The depths of our planet conceal countless treasures - minerals. Their indescribable diversity and beauty have always conquered human hearts. We invite you to admire a selection of these beautiful examples of frozen natural harmony.
1. Petrified wood with opal veins
Under certain conditions, fragments of a fallen tree do not decay, but mineralize, turning into real stones of bizarre shape. This requires hundreds of years and no access of air to the material, resulting in a unique mineral that resembles fragments of icy wood, speckled with sparkling inclusions of opal or chalcedony.
2. Uvarovit
A stone related to garnets, discovered in the 19th century in Siberia, was popularly nicknamed the “Ural emerald.” Chromium gives the mineral its mesmerizing green color. In nature, it is extremely rare, and the few finds are of very modest size. By the way, it was this mineral that Alexander Kuprin meant in his work Garnet Bracelet.
3. Fluorite
This mineral, which has long been used for decorative purposes and delighted the eyes of high society with graceful translucent vases and figurines that glow in the dark, has now found more practical applications in optics, becoming an excellent material for creating lenses.
4. Kemmererite
A very fragile fuchsia-colored stone - kemmererite - is considered a collector's item. To make a piece of jewelry out of it, the craftsman needs to apply all his scrupulousness and precision. For this reason, the cost of the processed mineral is extremely high.
5. Hematite, rutile and feldspar
The ability of the black mineral hematite, when processed, to color water in a blood-red color has become the reason for many ineradicable superstitions regarding this stone. But this is not the only reason why it is popular - hematite is very common in nature and is used in addition to decorative materials in many applied areas.
6. Torburnite
As bewitchingly beautiful as this mineral is, it is just as deadly. Prisms of torbernite crystals contain uranium and can cause cancer in humans. In addition, when heated, these stones begin to slowly emit radon gas, which is extremely dangerous to health.
7. Bladeclase
The rare clinoclase crystal has one little secret - when heated, this exquisitely beautiful mineral emits a garlicky smell.
8. White barite strewn with vanadinite crystals
Vanadinite received its name in honor of the Scandinavian goddess of beauty Vanadis. This mineral is one of the heaviest on the planet because it has a high lead content. Vanadinite crystals should be stored away from sunlight, as they tend to darken under their influence.
9. Fossil egg? No – geode with opal core
In places rich in minerals, you can find geodes - geological formations, which are cavities containing various minerals inside. When cut or chipped, geodes can look extremely outlandish and attractive.
10. Silver stibnite with barite
Stibnite is a sulfide of antimony, but it appears to be composed of high-grade silver. Thanks to this similarity, one day someone decided to make luxury cutlery from this material. And this was a very bad idea... Antimony crystals cause severe poisoning, even after contact with skin it is necessary to wash it thoroughly with soap.
11. Chalcanthite
The enchanting beauty of these crystals hides a mortal danger: once in a liquid environment, the copper contained in this mineral begins to rapidly dissolve, threatening all living things that stand in its way. Just one small blue pebble can destroy an entire pond with all its flora and fauna, so you should treat it with extreme caution.
12. Cacoxenite
Acting as an inclusion, this rare mineral is capable of giving quartz and amethyst a unique color and higher value. As a representative of needle-shaped crystals, cacoxenite is incredibly fragile.
13. Labradorite
Mined in the northern regions, the mineral’s appearance seems to reflect the sky under which it was found: the color tints against the background of the darkness of the stone speckled with sparkling stars are reminiscent of the northern lights blazing on a long polar night.
14. Black opal
The most valuable type of opal. Despite the word “black” in the name, this mineral gets the highest value if it has multi-colored sparkle against a dark background. The more varied the shades of its radiance, the higher the price.
15. Kuprosklodovskite
Needle-shaped crystals of kuprosklodovskite attract admiring attention with the depth and variety of their green colors, as well as their interesting shape. However, this mineral is mined in uranium deposits and is highly radioactive and should be kept away not only from living beings, but even from other minerals.
16. Blue halite and sylvite
Milky white or whitish sylvite is often found in volcanoes, and blue halite (sodium chloride) is often found in sedimentary rocks.
17. Bismuth
Artificially grown crystals have a recognizable iridescent shine on their dark surface. This effect occurs due to the oxide film covering it. By the way, bismuth oxide chloride is used in the creation of nail polishes as a means to give them shine.
