Gemstones rarer than diamonds
Although none can deny the intense beauty and sparkle of a diamond, there are other gemstones out there worth looking into! Are gemstones rarer than diamonds? The fact is that diamonds are not even the rarest among gemstones. There are so many rare gems (many more than this list); some may be familiar, and others you have probably never heard of. Here is a list of 10 gemstones that are rarer than diamonds.
Kashmir sapphire
This beautiful blue sapphire has a cloudy appearance due to inclusions. But the magnificent blue, sometimes described as velvet blue, is so exquisite that these gems are wanted by all gem collectors. Kashmir sapphires are extremely rare and many of them today were, in fact, found a century ago.
Taaffeite
Taaffeite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world and is hardly ever seen. It ranges from translucent to pink in colour. Before it was correctly identified by Richard Taaffe, it was mistaken for a spinel, a beautiful but not nearly as rare, gem.
Paraiba tourmaline
This alluring light blue stone is often called neon tourmaline, which gives an idea of how vibrant the gem is. This amazing colour is due to the gemstone bearing copper. The colour is exclusive to this rare gem, making it legendary and highly sought-after.
Grandidierite
The ever-elusive grandidierite is found in only a few locations around the world, with almost all the gem-quality stones coming from Madagascar. It gets its distinctive blue-green colour from traces of iron.
Jadeite
Jadeite is much more precious and valuable than regular jade. The emerald green-coloured, translucent jadeite is the most valued and rare.
Burmese ruby
This is an exquisite blood-coloured gemstone that is very rare and precious. The Burmese ruby rarely exceeds a few carats, making larger ones even more rare and valuable. The famous red of rubies comes from the presence of chromium.
Alexandrite
This is a magnificent colour-shifting gemstone that is highly coveted. It was named for Tsar Alexander II and first discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains. The original specimens were nearly gone when new discoveries were made. There is by no means a surplus, however, and alexandrite remains very rare.
Serendibite
Serendibite has a wide colour range of pale yellow, to blue, to deep black, with black being the most popular. It is extremely rare, with only two known sources worldwide.
Padparadscha sapphire
Real padparadscha sapphires are so rare that most jewellers have never seen one, but rather create jewellery with lab-grown gems. It has an exotic orange-pink colour and is a symbol of peace and enlightenment. The colour is caused by a combination of iron and chromium.
Musgravite
This blue-purple stone is not only one of the rarest gems in the world, but also one of the newest. It was discovered in 1967 in South Australia. There are very few specimens known to exist, making this gemstone exceedingly rare and valuable.
