One of the rarest gemstones, but certainly not one of the most valuable

Gemstone rarity can affect the gemstone’s value and desirability greatly. One interesting fact is that the rarest gemstones are not necessarily the most expensive. Very rare gemstones create an interesting delima for the gemstone jewelry industry. If a gemstone is too rare, most people are not aware of it and it would take a significant amount of marketing dollars to educate the public about the gem (thereby creating a demand for it). It is not practical for the gemstone industry to spend this money when only an extremely limited quantity of it is available for sale. Benitoite, a beautiful purple blue gem found only in one place on earth, California, is an example of such a gem.

Some of the rarest, but well known gemstones include ruby, sapphire and emerald. They are not so rare that supply cannot keep up with demand. The rarity of these gemstones adds to the mystery and desirability. Gems must also be available in sufficient quantities to stay in the public consciousness year after year. You might be surprised to learn that many gemstones are much rarer than diamonds, but the demand for diamonds is much greater thereby comanding a higher price.

Please see our next blog for a discussion on durability. We are just getting started on our educational series covering everything that goes into creating beautiful gemstone jewelry from gemstone creation, mining, treatment and jewelry manufacturing.