18. Opal
The noble opal gemstone is picky about the humidity around it: if it stays in excessively dry conditions for a long time, it can fade and even crack. For this reason, opals should be occasionally “bathed” in clean water, and also worn more often if they are presented in the form of jewelry, so that the stones are saturated with moisture coming from the human body.
19. Tourmaline
Rich red and pink colors, smooth transitions of shades with the most unexpected ranges make tourmaline one of the most popular collectible minerals. According to historians, it was these stones that crowned many of the jewelry and accessories of members of royal families and eminent persons: from Catherine the Second to Tamerlane.
20. Baildonite
The rare baildonite crystal owes its color to the copper it contains, and its brilliance to a high percentage of lead.
21. Osmium
Having the status of the densest natural substance, osmium is extremely difficult to process in any way. The widespread use of this metal in medicine, manufacturing and defense makes its demand incredibly high. And given the rarity of osmium in nature, the cost of one gram of its isotope is currently equal to twenty thousand dollars.
22. Malachite
The bizarre arrangement of copper layers in the voids of karst caves, where malachite originates, determines the future structure of its patterns. They can be represented by concentric circles, star-shaped scatterings or chaotic ribbon patterns. Archaeologists estimate the age of malachite beads found in the ancient city of Jericho to be 9 thousand years.
23. Emmonsite
A rather rare mineral emmonsite, presented in the form of small needle-shaped crystals with a glassy luster, is found in the mines of North and South America.
24. Aquamarine on potassium mica
For the similarity of its edges to the purest waves of the sea, the Roman thinker Pliny the Elder gave this noble stone the name “aquamarine”. Bluer aquamarines are more valuable than greenish ones. This mineral is very popular among designers and jewelry lovers, and its highest strength helps to create jewelry of any configuration.
25. Pallasite meteorite
In 1777, the German scientist Pallas delivered to the Kunstkamera museum samples of a rare metal discovered in Krasnoyarsk at the site of a meteorite fall. Soon the entire block of extraterrestrial origin weighing 687 kg was transported to St. Petersburg. This material was called “pallas iron” or pallasite. No substance similar to it has been found from those mined on our planet. According to experts, this meteorite is an iron-nickel base with numerous inclusions of olivine crystals.
26. Sick
Small cubic crystals of blue color - boleites - are especially valued in the countries of South and North America. This rare mineral has not yet been seen in use in Russia.
27. Crocoite
The name “crocoite” comes from the ancient Greek word meaning “saffron”, since the similarity of the crystal surface with this spice is noticeable to the naked eye. Red lead ore, which is this mineral, is of particular value to collectors and connoisseurs.
What in inanimate nature delights and amazes people more than gems? Precious stones are amazingly beautiful and rare, possessing them makes a person wiser and more majestic - in any case, this is what numerous legends and beliefs associated with these most beautiful of minerals claim. But which stone is the most expensive in the world? Let's find out the opinion of experts about the cost of the most expensive stones.
10 Emerald and sapphire
On average, a good sapphire (about 6,000 per carat) turns out to be more expensive than a not very high-quality emerald. This certainly applies to regular blue or light blue sapphire. As for the rarest orange gem (it is called padparadscha), we will talk about it further. This is certainly one of the most expensive stones in the world.
As for emeralds - dark green or grass-colored stones - despite their relatively large number, there are very few pure specimens. They are the ones who are valued so highly.
There are a couple of amazing examples to note. Firstly, this is the Millennium - a 61 thousand carat sapphire, decorated with carvings - 134 portraits of the world's most prominent celebrities of the millennium, including, for example, Beethoven, Shakespeare and Einstein. Its current price is $180 million.
And the largest emerald is the Bahian nugget, which weighs 1.9 million carats and costs $400 million.
This is the rarest red beryl, which is mined exclusively in the states of Utah and New Mexico in the USA. Only a few stones are known, of which the largest weighs just over 3 carats.
One carat costs at least 10, or even 12 thousand dollars. This is explained not only by its beauty, but also by the exceptional rarity of the gem.
At the moment, about three and a half thousand cut bixbits are known, and no new ones have yet been found.
The first gem capable of changing its color was found in the first half of the 19th century near Yekaterinburg (however, as it later turned out, some garnets and sapphires also have this ability, which is explained by the presence of chromium oxide in the composition).
And since then, alexandrite has never ceased to amaze people both with its beauty and its ability to look completely different depending on the lighting. Under sunlight, the stone is greenish, and electric (or simply evening) light makes it reddish, purple or violet.
