Gemstones as a capital investment

Because of their universal and above all increasing value, gemstones were already used as a form of money in ancient times. Whether ruby, sapphire or emerald – they all become rarer and this is exactly the reason for their increase in value. Furthermore, investing in gemstones in general brings with it a number of advantages:

• The investment is long-term (value and capital accumulation over years)
• Gemstones are an asset for the owner and are not subject to any taxes
• Gems can be passed down from generation to generation without cost or bureaucratic procedures
• It is a safe investment; gemstones are real assets
• Investment gemstones must be untreated

List: Opal to sapphire to emerald

Before we take a more detailed dive into the topic of gemstones, here are some basically important, high-priced gemstone types that you should have at least heard of. The most expensive gemstones:

• Diamond
• Musgravite
• Taaffeit
• Topaz
• Sapphire (Padparadscha sapphire and Kashmir sapphire)
• Red Beryl / Bixbit
• Black opal
• Grandidierite
• Poudretteit
• Painite
• Jade
• Emerald
• Aquamarine
• Ruby
• Alexandrite
• Garnet
• Taubenblutroter Rubin / Pigeon Blood Ruby
• Benitoit
• Citrine
• Tanzanite
• Serendibit
• Amethyst
• Yeremeyevite
• Zircon
• Blue Topaz

The most expensive gems in the world: Video

Gemstones are not only incredibly beautiful. Above all, they are incredibly expensive. The following video presents the most expensive gemstones in the world.

Opal mining: How the gemstone is extracted

About 95 percent of all opals from Australia. How they are extracted, you can see in the following video. Read more about opal here.

Which gemstone is the most valuable?

Here is the top 10 list of the most expensive gemstones in the world. The prices serve as a rough guide. They may vary based on clarity or size.

• Tanzanite: $1,200 per carat
• Black Opal-$9,500 per carat
• Red beryl – $10,000 per carat
• Musgravite-$35,000 per carat
• Alexandrite-$70,000 per carat
• Emerald – $305,000 per carat
• Ruby: $1.18 million per carat
• Pink Diamond-$1.19 million per carat
• Jadeite: $3 million per carat
• Blue diamond – $3.93 million per carat

The most valuable gemstones in detail

Tanzanian

This color-changing gemstone has a blue to violet hue, the color of which depends on the orientation of the crystal and the lighting. It is only found in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Since it can only be mined in this one location, it comes with a high price tag of 500 pounds ($630) per carat.

Taaffeite

This gemstone comes in a beautiful range of colors from translucent to pink. Only a handful of stones have been found in Sri Lanka and Tanzania, making this stone extremely rare and valuable. Its value is more than 1,000 pounds ($1260) per carat.

Black opal

Black opal is the rarest of the opals. These black stones are speckled with vibrant colors, making each one unique and magnificent. Almost all black opals are mined in New South Wales in Australia and cost around £1,900 ($2400) per carat.

Poudretteite

This pink stone was originally found in Mont St. Hilaire in Quebec, Canada. It was thought that this was the only place it was found for many years, but it is now known that it can also be found in Magok, Myanmar. This gemstone is worth more than £2,600 ($3300) per carat.

Benitoit

This beautiful blue gemstone is found in Japan and Arkansas, in the USA, and is also mined in San Benito, California. Because of the rarity of benitoite, it is usually sold in increments of less than one carat. Per carat, the price of this gemstone is more than 2,600 pounds ($3300).

Red beryl

Often referred to as a scarlet emerald, this magnificent red crystal is said to be 1,000 times more valuable than gold. It is found in the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah and sells for more than 8,000 pounds ($10,000) per carat.

Alexandrite

Named after Tsar Alexander II, this color-changing gemstone ranges from red to green depending on the incidence of light, making it highly sought after. The original deposits, found in the Ural Mountains of Russia, had almost disappeared when new deposits were found in East Africa, Sri Lanka and Brazil. It is still extremely rare and has a price to match, at nearly 10,000 pounds ($12,500) per carat.

Serendibit

This magnificent gemstone, which ranges in color from pale yellow to blue to jet black, is found in Sri Lanka and the Mogok region of Myanmar. Its value is more than £14,500 ($18,000) per carat.

Jadeite

Not to be confused with jade! Jadeite is much rarer and quite a bit more expensive. The deep green stone is found in Myanmar and has a price tag of over 16,000 pounds ($20,000) per carat.

