Top Five Most Desired Gemstones in the World

Gemstones have captivated people for centuries with their dazzling colors, mystical properties, and timeless beauty. Gemstones have been associated with wealth, status, healing powers, and protection throughout history. Even today, fine gemstones remain highly coveted around the world.

This comprehensive guide will explore the top five most desired gemstones globally based on popularity, value, and meaning. We will cover each gem's history, physical properties, geographic sources, and reasons why it has maintained such prestige over time. Read on to learn what makes these five stones so unique.

Diamond

The diamond is undoubtedly the most famous and sought-after gemstone in the world. Diamonds have been treasured for centuries as a symbol of eternal love, commitment, and prestige.

Diamonds owe much of their popularity to their unmatched physical properties. Most notably, diamonds have the highest hardness rating on the Mohs scale (10 out of 10). This exceptional hardness means diamonds can withstand daily wear without damage, making them ideal for jewelry. 

Diamonds also have incredible brilliance thanks to their high refractive index. Light entering a well-cut diamond bounce internally off its facets to return through the top in a rainbow of colors. This scintillating play of light gives diamonds their famous sparkle.

While small deposits exist in China, India, and Russia, the top five diamond mining countries are Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Russia, and Canada. Botswana is currently the world's leading source of diamonds by value. 

Emerald

Emeralds have enchanted royalty, aristocracy, and gem lovers for over 4,000 years. Cleopatra herself loved emeralds and often wore them. These verdant green gems are among the most prized today for their lush color, mystical properties, and scarcity.

Emeralds belong to the beryl mineral family, which also includes aquamarine and morganite. Pure beryl is colorless. Emeralds obtain their distinctive green hue from trace amounts of chromium and vanadium. The most coveted emeralds have a vivid green called grass green. Medium to dark green emeralds with a robust bluish tint are also popular. Emeralds form in igneous rock veins, making mining access challenging. Their brittle texture also makes them prone to fractures, limiting supplies of fine gems.

For millennia, emeralds have been associated with healing and mystical powers. In ancient India, emeralds were believed to strengthen memory and intelligence. Healers used emerald gem water to treat eye diseases. The stone has long symbolized hope, rebirth, and eternal youth. Today, emeralds remain the modern birthstone for May and are gifted to celebrate the 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

Sapphire

Few gems can match the beauty of a rich blue sapphire. For centuries, sapphires in deep royal blue hues have adorned royal crowns and jewelry as symbols of wisdom, virtue, and holiness. Blue sapphires remain one of the most coveted gems in the world.

Like ruby, sapphire is a precious form of the mineral corundum. Trace elements like iron and titanium give corundum its rich blue color. The most desired blue sapphires have a medium-to-medium dark vivid blue. Fancy-colored pink, yellow, orange, and padparadscha sapphires are also highly valued.

With a 9 out of 10 Mohs hardness, sapphires are highly durable for daily wear jewelry. Their hardness also allows sapphires to be cut into many faceted shapes to maximize their brilliance. For centuries, sapphires symbolized virtues like wisdom, holiness, and faithfulness. Royals believed sapphires could protect them from harm and envy. Today, Kate Middleton's iconic sapphire engagement ring continues the tradition.

Ruby

Ruby has been called the "King of Gemstones" for its captivating red color and aura of nobility. For thousands of years, ruby adorned warriors and rulers' armor, weapons, and jewelry from China to Europe. Today, a fine ruby is often more valuable than even a diamond.

Ruby is a precious form of the mineral corundum. Trace elements of chromium give ruby its iconic red color. The most desired color is a vivid medium-dark red to slightly purplish red called pigeon’s blood. Burmese rubies have this highly saturated red color due to optimal chromium levels.

Ruby is highly durable for jewelry wear with a 9 out of 10 Mohs hardness. Ruby was believed to protect warriors in battle and even turn away darkness. Rubies also symbolize passion and love. It is said that Catherine the Great of Russia loved rubies so much that she had the 385-carat Timur Ruby affixed to her crown. Today, ruby remains the birthstone for July.

Opal

Opal has dazzled gem admirers for centuries with its unique play of color. No other gemstone displays an array of spectral colors that shift and flicker with the light. The rarest and most valuable form is black opal.