The stone was named in honor of the 16th anniversary of the future Emperor Alexander II, on whose birthday the first alexandrite was allegedly found and described.
The price of alexandrite ranges from 10 to 37 thousand dollars per carat, although it is not a very rare stone. For example, a druse of 22 stones weighing more than 5 kilograms was found in the Urals in the same 19th century.
Nowadays, alexandrites are found not only in Russia, but also in Brazil, Madagascar, etc. Faceted natural gems are not that common and are usually small in size.
7 Paraiba Tourmaline
This is a unique mineral that has long been found exclusively in Brazil. Paraiba has an incredible turquoise color and an even more unique neon glow even in the twilight - this property is not found in any other stone.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to capture this glow in a photo. Currently, Paraiba tourmalines are also found in Africa and Madagascar, but they are valued much lower than Brazilian ones.
Small tourmalines usually cost about 15 thousand dollars, while large specimens can only be cut into the hands of a true master, in which case the product will have almost museum value - and a fantastic price.
Paraiba tourmaline is a rare mineral; such stones are found 10,000 times less frequently than diamonds. The largest gem weighs 192 carats and is worth up to $125 million.
6 Precious Ruby
Ruby is usually placed in sixth place in the ranking of the most expensive stones in the world. This is corundum, a stone related to sapphire. In the Old Russian language, both stones were usually called yakhonts. The blood-red stone was known and appreciated in ancient times in India; it was known to both the Greeks and the Romans.
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Rubies are mined on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, but not all of them are valued equally. The most expensive gems are Asian ones, the color of “pigeon’s blood”. They usually sell for 15 thousand dollars per carat.
The most expensive ruby, weighing 25 and a half carats, was sold at auction last year for $30 million. So far this is a record.
A diamond (a cut diamond is called a brilliant) is certainly one of the most beautiful gems loved by rich people. Its shine is mesmerizing, and its hardness is very high (due to which it is also used in technology, etc.).
For this reason, diamond is often considered a “masculine” stone, a symbol of purity and hardness. Some diamonds are believed to be up to 2 and a half million years old; Among them there are also minerals of extraterrestrial origin.
The price of a diamond depends on its purity and color (besides colorless, yellow, brown, blue, even black diamonds are known) and can range from 15 thousand. per carat
The largest diamond is the Cullinan, weighing more than 3,100 carats; The largest Yakut diamond is called “XXVI Congress”; it weighs 332 carats.
4 Transparent gem Jadeite
Transparent jadeite is called imperial, and it is one of the most expensive gemstones in the world. This is a green gem, quite rare and therefore very expensive.
An imperial carat is valued at $20,000. Among the Aztecs, jadeite was considered a sacred stone, and the famous “Emerald Buddha” - the talisman of Thailand - was also carved from jadeite and decorated with gold.
This is a rare mineral that is currently mined in only two deposits. The name means "Sunrise". The color of the stone in the classic version should consist of three colors: red, orange and pink.
Since there are almost no such stones, they are highly valued, starting from 30 thousand dollars per carat. It is acceptable to call two-color minerals padparadschas, although this is not entirely true. But an attempt to pass off an orange or pink single-color sapphire as a padparadscha is an obvious deception!
There are many unique fakes: the so-called “heated padparadscha” are corundums that have been heated in special ovens and have changed color because of this. They are also very expensive, but still they are not real padparadscha!
This rare gemstone is amazingly beautiful. Pale blue, it shimmers with three colors at once: white, blue and green. It is named after the scientist who first described it, Alfred Grandidier.
The beauty and rarity of the stone make it almost priceless. It's worth what they pay for it. Only 8 stones in the world have been proven to meet grandidierite standards, so they pay 100 thousand per carat for each of them!
1 The most expensive stone is Red Diamond
And finally, the most expensive gem in the world is the red diamond. Its fantastic value (up to a million per carat) is explained by the amazing beauty and extreme rarity of the stone.
Red diamonds are found exclusively in Australia, and in minute quantities, literally a few stones a year. Moreover, gems weighing as much as 0.1 carats are highly valued!