Grandidierite

Priced at more than 16,000 pounds ($20,000) per carat, this semi-translucent blue-green gemstone is also available. This exquisite and rare stone is found in Madagascar.

Musgravite

For many years, only eight occurrences of the blue-violet stone were found in South Australia. Recently, however, small amounts have been found elsewhere. The stone remains one of the rarest in the world and is worth nearly 29,000 ($36,000) pounds per carat.

Painite

Only two specimens of the orange to brick-colored gem existed for many years. More have been found in Myanmar, but it is still extremely rare and has a price tag of about 41,000 ($51,000) pounds per carat.

Pink star diamond

The 59.6-carat pink diamond was mined in South Africa and sold for the highest price ever achieved for a gemstone. This was a whopping £68,298,350 (about $86 million). Read more about diamonds here.

Origin of the name – the typical blue tones of the sapphire

The name sapphire comes from the Greek “sappheiros”, which is derived from the Hebrew “cappiyr”. This word was used to describe blue stones like the sapphire but also the lapis lazuli. Sapphire means “blue” in Greek – an interpretation to the typical blue tones of sapphire. Sapphire is also a Hebrew girl’s name, which is derived from the gemstone and means “the beautiful one” in Hebrew.

• From the Greek
• “blue” – an interpretation on the typical blue tones

History – the sapphire from ancient Greece

In ancient Greece and Rome, kings and queens were convinced that blue sapphires protected their owners from envy and harm. In the Middle Ages, clergy wore blue sapphires as a symbol of heaven, and common people believed that the gemstone attracted heavenly blessings. In other times and places, people instilled sapphires with the power to preserve chastity, make peace between enemies, influence spirits, and reveal the secrets of oracles.

For centuries, sapphire has been associated with royalty and romance. The association was strengthened in 1981 when Britain’s Prince Charles gave Lady Diana Spencer a blue sapphire engagement ring. Until her death in 1997, Princess Di, as she was known, enchanted and charmed the world. Her sapphire ring helped to connect modern events with history and fairy tales.

Raw material: crystals in stone enclosure

The different colors of the sapphire

Sapphire is commonly known as a blue gemstone, but surprisingly, it comes in a wide range of colors and quality varieties. Generally, the more intense and uniform the color, the more valuable the stone. Sapphires that are not blue are called fancy sapphires and can be any color except red, because that would be a ruby. The different colors of sapphire are: Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple and Violet. There really is a different color of sapphire for everyone!

The classic blue sapphire

Color has the greatest impact on a sapphire’s value, and preferred sapphires have strong to vivid color saturation. The most prized blue sapphires are velvety blue to purplish blue, in medium to medium-dark tones. Sapphires with these characteristics fetch the highest prices per carat. Less valuable blue sapphires may also be grayish, too light, or too dark.

• Strong to vivid color saturation
• Velvet blue to violet blue
• Less valuable blue sapphires: too light or too dark

Processing typically in jewelry made of gold.

The popular green sapphire

Commercial sapphires may contain a less desirable greenish-blue or strong greenish-blue color that is visible when viewing the gemstone. Uniform green sapphires that are saturated in color are rare indeed and many collectors treasure them. With green sapphires, a mixture of yellow and blue sapphire makes up the color you see. Green sapphires are found in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia and Madagascar.

• Mixture of yellow and blue sapphire
• From Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia and Madagascar

The different shades of blue of a sapphire – Video

This video introduces the different shades of blue that a sapphire can have.

Meaning – the gemstone of heaven

The sapphire is also known as the “gemstone of heaven”. Traditionally, the sapphire symbolizes nobility, truth, sincerity and loyalty. For centuries, it has adorned the robes of royalty and clergy. Its extraordinary color is the standard by which other blue gemstones – from topaz to tanzanite – are measured.

The sapphire is a symbol of perspicacity, spiritual power and wisdom, associated with heaven as the guardian of innocence. It cleanses the mind of negativity and promotes insight, spiritual devotion and communication. Sapphire protects those who are easily influenced by outside forces, such as the opinions of others and peer pressure. It helps by fostering a deeper understanding of one’s voice and solidifying a more trustworthy connection to one’s wisdom and knowledge. Worn especially on the neck, it is good at unleashing its spiritual power. In addition, the sapphire is the birthstone of September, the sign of Virgo.

Spiritual meaning of the sapphire – Video

This video introduces the various uses of a sapphire and its spiritual significance.

