For millennia, humans have been fascinated by birthstones. They’ve now become valuable collector’s goods, with the most costly stones on display in museums such as the Smithsonian.
Top-quality gemstones from each month are valuable, but which birthstone is the most valuable?
The most precious birthstones are those with the highest average price. What makes each one distinctive, as well as the most expensive birthstones ever recorded.
Peridot
Peridot signifies the month of August.
The average cost per kilogram is $500.
The most costly peridot stone costs $18,000 USD.
Please keep in mind that the estimated values are based on the average price of each gemstone per kilogram at the time of publishing.
Exact values fluctuate depending on the cut and quality of each gem, as well as market value fluctuations. The current figures are based on Gemval data.
Amethyst
Amethyst signifies the month of February.
Average cost: $600/kg
The most costly amethyst is between $300,000 to $400,000.
Amethyst is one of the few birthstones that may be found in a variety of settings, ranging from mom and pop crystal and mineral shops to souvenir shops. It has a Mohs hardness of 7, the same as quartz, and is hence suitable for use in jewelry.
It is substantially less expensive than most gemstones, although huge crystals can be worth thousands of dollars. Crystals with a rich red-purple color are also valued.
Topaz
Topaz signifies the month of November.
Average price per kilogram: $24,000
The most costly topaz is $148,800.
Topaz is a silica mineral that comes in practically every color and shade. Its hardness of 8 makes it suitable for almost any sort of jewelry, and it is very inexpensive when compared to other birthstones.
While colorless topaz has almost no value, red, blue, and orange topaz are highly precious.Naturally brilliant, highly coloured topaz specimens, like all gemstones, are the most valuable, and their value grows with size.
Brazil is currently the leading producer of natural topaz, however mines for topaz can also be found in India, Pakistan, Russia, and China.
Garnet
January is represented by garnet.
The average price per kilogram is $400,000
The most costly garnet is $316,000
Please accept my apologies, January infants. Garnets are frequently mistaken for off-brand rubies, although they are vastly underappreciated.
They are available in a variety of colors, with red garnets being the most popular. They are less clear and more orange-colored than rubies. They’re also not nearly as long-lasting.
Nonetheless, they are valued in certain forms and can be turned into less expensive jewelry than rubies. As of March 9, 2020, the largest garnet discovered weights 3,956 carats and is owned by the Medici Collection, LLC (USA).
For years, the Medici family has kept various precious gems and minerals.
Emerald
Emerald signifies the month of May.
Average price per kilogram: $500,000
The most expensive emerald is worth $5.5 million.
If the Wizard of Oz collects genuine emeralds, he’s doing rather well. Emeralds, the May birthstone, are a gleaming shade of forest green with a hint of teal.
They are a type of beryl, but only the deeper colors are regarded authentic emeralds.Emeralds have a hardness of 7.5-8, placing them just below rubies and sapphires as one of the hardest gemstones.
The darker the color, as with most gemstones, the more costly the emerald. A clear emerald is much more precious because most emeralds contain inclusions or blemishes.
The majority of high-quality emeralds come from Colombia, but they’ve also been discovered in Russia and the United States. The Rockefeller emerald, which sold for $5.5 million in 2017, is the most expensive emerald ever sold.
Opal
October is represented by opal.
Average price per kilogram: $700,000
The most costly opal is worth $1 million.
The opal, popularly known as the October birthstone, can range from very ordinary to jaw-dropping. It comes in a variety of colors and designs, with genuine opal from Australia being the most valued.
High-quality opals have a “play-of-color,” or flashes of different colors that emerge when the gem is moved in front of a light.
Australia produces almost 90% of the world’s precious opal, and it is the country’s national gemstone. The most valuable opals are black opal, white opal, and fire opal.
The most costly opal is the Virgin Rainbow Opal. It was discovered in 2003 and is owned by the South Australian Museum, with an estimated value of $1 million. It is also said to glow in the dark.
Aquamarine
Aquamarine signifies the month of March.
Average price per kilogram: $750,000
The most costly aquamarine is worth $1.5 million.
Aquamarine shines with a delicate green-blue hue. Its hues range from pale blue to aqua. Large, clear crystals can be quite valuable, despite the fact that it is not the most rare gemstone.
Some stones measuring over 500,000 carats have been discovered in Brazil.It’s a fantastic gemstone for necklaces and rings because of its durability, which ranks 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale.
Although the icy blue March birthstone can be found in a variety of locales, the most vibrantly colored examples are typically found in Madagascar.
Tanzanite
Tanzanite, another expensive gemstone, is formed from the mineral zoisite. It is softer than sapphire, with a Mohs hardness of 6-6.5, and its coloring is more purple. It is rarely used in jewelry because to its relative softness.
Tanzanite crystals, on the other hand, are usually employed as collectible display pieces. The saturation and hue change based on the angle of view.
Some are heat-treated to enhance the hue, but the most costly tanzanite stones are natural, dark blue stones.Its rarity contributes to its value. Tanzanite has only been discovered in a tiny area of Tanzania thus far.
Sapphire
The most valuable blue gemstone is sapphire, a blue form of the mineral corundum. It is also the September birthstone and ranks second only to ruby on the Mohs scale of hardness.
While blue is the most common sapphire color, other sapphire colors exist and are commonly referred to as “fancy sapphires.”
The saturation and depth of a sapphire’s color greatly influence its value. The more intense the blue color, the more expensive the gemstone.
Kashmir sapphires, found along the border of India and Pakistan, are the most colored and smooth, as well as among the most rare.
Ruby
Month ruby represents: July
Average price: $3,500,000/kg
Most expensive ruby:Â $14.2 million
The July birthstone has the most vivid red color of any gemstone. Rubies have a deep red hue and an outstanding hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. Only diamonds are tougher, thus rubies make superb jewelry.
Rubies, like sapphire, are a variation of the mineral corundum. The main difference between the two is the presence of impurities in the mineral, which modifies its color and composition.
The greater the value of a ruby, the larger, clearer, and more colorful it is. Natural rubies are far more costly than manufactured rubies, and when polished, they exhibit a star-like refraction of light.
The Jubilee Ruby, weighing 15.99 carats and selling for $14.2 million, is one of the most precious colored gemstones sold in the United States.
Alexandrite
Month alexandrite represents: June
Average price: $5,000,000/kg
Most expensive alexandrite:Â ~$100,000
Alexandrite, composed of beryllium, is one of the hardest gemstones available, with a Mohs rating of 8.5. The greenish-hued June birthstone changes color in the light, turning a reddish hue in artificial lighting.
The more dramatic the gemstone’s color shift, the more valuable it is. Alexandrite is also valuable because of how difficult it is to find.
Most alexandrite gemstones are under two carats, but the largest cut alexandrite on record measures a startling 141.92 carats.
Diamond
Month diamond represents: April
Average price: $6,000,000/kg
Most expensive diamond:Â $71.2 million
Diamond, the April birthstone, is the most recognizable gemstone in the world. It’s entirely made of carbon, and its remarkable hardness is one of the qualities that makes it so valuable.
It’s virtually impossible to scratch, but its brittleness makes it difficult to cut without shattering it. Diamonds refract light easily, resulting in the sparkling quality they’re famous for.