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.