BUYING RARE GEMS

When buying a gemstone, what is considered rare? Diamonds have long been considered rare, and the price reflected that. However, anyone dealing in diamonds can tell you that, in fact, diamonds are plentiful! DeBeer's, THE diamond marketer, has had a huge stockpile of gems that they mete out as the need arises.

Ruby, sapphire and emerald are all considered to be rare; of the three, emerald is by far the rarest. Again, these gems are still plentiful, and new mines are consistantly being opened. The price has not diminished, even with a plentitude of gem on the market.



A rare gem is considered to be one that is found in only one or two places on earth. The amount of rough material mined is minimal. If a producing mine 'dries up' or is closed down, and no new material is produced, the gem can become much more desirable, and the price per carat goes up. There are many gems and minerals that fall into this catagory. So, how can you tell which is the rarest?

The International Gem Association (IGA) is a major player in this decision making process. The members take into consideration the amount of rough recovered, the location and number of mines, the status of these mines (still producing, dried up, or closed), and the marketability of the finished product. Their decision can make or break a mine owner!

Alexandrite, long thought to be very rare, if not the rarest gem, was only found in Russia. Recently new mines have opened other places around the world, most notably Brazil and Sri Lanka. The quality of the new gem is not as good as the Russian variety, but it has found a market, and the prices have dropped per carat, making it more affordable and accessible to the consumer.



Tanzanite has recently come to the forefront of the rare gem trade. There is still a plentiful amount of rough being mined, but prices have skyrocketed. Why? the answer lies in the Tanzanian government's decision to limit the amount, quality and size of the rough leaving the country. A new law has been passed, stating that no rough over two carats may leave the country uncut. This decision has caused a great stir in the gem market. Tanzania is not known for their cutting skills, and the country does not have the means to cut good quality gems, nor do they have the skilled artisans. It is believed that, in allowing the local people to cut the rough, much of the gem will be lost and the price raised when the gem has to be re-cut by more skillful faceters outside of Tanzania.



Benitoite is a well known rare gem. In fact, it has held the standing as the rarest gemstone on earth for many years. It is found only in one mine in one place-the San Benito area of California. Many prospectors have searched in vain for new mining of the gem, but none has been found. The mine producing the rough has closed permanantly, and no new rough is available. What is on the market now is all there is to date.

Red Beryl displaced Benitoite as the rarest gem in early 2006. A relatively new gem, discovered in 1906, it has only just found it's place on the market.It is considered to be 2000 times more rare than diamond, and it is estimated that only one person in 10,000 will own a gem of this material by the year 2010.



Red Beryl rough material is generally small, and large gems are very rare indeed! The demand for this gem has sent prices soaring, both for cut material and rough crystals. No new material has been found, and what little is on the market is being snatched up at a rapid pace. This gem is currently selling for $150 and up per carat for rough, and upwards of $1200 per carat for faceted gems. Very fine quality gems have sold for over $3000 per carat. Again, it is estimated that the price for this gem will skyrocket quickly, once more gem dealers become aware of it's rarity. There has been confusion recently, when rumors of a new mine in Madagascar came to light. The gem being mined was very similar to Red Beryl, but it was soon discovered to be an altogether different gem. This new gem, Pezzottaite, bears a striking simularity to Red Beryl, but it is not near as rare. Another new mine, in Afghanistan, was recently reported to be mining more Pezzottaite, markedly diminishing it's rarity status even further. There are gem brokers who are mistakenly selling this gem as "New red Beryl". It is not red Beryl at all, and care should be taken when purchasing either gem.



Hauyne, or Hauynite, is a gem found only in a small area in Germany. Although it's value in the market is low today, it has been predicted that there will be a major interest taken in this rare gem soon. It is related to Lapis Lazuli and Sodalite, and it's electric blue color is unmatched by anything on the market to date.

There is no "official" guide listing the rarity of gems, but gemologists are mostly in agreement on the rarity of these gems listed. More new gems are being considered for the title every year, but as it stands today, these are the top ten rare gems:

1) Red Beryl/Bixbite

2) Benitoite

3) Painite (actually the rarest MINERAL on earth, as noted in the Guiness book of world records)

4) Musgravite

5) Taaffeite

6) Jeremejevite

7) Majorite

8) Poudretteite

9) Grandideirite

10) Serendibite



I hope this guide helps you in uncovering the mystery of rare gems. It is a fascinating and confusing world, but one I hope you will find as wonderful as I do!



Laura Wright

Gemologist

Gold Rush Gemstones

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