The world's largest red diamond was presented at the Smithsonian exhibition. Its weight is just over 5 carats, and the cost is hard to even imagine. To give you an idea of prices: a few years ago, a red diamond weighing just under a carat was sold for a trillion dollars.
| Place in the ranking | Gem name | Approximate price per 1 carat |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | astronomical | |
| 2 | from 100 thousand | |
| 3 | from 30 thousand | |
| 4 | from 20 thousand | |
| 5 | from 15-17 thousand | |
| 6 | from 15 thousand | |
| 7 | Paraiba | from 13-14 thousand |
| 8 | from 12 thousand | |
| 9 | 10-12 thousand | |
| 10 | Emerald, sapphire | 8 thousand |
The most expensive and rare stones in the world, mined from the depths of the earth, surprise with their beauty. The limited supply on the planet and high demand ensure high costs and demand exceeding supply.
There are very few of them in nature. Deposits are located only in a few places on our planet, and reserves are limited. Their cost is sometimes amazing.
Precious
As a rule, such stones are rarely found in nature and acquire the best decorative qualities after skillful jewelry processing: cutting and cabochoning (polishing). The greater the weight and decorativeness of the sample, the higher its price.
List of the most expensive gemstones in the world (cost per carat):
- Red diamond. It has a rich crimson color. It is mined only in Australia - its large deposits are not found anywhere else on Earth. Found in small quantities in Brazil. The cost of the rarest gemstone is fantastic: about $1 million.
- A transparent stone containing a lot of iron shines in 3 shades at once: snow-white, soft blue and greenish. So far, only 8 specimens have been found in the world that 100% correspond to the characteristics of the species. Price – from 100 thousand $.
- Padparadscha. The name translates as “sunrise”. The faceted gem shimmers in soft red, pink and salmon colors. It is mined in only 2 places in the world. It is quite expensive - $30 thousand.
- . The green sacred stone of the ancient Aztecs and the material from which the Thai talisman, the Buddha figurine, is made. Costs 20 thousand $.
- Diamond. Numerous research studies have proven that this is the hardest stone on the planet. Its price largely depends on the properties of the specimen. The highest quality ones cost from $15,000.
- Ruby. It has a well-recognized bloody color. It sells for $15,000.
- Paribas tourmaline. Found only in Brazil. It is distinguished by its bright turquoise color, and in the twilight it glows with a neon haze, this is its unusual property. Estimated from $15,000, but after skillful processing the amount increases.
- Alexandrite. Changes its color depending on the lighting. Its price varies from 10 to 37 thousand $.
- Bixbit- reddish beryl mined in the USA. You will have to pay $10,000 for it.
- Sapphire and emerald. The first is distinguished by its bright blue color, the second by green. They are valued at approximately the same $6-8 thousand.
Separately, it is worth mentioning pearls, which are considered the most valuable. Some classifications do not classify it as a precious stone due to its organic origin. The most expensive type is “South Sea”. It is distinguished by a thick (up to 6 mm) layer of mother-of-pearl, which determines its uniqueness and monetary value.
Semi-precious
Semi-precious stones are more widespread in nature than their “elite” counterparts. At the same time, they are more affordable and are also in demand among jewelry lovers and mineral collectors.
- Aquamarine– $30-60 per carat. Transparent with a bluish or greenish tone. Its beauty is fully revealed after cutting and polishing.
- Amethyst- the most expensive of all quartz. The most valuable variety is “Siberian”. The cost of its sample with a pronounced purple color starts at $10 per carat.
Aquamarine
- - known to man since ancient times and loved by him throughout history. The assessment of value depends on the color: preference is given to bright blue specimens without a pattern or with very thin veins. They charge from $25.
- - an emerald stone from the garnet group. 1 carat is estimated at $100–500.
- Grossular similar to demantoid both in color and origin. Its price starts from $700.
- cat's eye with a light stripe in the middle, which changes its position depending on the light and viewing angle. A very hard stone, not inferior in strength to ruby. Costs from $40 per carat.
The cost of other semi-precious specimens is much cheaper - no more than $10.
The most beautiful stones in the world (video)
The rarest minerals and their deposits
In addition to stones that are actively used to create jewelry, there are lesser-known minerals that are rare. The number of finds of some is limited to a dozen.
- Painitis. It was first found in 1956 in Burma and named after the scientist who discovered it. It is notable for being included in the Guinness Book of Records (2005 version) as the rarest mineral. Changes color from brown to blood-red, there are inclusions of black-brown color. Rare pink specimens have been found. It is mined in the towns of Mogok and Kachin (Myanmar). After cutting, its cost becomes $5–9 thousand per 1 carat.
