Which green stone is the most expensive?

Many people like green color for its naturalness and naturalness. When looking at this shade, the eyes relax and the brain calms down. He is able to extinguish negative emotions and create a comfortable atmosphere. It has been scientifically proven that a person who is in a room where the walls are painted green feels more rested and in a safe environment. There is also an opinion that geniuses choose green, so there has always been increased attention to this shade. The jewelry industry also widely uses green stones, which look extremely elegant in a frame made of white, red and yellow gold, or platinum, the cool shade of which will be an excellent backdrop for such bright inserts. And it’s not just emerald, which is the most famous green gem. Today we have compiled for you a list of the main stones that are used in the manufacture of various jewelry – from rings to pendants and bracelets.

Features of green stones

• The natural shade symbolizes harmony with nature, so contemplation of it can have a calming effect on the nervous system.
• Improves psycho-emotional state – a person becomes more optimistic, which helps him solve various problems in his life.
• For many, this shade is a money talisman, so jewelry with such stones is often chosen by business representatives, as well as those who want to improve their financial condition.
• According to Chinese medicine, gems of this shade can be used to treat the entire body.
• Green stones can act as a talisman, protecting their owner from the evil eye and evil people.
• In lithotherapy, such minerals are used to restore the body’s strength, as well as normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

There are different classifications of jewelry stones, so we will consider the gradation that is considered generally accepted.

Precious

Precious stones have a number of unique characteristics, which explains their high cost.

Emerald

Perhaps the most famous green colored gemstone, it is a variety of beryl. It has a rich hue, so it always stands out in jewelry, acting as a bright accent.

• Large minerals from 5 carats without defects are valued even higher than diamonds. The price of Colombian emeralds starts at $5000 per carat.
• The main evaluation criterion is the uniformity of shade. Only after this the transparency of the mineral is assessed.
• It has a fairly high hardness index, but at the same time remains quite fragile. Emeralds have various defects in the crystal structure, so if handled carelessly it can be broken. Clean stones without defects are very rare, which is why they are so highly valued.
• Modern laboratories have learned to make artificial analogues, but they cost several times less than natural minerals.

Diamond

Diamond is not only colorless. Moreover, its fantasy shades are often valued much more highly. For example, a red diamond is considered the most expensive jewelry stone in the world.

Green diamond is an equally interesting representative of this group. This shade is extremely rare in nature, so jewelry with it is a real exclusive that will become the pearl of any collection.

• Green diamonds can often only be found in private collections, from where they come from private auctions.
• The main deposits are Australia, South Africa, Congo and Brazil, but even there they are mined in very limited quantities.
• In some cases, the richness of the shade of such stones can be enhanced by irradiation. Experts are able to determine the difference, but for ordinary people it will be invisible. Naturally, refined stones cost less than natural minerals without the use of any treatments.

Sapphire

Sapphires have a large number of different shades, so it is difficult to single out a dominant color. This is a type of corundum that is highly valued in jewelry and is actively used in the manufacture of jewelry.

Green sapphire is a fairly rare variety of this mineral. If we consider the total number of mined stones, then this specimen accounts for only 5% of the total.

• Green sapphires are not just one shade, but a variety of colors and tints. There are blue-green, olive, sea green and other shades.
• In nature, they are found less and less, so every year the price of these minerals grows exponentially.
• Stones of this shade are rarely large. As a rule, their weight is no more than 2-3 carats.
• Deposits are found in Russia, Thailand and Australia, but minerals from Sri Lanka are most valued, distinguished by their rich hue, which turns into emerald color.
• Sapphires are characterized by various optical effects that increase the value of the minerals.

Alexandrite

A mineral that is undeservedly forgotten amid increased attention to diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. But this is a very valuable and rare variety of chrysoberyl, which is practically not inferior in price to the indicated stones.

• The most valuable specimens are mined in our country – in the Urals.
• The stones have an “Alexandrite effect”: they are able to change color from dark blue-green in daylight to crimson and purple in artificial light.
• In some cases, it can easily be confused with emerald. Especially in daylight, when its green tint is most saturated.

Semi-precious

This is the most diverse segment and where the most green minerals are found. But we will not consider them all, but will focus only on those that are the most valuable and most often used in the manufacture of jewelry.

Demantoid

This stone belongs to garnets – this is a fairly large group of silicates, which includes various minerals of almost all shades (except blue). Its shade is due to the presence of impurities of iron and chromium.

• In terms of its brilliance, it can easily compete with diamonds, which is why it is highly valued in jewelry.
• It has a fairly high price – from $700 per carat and above. The cost of the stone may be increased due to the presence of golden bissolite threads.
• The first specimens were mined in the Urals, but then deposits were discovered in Africa and other parts of the planet.
• Initially classified as peridot, but then the error was corrected and demantoid is now classified as a garnet.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline comes in a variety of colors, including green. Such minerals are also called verdelite: verde – green, lithos – stone.

