hardness. Diamond prices depend on its natural properties. The cheapest costs $15,000 per carat. By the way, the oldest stone is 2.5 million years old. The famous mineral got its name from the Arabic language.
The translation of the word "al-mas" means "hardest". The raw mineral was considered a valuable decoration and money. According to one version, the stone was formed under the influence of magma. In the bowels of the Earth, carbon atoms form diamonds, and then magma lifts them to the surface.
The closest analogue of sapphire. Ruby is red in color. Stone deposits are found on almost all continents. Natural rubies mined in Asia are of great value. Their cost starts from 15 thousand per carat.
In the past, the deposit of this stone was only in Brazil. Later, mining sites were discovered in Africa and Madagascar. The price of a small tourmaline is 15 thousand dollars. The gem has an indescribable neon glow.
The stone was first discovered in the 19th century near Yekaterinburg. He was given the name in honor of Alexander II, the ruler of Russia. Alexandrite can change its color. The cost of the mineral ranges from $10,000 to $37,000 per carat.
Deposits of this mineral are located in the states of Utah and New Mexico. For all the time it was possible to get only a few copies of Bixbit. One carat of the mineral costs 10-12 thousand dollars.
Emerald and sapphire
The cost of an emerald is $8,000 per carat. There are quite a few pure examples. The price of sapphires starts from 6 thousand.
Semiprecious stones
Transparent stone with shades of blue and green. Its price is $30-60.
The most expensive quartz stone on the list. The cost of the most valuable stone is from $10.
The mineral was found several thousand years ago. Its value depends on the color.
Belongs to grenades. The cost of 1 carat is from 100 to 500 dollars.
Very similar to a demantoid. It costs from $700.
Ten most unusual minerals
The diamond that surprised the gemstone community. The stone was found in 1990 at a place called Diamond Crater in Arkansas. After processing, the weight of the diamond was 220 mg. The stone is highly rated by the American Society of Precious Minerals. The experts noted that they did not find significant defects in it. Stored at the site of discovery.
The most valuable member of the opal family. It was discovered in an Australian mining town just in time for the Melbourne Olympics. It lay 9 meters above ground level. The 17,000-carat stone was valued at $2.5 million. The mineral was left in its original form, without being processed. Stored in Melbourne.
The largest mineral that has undergone processing. Weighs 4.5 kg. Found in Brazil, in the city of Minas Gerais. It took the craftsman two years to process the mineral. Golden topaz is kept in Washington, DC, at the Museum of Natural History. Its price is unknown.
Diamond "Pink Graff"
The most expensive mineral bought at auction. It was put up for sale and sold for $46 million. The stone is now owned by Lawrence Graf.
Huge faceted blue sapphire. Discovered at the beginning of the 20th century in the mountains of Sri Lanka. The blue sapphire was an incredible discovery, as its color is rare in the world. The stone was sold to an unknown collector for £7,000. In 2004, it was put up for sale again. However, no one bought the sapphire. After that, an unknown buyer became interested in sapphire, and he bought the mineral for one million dollars.
The largest lost diamond. The mineral was found in 1888 in South Africa. After processing, the 428 carat stone became an excellent decoration, almost half the size. In 1928, it was encrusted in a Patiala necklace made for an Indian Maharaja.
In 1948, the decoration disappeared. After more than thirty years, it was discovered at an auction, but the jewelry could not be sold, since no one offered an acceptable price. In 1998, it was found in a jewelry store in England, but De Beers immediately disappeared from it. A trace of the mineral has not yet been found.
The largest of the processed faceted minerals. The stone was discovered in 1985 when a South African mine worker stumbled upon a large 755-carat mineral. Later it turned out that the find is of great value. To exclude vibration, a special room underground was created for processing the diamond.
Two years later, work on it ended and the 545-carat mineral was recognized as the largest processed diamond in the world. In 1994, investors from Thailand bought the jewel. Now the stone is in the Royal Palace of the island and is listed as the property of the Thai crown. Its cost is estimated at 4-12 million dollars.
The largest double asterism ruby in the world. Asterism is a star-shaped pattern sometimes seen on rubies and other gemstones. This is an infrequent occurrence that makes rubies much more expensive. Ruby Niilanjali is a mineral with two such stars, so it is of great value. A stone weighing 1,370 carats was discovered in 1988 and entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
Today it belongs to a man from India named Vidyaraj. People believed that evil comes from the stone and were afraid to touch it. But Vidyarazh, ignoring the belief, appreciated the beauty of the ruby and returned it to its original purity. Information about the mineral is kept secret, there is not even a photo. Nevertheless, experts estimate the cost of the ruby at 100 million dollars.