Opal is scientifically classified as a mineraloid, not a mineral. Its play of color results from the diffraction of white light as it passes through the opal's tightly packed silica spheres that are only visible under magnification. The varying sizes of these spheres determine the colors observed. No two opals display color in the same pattern, making each opal unique.

Over 90% of the world's opal production happens in Australia. The country's dark body tone black opal from Lightning Ridge is the most prized, but white opals like crystal opal are also famous. Significant opal deposits also exist in Ethiopia and the US. Depending on body tone and play of color pattern, opal value ranges widely from $50 to over $10,000 per carat.

Conclusion

Some gemstones, from diamonds to emeralds, have enthralled humankind for millennia because of their unparalleled beauty, charisma, and permanence. Sapphires, rubies, and opals have adorned warriors and kings as protective talismans or symbols of virtue for ages, thanks to their rarity and allure.

While trends come and go, these five gemstones remain eternal favorites that retain or increase their value over time. As some fine gems become increasingly scarce, the desire and prices for these natural treasures will continue rising. For many, owning one of these prized stones connects to a sense of history, luxury, and even magic that will never fade.

The Cool Facts and Figures of the Precious Gemstone Sapphire

The luminous blue sapphire emerges as September's birthstone when summer fades into fall. This precious gem has captivated humanity for centuries with its sparkling mystique. But what exactly makes sapphires so unique? 

What's in a Name?

The word "sapphire" traces back to the Latin term for blue - "sapphirus." Fittingly, blue is the most coveted sapphire hue. But sapphires span the rainbow, naturally occurring in vibrant yellow, purple, orange, and green.

Red sapphires are dubbed "rubies." Pinkish sapphires fall into a gray area. Gemologists may classify them as either ruby or sapphire.

Hardest of the Hard

On the Mohs hardness scale, diamonds rate a 10, and sapphires score a 9. That makes sapphires the 3rd hardest mineral in the world, just behind diamonds and moissanite.

This incredible durability gives sapphire jewelry unparalleled resilience. Sapphire rings can withstand everyday wear for decades.

Crystal Chemistry

Sapphires contain aluminum oxide and traces of titanium, iron, chromium, magnesium, or vanadium. This unique chemical composition is responsible for sapphire's brilliant colors and super strength.

Interestingly, sapphires form the same mineral as rubies - corundum. Ruby is just corundum's red variety.

Mined and Created

Most jewelry-grade sapphires are mined from underground deposits, then cut and polished to enhance their beauty. Notable sapphire sources include Australia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

But you can also "grow" sapphires! Flame fusion and hydrothermal processes create lab-grown stones identical to natural ones. Synthetics lower costs and increase supply.

The Blue Giant

The Blue Giant of the Orient is the world's largest blue sapphire, at 2,395 carats. Discovered in Sri Lanka in 1907, it weighs an incredible 478 grams!

The rare 15-carat Black Star of Queensland exhibits an effect called asterism. A six-pointed star appears to float across the surface.

Sapphires of History

For centuries, sapphires symbolized power, protection, and prophecy:

• Ancient Persians believed the sky was a giant blue sapphire.

• Medieval clergy wore sapphires as talismans of heavenly favor.

• European royals favored sapphires in ornate brooches and rings.

• Buddhists thought sapphires brought inner peace and focus.

Princess Di's iconic engagement ring featured a stunning 12-carat Ceylon sapphire.

Cut, Carat, Color, Clarity

Use the 4Cs to evaluate sapphires, just like diamonds:

·         Cut: Well-cut stones reflect more light. Common stone cuts include oval, round, and cushion.

·         Carat: Sapphires range from under 1 carat to over 1,000! Large, flawless stones are the most prized.

·         Color: Blue is the most desirable, but fancy colors like pink and yellow have devotees.

·         Clarity: Inclusions affect clarity. Lower clarity may not diminish beauty.

Jubilee Gem

Sapphires mark significant wedding milestones. A sapphire jubilee occurs after 65 years of marriage.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated their blue sapphire jubilee in 2017 after six decades of marriage.

Sapphire Care

Sapphires rank high on the durability scale. But take basic precautions to keep them sparkling:

• Avoid harsh blows that may chip stones.

• Clean in warm water with a mild soap and a soft brush.

• Store sapphires separately to prevent scratches.

• Avoid exposure to heat and chemicals like chlorine.