• This green gem is mined in different countries, but Brazil takes the lead.
• It has a pleochroism effect, changing its color from light green to dark depending on different viewing angles.
• Outwardly, it resembles an emerald, while having greater strength and a lower price.
• Due to their structure, most verdelites have an elongated cut.

Chrysolite

These stones were previously used to decorate the clothes of the high priests, which is even mentioned in the Bible. The mineral has the effect of pleochroism, i.e. changes its hue depending on the viewing angle. Under artificial light and evening light, its hue becomes cool green.

• This mineral cannot be called rare, so it is not often counterfeited. But this does not in any way negate its jewelry value.
• The most valuable minerals are those with the “cat’s eye” effect, but they are not found so often.
• The color can vary from olive to dark green.

Chrysoberyl

This mineral does not have a pure green color, so the presence of inclusions of other shades is completely normal. It can be blue, yellow or other colors.

• Minerals are transparent and translucent. Depending on this, the cutting method is chosen.
• The largest deposits are in Sri Lanka, Brazil and Madagascar, but the stone is also found in other places.
• Chrysoberyl is a separate group of minerals, which includes alexandrite, which is its most valuable representative.

Ornamental

Ornamental stones may be inferior in value to precious and semi-precious ones, but at the same time they are no less exquisite and look great in jewelry. Let’s look at a few of the most interesting representatives.

Malachite

This mineral was traditionally used to decorate boxes and even entire rooms, so it has always been associated with luxury and wealth. It is also used in making rings, bracelets and other jewelry.

• This is an opaque mineral that has a rather interesting pattern.
• The stones were first discovered in the Urals and Russian specimens are still considered the most valuable. But the reserves of malachite in our country are almost exhausted, so the market usually contains stones from Africa.
• For the manufacture of jewelry, only the highest grade malachite is used, which lends itself well to processing.

Green Jasper

In Russia, this mineral is mined in the Southern Urals, but it is also found in other places on the planet. It is considered a valuable jewelry and ornamental stone.

• Each stone is unique in its own way, because the patterns and patterns on each of them form their own original design.
• A monolithic statue of Buddha in one of the temples in Thailand was made from this stone.
• The stone is used for cladding fireplaces, doors, making boxes and figurines, but it is also common in jewelry.

Jade

The most valuable specimens are mined in Myanmar (formerly Burma). Despite the fact that jadeite is classified as an ornamental stone, its price can be very high. So, in 1980, a stone weighing 750 carats was sold for $2 million.

• It is considered the strongest mineral in terms of impact strength, surpassing Vesuvian and jade in this indicator.
• In Central America it is considered a sacred stone. This is due to the traditions of the Aztec tribe, who used jadeite in their rituals and valued it above gold.
• Very large minerals can be found in nature. For example, in 2016 a stone weighing 175 tons was discovered. According to various estimates, its price could be more than $170 million.

Green stones in jewelry

All the green precious and semi-precious stones that we talked about today are actively used in the manufacture of jewelry. Not far behind them are ornamental stones, which also look very elegant in pendants, bracelets, rings and other accessories.

They make very bright jewelry inserts that immediately attract the eye, so they play a major role in jewelry. You can easily match such accessories with a dress or handbag, so you can fully express your imagination by purchasing jewelry with green precious stones in the “Diamonds are Forever” online store.

Gemstones can cost millions of US dollars per carat, or they can cost only $500. In this article we will find out what these unique minerals are, how they differ and why connoisseurs go crazy for them and shell out millions at closed auctions.

10th place – Sapphire

The cost of this stone today ranges from 4 to 000 US dollars per carat. This is a traditionally loved gemstone by mankind. Its properties are slightly inferior to diamond. For example, its hardness is only one less. The most expensive varieties of sapphires are royal, cornflower blue. They are found only in Kashmir, northern India.

In nature, sapphires are also found in other colors – yellow, pink, green, orange. Apart from the well-known Kashmir sapphire, whose price reaches millions of dollars per carat at auction, the main deposits of sapphires are Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Burma and Australia.

9th place – Emerald

Emeralds cost up to $8 per carat. Emerald is a gemstone of the first order, i.e. one of the rarest, durable due to its strength, and expensive. Before colored diamonds began to be found, emerald was generally in the TOP 000 most expensive gemstones in the world. Today, emeralds are mainly supplied from Colombia and Zambia. Colombian emeralds are considered the most valuable in the world. They are bright green in color and rich in tone. At the same time, the cost, unlike other emeralds, may differ by 3 or even 2 times.

8th place – Red beryl

Essentially, red beryl is the same as red emerald – it is one type of mineral called beryl. Red beryl is found only in one place – the Waha-Waha deposit in Utah, USA. Today this deposit is closed and is under protection. Finding such a mineral now anywhere else on the planet is an almost impossible task. However, several crystals of such a beautiful red-crimson shade of beryl were still found. These stones cost around $10 per carat.