- It is found 1,000 times less frequently than diamonds. It has a characteristic blue-violet color. Tanzanite became famous all over the world after the designers of the Tiffany jewelry house drew attention to the mineral. They developed a whole collection of jewelry with tanzanite, which became popular. The mineral is mined in Merelani Hill (Tanzania). Its price starts at $500 per carat.
- Benitoite. When it was first discovered, it was mistaken for a sapphire. They are similar in their rich blue color, making it an attractive material for fine jewelry. But a detailed analysis showed an error. In 1906, benitoite became an independent and expensive mineral. The rarest specimens have the original purple color. Benitoite is very rare in nature. Deposits suitable for development on a large scale are found only in California. Other discovered deposits in Belgium, New Zealand, Japan and Texas are very small and of no interest to jewelers. The cost range of benitoite is very large - from $1 to $4,000 per carat: it depends on the intensity of the color of the mineral and its transparency.
- Poudretteitis. The pink mineral was named after the owners of a quarry in Canada, where it was first discovered in the 60s of the last century. It was later discovered in Myanmar. The study of the mineral began only in 1987, after which it became famous throughout the world as a rarity. Only 30 mined and cut samples are known. In addition to pink, they are lilac or almost colorless. Moreover, after cutting, its color improves. The cost of a sample weighing less than 1 carat ranges from $2,000 to $10,000. Larger samples cost several times more, depending on weight.
Gallery: rare and expensive stones (58 photos)
Rare stones of Russia
Russia is a storehouse of minerals, including precious stones. Usually their clusters are located in the Urals, Siberia or the Far North. Each deposit also has its own lists of what is hidden in its depths.
There are also unique places: for example, Utochkina Pad in Buryatia. There are 30 types of unique minerals there. These are precious and semi-precious varieties.
According to Russian law, precious stones include naturally mined (not artificially synthesized) alexandrites, diamonds, emeralds, pearls, rubies, and sapphires.
5 minerals are considered rare stones of the Russian Federation.
- Majorite. This is a garnet colored bright purple. These gems appear on Earth from space along with falling celestial bodies. In the Earth, majorite is formed only under conditions that are created at a depth of 400 km. This determines its high cost: a carat costs $1.2 million. Only a few specimens were found in the Urals.
- Eremeevit. An unusual looking mineral. Its colors come in different colors: blue, yellow and even almost completely transparent. At the same time, eremeevit cannot boast of the intensity of color: it is pale. The only deposits of the mineral in Russia are in the east of Transbaikalia, not far from Nerchinsk. Cost – from $600 per carat for a sample of not the best quality.
- The most original variety of topaz. If it is exposed to sunlight for several days, its surface loses its color. In this case, the color never returns. The main deposit of changeable stone in Russia is located near the town of Plast in the Chelyabinsk region. For 1 carat you will have to pay from $500. Large specimens with bright colors cost tens of times more.
- Xenotime. Cannot boast of bright colors. It ranges from brown to black, and is due to the presence of uranium in the composition. In Russia, xenotime is mined only in 2 deposits: Astafievskoye and Miaas. The cost of the most decorative crystals is calculated individually for each sample.
- Tazheranit. A red or orange colored mineral that is mined in several places around the world. In Russia, its deposits are located in the Baikal region. The sizes of gems are so small that they are almost never used in jewelry. Mineral collectors are mainly interested in tazheranite. The popular cubic zirconia is an artificial analogue of this gem. Original tazheranite is sold in narrow circles at an individual price.
Rare precious and semi-precious stones are the wealth of our planet. Each of them is beautiful and unique in its own way. Despite the high price, there will always be buyers willing to pay a large sum for them.
Jewelry with stones looks amazing and is pleasing to the eye. But there are stones that can safely be called the most unusual and beautiful.
So, the top 10 most beautiful stones in the world
1. Alexandrite is a variety of the rather rare mineral chrysoberyl. The uniqueness of this stone lies in its pleochroism. In simple terms, alexandrite can change color, and such changes simply excite the imagination and shock.
So, in daylight it will delight the eye with different shades of green (grass, turquoise, olive), but in artificial light it can be crimson, purple or even red-violet. This unique ability is explained by the fact that alexandrite contains an extremely rare combination of minerals such as chromium, titanium and iron.