Sapphire cut – the most famous gemstone cuts

Gemstones have been cut (or polished) for thousands of years. This process transforms raw crystals into stunning gemstones. The art of this process is to shape a gemstone into a specific form, revealing its luster, color, and brilliance. Gem cutters or gemstone cutters can choose one of two basic styles, faceted or non-faceted. Faceted sapphires are sapphires with geometrically shaped, flat, polished surfaces. Non-faceted sapphires are gemstones that do not have geometrically shaped, flat, polished surfaces, for example cabochons. The sapphire shows its beauty best in a faceted cut. Classic gemstone cuts are:

1. Marquise cut – for long and narrow fingers
2. Circular grinding – simple and classic
3. Brilliant cut – classic cut for diamonds
4. Oval cut – the timeless facet cut
5. Drop cut – combination of a round brilliant cut and a marquise cut
6. Carre cut – square cut facet cut
7. Octagon cut – especially sought after by collectors
8. Emerald cut – good for stones of perfect purity
9. Baguette cut – the popular French cut
10. Trapezoidal cut – staircase-shaped cut form
11. Antique cushion cut – square with rounded corners
12. Heart cut – as a symbol of love
13. Briolette cut – the drop-shaped brilliant cut
14. Cabochon cut – other light reflections than with facets
15. Princess cut – most popular variant in the USA

Buying sapphires – the value of a real sapphire

The “4 Cs” describe the beauty of a gemstone and form the basis for the valuation – Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat. Colour accounts for 50% of the final value of a sapphire. Cut affects how the light is refracted in the sapphire. Clarity refers to whether other materials are included in the sapphire. The beautiful gemstone, like the ruby, belongs to Type II. This means that smaller natural inclusions are usually present, but ultimately give the stone its uniqueness. Carat is probably the best known characteristic of gemstones. One carat weighs 0.2 grams – the heavier the sapphire, the higher its value.

Price of a sapphire – cost factors

Prices for sapphires can vary greatly as they depend on different factors. Sapphires can range from $25 per carat to over $11,000 per carat. A blue sapphire of about 1 carat is likely to cost as little as $450 to $1,600, depending on the quality. The main cost factors are:

1. Color – 50% of the final value
2. Cut – classic gemstone cuts unfold the brilliance
3. Purity – small natural inclusions
4. Carat – the heavier the sapphire, the higher its value.

Genuine Sapphire Stone – Determine the authenticity of a gemstone

First you should look for blemishes or inclusions. The second step to check if it is a real gemstone, a breath test. To do this, you should hold the sapphire in front of your mouth and exhale. A real gemstone does not fog up because the heat is distributed directly on the stone. However, for a breath test, the sapphire should not be dirty or greasy, as this would affect the result. Another test to find out if a sapphire is real would be to shine a light through the stone. To do this, you just need to hold a flashlight to the sapphire to detect small blemishes or air bubbles in the gemstone.

This test is followed by the scratch test. After diamonds, sapphire is one of the most durable gemstones used in jewelry. It has a hardness rating of 9 on the Mohs scale. This means that a substance of equal or lesser hardness cannot scratch a sapphire. So if you scratch the stone with a coin and it leaves a scratch, you can be sure that it is not a real sapphire.

Nevertheless, the most reliable option is of course to have the stone certified by a jeweler. This way you can be one hundred percent sure that it is a genuine sapphire that is worth its money.

1. Look for blemishes or inclusions
2. Breath test
3. Shine a flashlight through the sapphire
4. Perform scratch test
5. Get Saphir certified

Different types of sapphire – gemstone video

In this video you will see different types of sapphires, different cuts and learn about the care of the precious gemstones.

Jewellery – Sapphire Chains, Rings & Earrings

Sapphires are often made into beautiful necklaces or rings and are considered a great gift for loved ones. Since sapphires come in a variety of colors, you can always find the perfect piece of jewelry. Engagement rings made of sapphire have a timeless and distinctive beauty, and you can subtly add some color to an elegant outfit with colorful sapphire earrings. In addition, blue, green and yellow sapphires are in high demand as necklaces, as these beautiful natural hues are calming yet strong. They are exceptional and distinctive.

Sapphire ring – colorful engagement & wedding rings

You can find sapphire rings at almost every jeweler. Especially on engagement rings or wedding rings sapphires are very popular. The blue looks noble, expensive and elegant. Every bride quickly falls in love with a ring with a large gemstone. However, sapphire rings not only look beautiful in blue, but also convince in other colors such as green, yellow, pink or orange.

