Hey Guys! We’re back to gemstones once again and today we’ve gathered up some interesting details about some rare gemstones that you probably haven’t heard of much. They are very rare but so very beautiful that anyone would crave to have them in their jewelry collection. If you’re a gemstone enthusiast like us, you’re gonna be fascinated by what we have today.
The most exciting feature of the Alexandrite gemstone is its color-changing ability. In daylight, it appears to be bluish-green while under artificial lights it can change to a brownish-purple. This color-changing phenomenon is known as the “Alexandrite Effect”.
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Alexandrite was discovered in the Ural Mountains, in Russia. It’s named after the tsar Alexander II. Most of the alexandrite found are under one carat. Even if these are expensive they are comparatively lower priced. The ones that are more than one carat are the actual expensive ones. Another factor that determines the price is the color-changing ability. Some stones show just a slight change in color while some, that are much more clear, show quite a bit of change. This makes them more expensive.
Beryl is normally colorless, that is its purest form. There are colored ones that form due to the presence of impurities and chemical reactions during their formation. Red Beryl is formed because of the presence of manganese in the rock. The gem was discovered in the year 1904 in Utah, New Mexico. There is no other place where it can be mined. A majority of red beryl gems are quite small and when cut, become less than even half a carat. Some are so small, they can't even be faceted. Earlier, Red Beryl was also known by the names bixbite and red emerald.
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Tanzanite is said to have been discovered by chance in 1967 by Mr. Manuel D’Souza who was actually looking for Sapphire in the Northeastern parts of Tanzania. The natives took him to a region in the Merelani Hills where he found these blue gemstones. He initially thought they were Sapphire but later he discovered they were different. He began mining these unknown gems coz he knew they could fetch him a fortune. By 1970, when the world heard the news of the beautiful find, Tiffany and Company named it Tanzanite and began a huge marketing campaign to introduce it to the people. As a result of this campaign, it quickly became popular. In the 20th century, it was one of the best selling gemstones in the industry. Even though it was discovered only in the 1960’s it was still considered most popular after the “Big Four” - Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies, and Sapphires, which were around for centuries.
Image Source : Parent Géry / CC BY-SA
It is said to be one of the best discoveries in the gemstone industry because, within a very short while, it achieved worldwide popularity and demand, thanks to Tiffany and Company. It is also a pleochroic gem which means it reflects different colors ranging from blues to deep purples from different angles.
Benitoite was first discovered in the year 1907 by a geologist George Louderback. It’s named after the place where it was discovered, near the San Benito River in California. Although traces of this gem have been found in Japan and some other areas, California is the only place that is said to be feasible enough to mine it. The gem has a blue color similar to Sapphire but it also has a fluorescent glow which makes it super fascinating. Even Benitoite is mostly found it smaller sizes and the rare bigger ones can fetch a high price in the markets. In 1985, Benitoite was also named the state gem of California.
Image Source : Géry PARENT / Public domain
Opals are normally white and reflect rainbow colors when moved under a source of light. Black opals have a black background color instead of the white and still reflect rainbow colors when placed under the light. They are also quite rare and are found in New South Wales, Australia. The darker they are, the more expensive they get.
Image Source : Dharma Mulia / Public domain
Alright, everyone, that’s all for today. There are more rare gems around us but we just picked five of the best ones for this post. Hope you enjoyed reading it. And do let us know if you happen to own any of them.
Talk soon, guys!
And by the way, take a look at some of our best selling CZ stone jewelry too. Browse through our shop for more.
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