Emerald Bahia
The largest emerald The stone was found in 2001 in South America. The smugglers sent him to New Orleans. Here the emerald suffered an unfortunate fate: when Hurricane Katrina raged, he went to the bottom of the ocean. The mineral spent two whole months there until it was found. The adventures of the emerald did not end there. The dealer stole it, and the swindler Bernard Madof tried to carry out a banking operation with his participation.
As a result, about 8 people claim the stone. This is not surprising, because the mineral weighs 1.9 million carats and costs from 400 to 900 million dollars. The Baya Emerald is the most expensive stone in the world. Its future remains vague.
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1. Kohinoor, the jewel in the crown of British rulers
Kohinoor is a 106 carat diamond that was once the largest diamond in the world. Previously owned by Indian rulers, today it is in the hands of the British royal family and is part of the precious crown.
When Kohinoor became the property of the British royal family, it weighed 186 carats (37 g). Prince Albert was specifically looking for a jeweler with a perfect reputation and personally went to Holland to entrust the processing of a diamond to a certain Mr. Cantor. He set to work, and after a while the diamond was presented to Queen Victoria.
The diamond became part of the royal crown and was last worn by the Queen Mother at her coronation ceremony when she became Empress of India.
2. Millennium, football-sized sapphire
The soccer-ball-sized Millennium Sapphire is a gem carved with portraits of famous historical figures. The sapphire is currently selling for $180 million, but the buyer must place the 61,500-carat marvel where people can look at it.
Created by Italian artist Alessio Boschi, the Millennium Sapphire is a tribute to human genius. It has 134 portraits carved on it, including Beethoven, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr.
Millennium is now owned by a consortium of investors led by Daniel McKinney. Over the past 15 years, the sapphire has been put on public display only twice - at the Oscars in 2002 and on the Princess of Sapphires during its maiden voyage in 2004.
A 28 cm sapphire was found in Madagascar in 1995. In its natural form, it weighed about 90,000 carats, but lost about a third of its mass during processing, which lasted two years and was completed in 2000.
3. Don Pedro, the world's largest aquamarine
The world's largest processed aquamarine is in a museum in Washington next to the Hope diamond and Marie Antoinette's earrings. Mined in Brazil in the 1980s, pegmatite is named after the first two Brazilian emperors. Aquamarine Don Pedro has a place of honor in the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution.
The blue-green gem, shaped like an obelisk, was created by the famous German jeweler Bernd Munsteiner, known as the "father of fantasy carvings". Don Pedro is 35.5 cm tall and weighs 10,363 carats (or two kg).
4. The world's largest pearl
November 21, 2010 in the Chinese province of Hainan, the world's largest luminous pearl was shown to the public. The pearl weighing almost six tons and 1.6 m in diameter is valued at two billion yuan ($301,197,000) - in China, pearls are valued more than diamonds.
The stone, composed mainly of fluorite, glows green in the dark. It took almost three years to give the stone a perfectly round pearl shape.
5. Graff Pink is the most expensive pink diamond in the world.
Lawrence Graff is the world's largest gemstone dealer. In 2010, his reputation was confirmed through the purchase of a stunning rarity - a pink diamond weighing 24.78 carats. Graff owns five luxurious mansions in England, France, Switzerland and New York, as well as a personal Mediterranean yacht, a diamond mine outside of Johannesburg and half a dozen private estates in Mayfair.
A flawless pink diamond set a new price record at Sotheby's as bids continued to rise, things escalated and the 36th richest person in the UK ended up with the diamond for $45 million, the most ever paid for a gem.
6. Divine Ethereal Carolina - the largest Paraiba tourmaline
Financier Vincent Boucher from Montreal is the owner of the Divine Ethereal Carolina - Paraiba tourmaline weighing about 192 carats. The stone is valued at between $25 million and $125 million, and is the world record price for Paraiba tourmalines.
Paraiba tourmaline is one of the rarest gemstones in the world. The stones are named after the Brazilian region where they are mined, and it is there that the vast majority of such stones are found. For every 10,000 diamonds found, there is one Paraiba tourmaline, and in total, only 50 kg of these gems have been mined to date.