2. Painite belongs to the class of borates. This stone was discovered in 1956, and until recently there were only a few copies in the world, but in 2006 a new deposit was discovered. By the way, this mineral is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the rarest. The color of painite can vary from red-orange to brownish-red.
This color range is explained by the content of iron impurities in the mineral. The latest crystals found are almost opaque and have dark tones. By the way, if you look at painite under the light of an ordinary lamp, it will turn green. And this is its distinctive feature, which will reveal the original. But it is still almost impossible to acquire real painite.
3. Benitoite. Such a stone was found only in the USA, so it is also considered one of the rarest. But at the same time he is also incredibly handsome. Under normal lighting the color will be deep blue. But if you shine ultraviolet rays on benitoite, you can see a stunning picture. The stone will glow from the inside, as if LEDs were placed in it.
This unique property still does not have any clear explanations, although the composition of the mineral has been thoroughly studied a long time ago. Since 1984, this stone has been considered a national gem in California. And its price can reach 4 thousand dollars per carat!
4. Red Diamond. In the entire history of mankind, only a few of these minerals have been found, because the red hue for diamonds is considered extremely rare. Only a few jewelers were lucky enough to hold this miracle of nature in their hands, much less work with it.
The largest specimen, which is known as the Red Shield, weighs a little more than 5 carats (which is almost 1 gram), and this weight, of course, compared to ordinary white diamonds (their weight can reach 600 carats) is negligible. Currently, searches are underway, but the deposits have not yet been discovered.
5. Red beryl. If you look at the photo, you can see a stunningly beautiful stone of a bright scarlet hue with a purple tint, shimmering in the light. It is incredibly durable and even when heated to 1000 degrees Celsius, it retains its properties.
This mineral is mined exclusively in the USA, and in only one state (Utah). Until recently, red beryl was available only to the wealthiest and most famous collectors, but to this day it remains quite rare and very expensive. The largest specimen weighs approximately 10 carats, which is about 2 grams.
6. Blue Garnet. In general, everyone is accustomed to the fact that garnet has a purple tint (this is probably why it got its name). But in fact, the tones of this mineral can be varied. The most common colors are red, pink, brown, black, orange, and yellow. Green and purple are much less common.
And blue is the rarest and one of the most beautiful. In daylight, such a stone pleases the eye with various shades of blue-green. But if you look at it under a lamp, it can turn dark purple.
7. Grandidierite. It is one of the rarest minerals on the planet (it is in the top ten). The deposit is found only in Madagascar, but the very first and most likely purest specimen was found in Sri Lanka.
There are very few crystals suitable for cutting; only a few cut stones are known in the world. Grandidierite is distinguished by pleochroism, that is, it can change shade from almost transparent or light green to rich green or even blue. Color will depend on viewing angle and lighting.
8. Padparadscha. This unusual word is translated as “morning dawn” or “sunrise”. Indeed, this stone, which, by the way, belongs to sapphires, has a stunning pinkish-orange color, which looks like the morning sun barely appearing over the horizon.
Deposits of this unique mineral are found in Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Tanzania. But today all the copies have been recovered, and the last and one of the purest ones was sold 20 years ago. The stone is considered a collectible, and one carat of weight is estimated at 30 thousand dollars.
9. Poudretti. The first minerals were discovered in Canada, and the stone itself got its name thanks to the Poudrette family, which, by the way, still owns the mine. The first mineral was extracted in 1987, but truly pure and high-quality specimens appeared only in the early 2000s. Powdertite has a delicate light pink tint. But an ordinary person is unlikely to be able to look at it, since there are only about 300 minerals in the world.
10. Taaffeit- a mineral that was discovered by Count Richard Taaffe (the stone was named after him), finding it in a batch of gems. The shade of this stone can vary from pale pink to lavender, and it shimmers amazingly in the light.
This mineral is found only in Tanzania and Sri Lanka. But still the deposits are negligible, so the total number of specimens is small. The largest stone weighs more than 9 carats, and the cost of one carat varies from 2 to 10 thousand dollars.
These were the most amazing stones in the world.
Forget about blue sapphires and icy diamonds - minerals can be just as beautiful, expensive and rare.
Opal contra pocket
“Contra Luz” translates as “against the light.” If you look at the stone from a certain angle, you can see the underwater world, distant galaxies, volcanic eruptions and the birth of new stars.
Fire opal
When you hold a fire opal in your hands, it seems that it is a drop of red-hot gold.
