We all tend to think that diamonds are the most sought after and valuable of all precious stones, yet that is most certainly not the case. Of course, there are some very expensive diamonds out there; fancy & vivid colours are very rare, but there are gemstones that are very rare and therefore very valuable.
Jadeite - This is the pride of the jade family and comes in many colours, although green is the most sought after. Valued at $3m per carat, top quality jadeite is extremely rare and in 2013, the most expensive piece of jadeite jewellery, a necklace, sold for an incredible $27.44m. It was purchased by Cartier, the original designer. The necklace was once owned by Barbera Hutton, the American actress.
Pink Diamonds - The world famous Argyle Mine in Western Australia produced some of the best pink diamonds, which have an average value of $1.19m per carat. The Pink Star diamond is the most valuable, which fetched an amazing $71.2m for this 59.6 carat gem when auctioned at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in 2017. If you are planning a 2022 proposal, a spectacular pink diamond engagement ring designed and hand-crafted by an experienced custom jeweller is the ideal solution. You’ll be happy to learn than pink diamonds can be acquired for a lot less than $1 million dollars and buying loose stones is possible through a custom jeweller.
Blue Diamonds - A natural blue diamond would fetch almost $4m per carat, if you could find one for sale, that is. In 2016, a stunning vivid blue diamond weighing 14.62 carats, called the ‘Oppenheimer Blue’ that sold at auction for a whopping $57.5m. This stone is known around the world, such is its splendour and while you might not be able to afford a vivid blue diamond, it’s nice to see them on some bespoke tanzanite stone jewellery collection of a leading custom jeweller.
Rubies - Top quality rubies are fetching an average of $1.18m per carat, with colours ranging from a light pink to a deep and vivid red. In 2015, an extremely rare vivid red Burmese ruby sold for an incredible $30m when auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva, and this 26-carat ruby is named ‘The Sunrise Ruby’. This was the most expensive ruby ever sold and there is only one that is so perfect.
Emeralds - These amazing precious stones can sell for around $300,000 per carat for a vivid or fancy green, which are found in Brazil, Columbia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The vast majority of emeralds do have minor inclusions but every now and then, a perfect stone is found, such as the ‘Rockerfeller Emerald’, an 18-carat stone that was sold for a mouth-watering $5.5m.
Of course, the abovementioned prices are for the very best out there. There are very affordable gems available from the custom jeweller, which can be crafted into a piece of handmade jewellery. If you are looking for a stunning diamond engagement ring, why not have it made by a skilled custom jeweller? The cost is no more than buying a regular diamond ring and the design is, of course, unique.
