THE WORLD'S rarest GEMSTONES

Tanzanite

Found only in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Northern Tanzania, this blue-purple stone is a highly prized color-shifting gem.

Taaffeite

Named for Australian gemologist Richard Taaffe, only a handful of these precious stones have ever been found — a true collector's gem.

Black Opal

The rarest type of Opal and national gemstone of Australia. It is also the most valuable gem of its kind.

Benitoite

Found near the San Benito River in California, this gem glows a brilliant chalky blue under UV light.

Red Beryl

Also known as Scarlet Emerald or bixbite, found only in Utah and New Mexico. It's 1,000 times more valuable than gold.

Alexandrite

Named for Tsar Alexander II, this extremely rare gem changes color from red to green under different light.

Jadeite

Not to be confused with common jade, this deep green, translucent gem is many times more valuable.

Musgravite

Discovered in 1967 in Australia, this gem ranges from greenish gray to purple. Only a few specimens existed for decades.

Painite

Found in Myanmar, it was once the rarest gem on Earth. For decades, only two cut specimens were known to exist.