• Available at almost every jeweler
• Rings with large gemstone in different colors
• Engagement rings or wedding rings

Sapphire necklace – great gift for loved ones

Chains with sapphires are available in all precious metals, i.e. gold, white gold and silver. Precious stones, like the sapphire, shine on a chain. A sapphire necklace is a beautiful gift for loved ones, because it suits everyone. It looks elegant and expensive and attracts attention without looking ostentatious. Faceted sapphire necklaces are also very popular and are offered at almost every jeweler.

• Gold, white gold and silver
• Beautiful gift
• Faceted or with large pendant
• Available at almost every jeweler

Species – the rarest & most expensive sapphires in the world

The origin of sapphires has an impact on their appearance and value. The most common origin of sapphires is Ceylon, Burma or Kashmir. Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka. During British colonial times the island was called Ceylon and since 1972 the official name has been Sri Lanka. Burma is a former name for the country of Myanmar, some of which is still current and still used in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, for example. Kashmir is a is a disputed region in the Himalayas between India, Pakistan and the People’s Republic of China.

Ceylon Sapphire – distinct colour zoning & light hue

Ceylon sapphires are on average slightly lighter in color than sapphires from other deposits. Characteristic are also a multitude of fingerprint-like “healing cracks”, numerous mineral inclusions as well as clear color zoning. Often, when viewed from the side, it is visible that the color is concentrated in the tip (calette) and the remaining part is colorless.

• Light shade
• Fingerprint-like “healing cracks”
• Numerous mineral inclusions
• Clear color zoning
• Tip concentrated, rest colourless

Burma Sapphire – intense blue & hardly any color zoning

Although it is the rubies for which Burma (Myanmar) is famous, the Mogok area also mines some of the finest blue sapphires in the world. Today, the global gem trade recognizes the quality of Burmese sapphires, but this was not always the case. The stones are characterized by an intense blue and, in addition, Burma sapphires have very little color zoning, which distinguishes them from Ceylon sapphires. Sapphires from Burma are very fine, but like Kashmir, very little material is brought to light today.

• The best blue sapphires in the world
• Intense blue
• Hardly any colour zoning
• Very fine sapphires
• Rare gems

Kashmir sapphire – the most famous sapphires in the world

Cashmere sapphires are a true rarity. The fame of the Kashmir sapphire is due to its incomparable color, which made it highly desirable long before it became so rare. Most describe it as “blue velvet.” While some Burmese and Ceylon sapphires are relatively close in quality, only the Kashmir sapphire continues its reign as king of the sapphire world.

• Incomparable color
• “Blue Velvet”
• King of the Sapphire World
• Rarest, most coveted & beautiful sapphire

Largest sapphire in the world from Sri Lanka – Video

In this video you will see the largest sapphire in the world, a Ceylon Sapphire. This gemstone weighs 1404.49 carats.

Jewellery – Sapphire Rings, Necklaces, Pendants & Earrings

Rubies are common gemstones for necklaces, rings, earrings or pendants. Rubies are primarily faceted, as these cuts accentuate the color and purity of the red gemstone. Cloudy, opaque rubies as well as star rubies, on the other hand, are given smooth cuts to bring out the star effect and color. The eye-catching bright red color is sure to turn heads. Ruby jewelry is instantly associated with passion, desire, love, and even royalty. Historically, ruby as a stone represents power, courage and luck.

Sapphire ring – the perfect engagement ring

Rubies are especially in demand for wedding rings and engagement rings because they stand out and stand out from classic styles. You can find them at almost every jeweler and the red of the sapphire goes especially well with red accessories or red fingernails.

• Wedding rings and engagement rings
• At almost every jeweler
• Matches with red accessories

Sapphire necklace and pendant – anniversary gift

A ruby necklace or a great ruby pendant is a great choice for anniversary, Valentine’s Day and July birthstone gifts. A ruby necklace for special occasions looks very elegant and is guaranteed to catch everyone’s eye. Also, gemstones are often combined to create a beautiful necklace.

• Anniversary, Valentine’s Day and July birthstone gift
• Combination of different gemstones

Sapphire earrings – drop shape or oval gemstones

Ruby earrings look expensive and noble and immediately catch the eye of connoisseurs. Whether the stone has a drop shape, is round or even has the shape of a heart – rubies are real eye-catchers. Earrings with rubies are of course also available with different precious metals, i.e. gold, white gold or silver.

• Different forms of gemstones
• Combination with various precious metals