7. Rough 478-carat diamond
The massive 478-carat diamond was found at the Letseng mine in Lesotho, a small kingdom in South Africa. It is the 20th largest rough diamond ever found and the mine has previously yielded three of the world's largest diamonds: the 603 carat Lesotho Promise, the 493 carat Letseng Legacy and the 601 carat Brown Lesotho.
A similar but smaller stone was recently valued at $12 million. There is a chance that this diamond could be made into a 150-carat diamond that could outshine even Kohinoor.
8. The most expensive gem in the world
One of the most unique gemstones in the world, the flawless blue diamond was awarded the title of the most expensive gemstone in the world in 2007. A 6.04-carat diamond was sold for $7.98 million at Sotheby's in Hong Kong. The flawless diamond was valued at $1.32 million per carat.
The lucky owner of the stone is Moussaieff Jewelers in London. The diamond was previously in a private collection and will once again be an addition to a rare collection of gemstones. True, this is not the largest blue diamond in the world, but the perfect work and deep blue color justify the huge cost, which is ten times the price per carat of ordinary white diamonds.
9. Bahian emerald - the largest in the world
The Bahian emerald is the largest emerald nugget ever found. The stone weighs 1.9 million carats and was discovered in the state of Bahia in Brazil. It narrowly escaped being flooded by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 while in storage in a warehouse in New Orleans. In September 2008, the news reported that the stone had been stolen from a secure vault in Los Angeles, California. The stone is valued at $400 million and recently went on sale on eBay for "only" $75 million.
After the stone left Brazil and appeared in the USA, numerous attempts were made to sell it, but to no avail. Eventually, the stolen emerald was recovered from a dealer in Los Angeles and delivered to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
10. Musayif Red Diamond
Formerly known as the Red Diamond Shield, the Musayif Red Diamond is the world's largest red diamond, weighing 5.11 carats. Discovered in Brazil in the 1990s, the diamond has a triangular brilliant cut, and most recently, in 2003, it was presented to the public at the Smithsonian Exhibition.
: https://www.publy.ru/post/6221
Gemstones are minerals (mainly crystals) that have no color or have a uniform, beautiful color, moderate tone, high transparency, high hardness (6-10 on the Mohs scale), bright brilliance and high ability to scatter light. At the same time, the stone must be wear-resistant, resistant to fading and exposure to moderately aggressive environments.
Such stones are high quality raw materials and are mainly used for cutting.
Ornamental stones include some transparent, translucent, translucent and opaque crystals, mineral aggregates, rock masses and other stone formations with various inclusions and various patterns. Ornamental stones are used both in jewelry and for the production of carved products. These can be figurines of various shapes and sizes, figurines, vases, busts, massive decorative elements for facades and interior decoration of residential premises, etc…
Determining the value of an ornamental stone is of a spontaneous nature, with a pair that does not have clear edges. It is clear that it should cost an order of magnitude lower than gems. But let's take as an example or! High-quality beads made of bright green jade, with a uniform color and rare dark spots, can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Well, after that, how can such a stone be called ornamental ?! Or a translucent jadeite cabochon with a smooth grassy green color that costs from $500 per carat?! How do you like this ornamental stone?
Hence the conclusion - all the stones can be divided into groups and by significance. But in no case can one determine the value, value, based only on the group in which the mineral is located. IMHO.
There are many classifications of gemstones. Each has a common underlying principle. But there are also differences. Various factors influence the construction of mineral orders: fashion trends for, demand, the development of old deposits, or the discovery of new ones, etc ...
Below is the most common classification of precious stones, which is already 30 years old, and it is successfully used in Russia and the former USSR among amateurs and professionals.
The first group: jewelry (precious) stones, gems
First order: diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire blue.Second order: alexandrite, noble black opal, noble jadeite, pearl, sapphire (orange, purple and green).
Third order: aquamarine, noble spinel, demantoid, noble white and fire opal, topaz, rhodolite, adularia, red tourmaline.
fourth order: amethyst, tourmaline (blue, green, pink and polychrome), chrysolite, zircon, beryl (yellow, golden and pink), turquoise, noble spodumene, pyrope, almandine, chrysoprase, citrine.
The second group: jewelry and ornamental, colored stones
First order: lapis lazuli, jadeite, jade, malachite, aventurine, charoite, amber, rock crystal, smoky quartz, hematite (bloodstone).Second order: agate, amazonite, colored chalcedony, cacholong, heliotrope, rhodonite, rose quartz, opaque iridescent feldspars (belomorite and others), iridescent obsidian, ordinary opal.