Black opal
The refraction of light reveals the secrets of the birth of a new Universe. A very rare and very expensive mineral.
Opal fossil
Reminiscent of the fossilized shell of an ancient snail.
"Empress of Uruguay"
The world's largest amethyst geode in cross-section sparkles in all shades of black, purple, and lilac. The play of glare involuntarily evokes associations with a portal to the endless Universe. By the way, the outside of the geode is an inconspicuous black stone.
Boulder opal
Algae sway inside the translucent stone, and colorful fish swim melancholy in the water warmed by the sun’s rays.
Fluorite
Fluorite is translated from the Latin fluor - “flow”. This unusual name was given to the mineral for its unique color: emerald green smoothly flows into soft lilac and dark purple.
Bismuth
What is this? Alien computer, chip or microcircuit? No, it's a dense and soft metal. When interacting with water, it oxidizes and becomes covered with a film that plays with the colors of the rainbow. Artificially grown bismuth has clear geometric shapes.
Titanium quartz
Multi-colored crystals are extremely popular at auctions: who would have thought that a rainbow mineral is the creation of scientists?
Rose Quartz Geode
Are the cosmogonic myths that the Universe originated from the World Egg really not an invention of the ancients? The regular rounded shapes of the geode, created by Mother Nature, and the amazing mixture of light and color prompt philosophical reflections on the mysteries of life.
Chrysocolla in malachite
Chrysocolla is a hydrous copper silicate that gives ornamental malachite a delicate bluish tint.
Azurite
Sparkling azurite shimmers in all shades of blue.
Scolecite
Coldly sparkling with its edges, this unusual flower will be a worthy gift for the Snow Queen. Perhaps he will melt the heart of the unapproachable beauty.
Watermelon tourmaline
The name of schorl speaks for itself: the bizarre combination of colors resembles a juicy slice of watermelon. Due to its polychrome (multicolor) nature, the mineral is classified as a precious stone.
Burmese tourmaline
Magical reflections of burgundy, rich sparkles of garnet and pink flicker mysteriously. Drop-shaped minerals are used to make stunningly beautiful pendants.
Crystalline bismuth
It seems that this is an artificial city with skyscrapers and suburban houses... No, this is crystalline round bismuth - space for the jeweler’s imagination.
Realgar on calcite - ice and fire
In the embrace of cold ice rests a raging flame that is beyond the control of anyone - flashes of crystals will soon melt the block and break free! Or not? Realgar and calcite will forever be together.
Cobaltocalcite
This rare pink mineral of unusual color is highly valued by collectors. Transparent stones are used for cutting.
Uvarovite
In the main photo there is a sharp, daring, crystal clear, perfectly regular mineral that arouses the genuine interest of collectors and jewelers, since it is... garnet. No, not the usual blood cherry, but rich green. The second name is Ural emerald.
Crocoite
Translated, “crocoite” means “saffron”. Indeed, oblong crocoite crystals look like dried crocus flowers.
Rhodochrosite
The second name is “Inca rose”. The Incas believed that the blood of their ancestors turned into a stone that could give the people strength. It is considered one of the oldest ornamental stones.
Pink rhodochrosite
Another variety of Inca rose is a matte pink mineral.
Botswana (banded) agate
It seems that the Creator-artist brushed watercolors - there is no other way to explain these fantastic stains from milky white to coal black with a glaze of dark blue, dirty purple and azure blue...
Alexandrite
It is capable of changing shade depending on the time of day and lighting, which is why it is valued by jewelers. It is about this stone that they say that it is a ruby in the evening, and an emerald in the morning. The amazing property of changing shade is called pleochroism.
Ammonite
A variety of multifaceted opal, on the smooth surface of which you can see imprints of algae from the Proterozoic era and inclusions of unprecedented simple organisms... But this is just a fantasy! You can look at opals endlessly, finding more and more interesting landscapes with every second.
Cornelian
The stone, which resembles solidified lava, is indeed of volcanic origin: forming in a crater or bubbles of lava, it is imbued with the power of earth and fire.
Bentoite
The union of titanium and barium silicate gave birth to a very rare mineral, which is not inferior in beauty to precious sapphire.
Polychrome tourmaline
The mineral shimmers in more than five shades: from soft pink to red, from red to green. Translated from Sinhala it means “attractor of ash” and “magical multi-colored stone.”