7th place – Alexandrite

Its value is up to 15 US dollars per carat. The famous jewelry variety of chrysoberyl was first discovered in the Middle Urals in 000. The mineral alexandrite was named in honor of Tsarevich Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander II. This stone, in turn, gives its name to a unique color-changing effect, the “Alexandrite effect” – in natural sunlight, it has a deep bluish-green tone, but when placed under an artificial light source, it becomes a rich purple-crimson. An incredible sight!

6th place – Paraiba Tourmaline

It is equivalent in value to alexandrite, also up to $15 per carat. This stone was discovered in 000, and is named after the place where it is mined – the state of Paraiba in Brazil. It belongs to the tourmaline group and has a unique shade of neon blue color due to copper compounds. The most important factor in its value, its exceptional value, is the so-called “neon glow”. This factor increases the cost of the stone tens of times. If you look closely, you can see a blurry green spot in the middle of the stone, which provides this effect. This glow is especially noticeable at dusk or in dim light. The transparency of these tourmalines is so strong that the sun’s rays are scattered with virtually no refraction.

5th place – Almaz

Diamonds cost up to $17 per carat. Diamond has the highest parameters by which precious minerals are evaluated. For example, its hardness is 000 units on the Mohs scale, and has no natural analogues. Among artificial materials, only CBN can compete with diamond in this parameter. No wonder the ancient Greeks called it “adamas”, which means “indestructible”.

Today, the popularity of diamonds is primarily due to their high hardness, brilliance and the play of the stone, which experts call dispersion. Of course, diamonds are not at all rare minerals on our planet; their deposits are known today on all continents, except perhaps Antarctica.

4th place – Rubin

The price of this gemstone can vary up to $18 per carat. In terms of hardness, ruby ​​is second only to diamond – 000 units on the Mohs scale. Despite the fact that ruby ​​and sapphire are 9 varieties of the same mineral, it is called corundum, for one carat of ruby ​​you will have to pay three times more than for the same carat of sapphire. This is due to the rarity of high-quality rubies on our planet. And there is also a steadily growing demand for this stone. The geological conditions that are necessary to form rubies are much less common on earth than they are to form sapphires.

Today, the main deposits of rubies are in the regions of Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Traditionally, “pigeon’s blood” rubies are considered the most expensive and most valuable. These are stones of rich red color with a bluish tint. Rubies are most valued for their fluorescent effect – the play of small pink-red shades, like embers. On May 13, 2015, a ruby ​​of this shade, weighing 25,59 carats, was sold at Sotheby’s auction for $30 million. This was a record for both the value of a ruby ​​and the value of a carat of non-diamond stones.

3rd place – Padparadscha Sapphire

This is one of the most expensive gems on our planet, estimated at up to $30 per carat, and even higher. These sapphires have a unique shade of pink-orange, the “lotus color”. Moreover, both pink and orange colors should be in equal proportions. If a padparadscha sapphire has not been refined, then the difference with a refined sample is tens of thousands of dollars. These sapphires are of exceptional quality and are found in Sri Lanka. This is where the highest value stones come from. This type of sapphire is also found in Madagascar, Thailand, Vietnam and Tanzania.

Genuine Padparadscha sapphire is often passed off as irradiated or heated colorless corundum for less than $1 per carat, so the lack of refining is key to determining the value of this stunning stone.

2nd place – Colored diamonds

The cost of a carat of colored diamond starts from 1 million US dollars per carat. Why so expensive? First of all, due to their extreme rarity, their number is limited. Compared to colorless diamonds, which are mined up to several hundred tons per year, only 2-3 colored diamonds can be found during the same period.

Colored diamonds are considered to be stones of all shades except colorless. At the same time, they must have excellent rich color and purity, i.e. absence of any inclusions, defects, etc. Yellow diamonds are the most common, and the main supplier is the Argyle diamond mine in Australia. This field ceased operations in 2020, due to unprofitability of production; there were practically no colored diamonds left there. In Yakutia, the Alrosa company is also engaged in the research and search for colored diamonds. So far, only stones of a light lilac hue have been found.

Colored diamonds do not include diamonds of brown and black shades, as they have a large amount of impurities.

1st place – Red Diamond

A red diamond should be highlighted as a separate item from colored diamonds. This is the most expensive gem on planet Earth today. One carat of this mineral is valued at tens of millions of US dollars. As you may have guessed, this is the rarest type of diamond. Single finds of 0,1 carat or more are considered world exclusive. These diamonds were only found in the aforementioned Argyle deposit. In the entire history of mining, less than 20 of them were found. Whether red diamonds will be found anywhere else is unknown. However, their prices are only rising every year. The largest and truly priceless red cut diamond is the Musaev Red Diamond, weighing 5,11 carats and possessing internal flawless purity.