The bulk of jewelry ornamental stones is used for making souvenirs, figurines, and various kinds of handicrafts. And not a large percentage of these stones are used in jewelry.
Gemstones have always captured the imagination of people. They have always been able to enchant anyone with their play of light. Fascinated by the beauty of the stones, people began to use them as amulets against the evil eye. Sorcerers and priests with their help predicted the future. And only much later, precious stones began to be used as decoration and their value was determined depending on color, brilliance, beauty, purity, hardness.
most expensive gem
So far, the most expensive diamond in the world is considered. Of course, there are other more valuable minerals, but it just so happened that diamond is both the hardest and most revered by jewelers.
The structure of diamond is very simple - it consists entirely of carbon. Carbon, being at great depths underground, has been subjected to great pressure and heat over many millions of years. As a result of pressure and temperature, carbon was compressed and turned into crystals. After cutting a diamond by a jeweler, he becomes a diamond.
And, although a huge number of diamonds are produced every year in the world, it is impossible to call them mass production. Each diamond differs from its other counterparts in color, quality, shape, and hence in price.
In jewelry, gemstones are usually measured in carats. Even in ancient times, they began to measure the weight of pebbles. It was difficult to measure such a small object, and therefore carob seeds were used for weighing. The carat value was set as 1/5th of a gram.
The value of a diamond is directly proportional to its weight - the more it weighs, the higher the price per carat. The shape and type of cut can also affect the price of a diamond. In general, a processed diamond weighing 1 gram is recognized as a real diamond.
Shapes vary, but the most common is round. A classic diamond must be transparent, weigh 1 gram, and have 57 facets.
If colored diamonds come across, they can be several times more expensive than transparent ones.
Cullinan is the name of a king diamonds. It belongs to the British crown, which was presented as a gift by the government of the Transvaal. Its weight is 3106 carats or 621 grams. The stone was donated in 1907, and a year later, when cutting, it was split into pieces. More than a hundred pebbles were made from it: 9 large and 96 smaller ones. The largest, weighing 530.2 carats (" Big Star of Africa”), set in the scepter, and a smaller stone in the crown of the English monarchs.
Other famous gems
The number of varieties of gems mined in the world does not stand still. Most of the minerals are derived from the existing one. Among the expensive stones should be highlighted:
rare stones in the world
The prices for such pebbles are so high that it is not always possible to name their true value. They are not even found on the world jewelry market, as they are kept in museums, depositories, and private collections.
Gemstones minerals and crystals
At the beginning of the 21st century, in Burma, already known for its gems, unknown crystals of a beautiful purple color were found. After studying and cutting, the crystals were attributed to Powderitt known since 1987. Thus, a new gem appeared. Its value today ranges from $2,000 to $10,000 per carat, depending on clarity, color, and size. The most common weight is 3 carats.
grandidierite stone named after the naturalist Grandidir. Found in Madagascar. Stones are bluish-green in color. First cut and examined in 2000. At present, the presence of eight grandidierites is known.
Rare found all over the world gem Serendibit. It got its name from the ancient name of Sri Lanka - Serendibi. Officially, you can confirm the existence of 1000 pieces. Color can be: black, blue, light yellow, bluish-green. The stones are so small and rare that there are only three light blue stones and they weigh no more than 0.55 carats. The price for the smallest (0.35 carat) is $14,300 per carat.
purple garnets rarely found in nature. Such a garnet was first found in 1970 in Australia and was named after Majorite, a garnet explorer. Majorite can form at very great depths underground or as a result of a meteorite impact.
Perhaps there are more majorite reserves on the Moon or Mars than on Earth, since there is more meteorite impact there. Majorite is found all over the world, but remains unique. The most expensive gem of this type was sold at auction for $6,800,000. Its weight was 4.2 carats, that is, 1,600,000 dollars per carat.
Precious crystals and gems
Painite
It was found in Burma in the 50s of the twentieth century by the Englishman Pine, after whom he received his name. Previously, this stone passed the verification procedure, after which it was recognized as unknown and named after the discoverer.
For fifty years, the number of specimens found did not exceed three pieces. Only at the beginning of the XXI century their number reached twenty five.
Still the price of the mineral is not determined, since there has never been an open auction. And besides, only three of them were cut.
Today, 330 stones are known in the world. This amount is distributed among private collectors and museums.
