5 rarest and most expensive gemstones in the world that are worth millions

Gemstones have been a topic of fascination to human beings for centuries, not just for their beauty, but also for how rare they are, what they symbolise, and that they are worth millions. While many of us are familiar with famous gems like diamonds and rubies, certain stones are so rare and valuable that even gem collectors may never see them in up, close and personal. These gemstones don’t just sparkle, they carry massive price tags, that cost more per carat than a luxury car or even a mansion.



The value of a gemstone depends on several factors including how rare it is, colour, clarity, origin, and sometimes even the story behind its discovery. Some of these stones are found in just one or two places on Earth, while others are so scarce that fewer than a handful exist worldwide.


Here are the world's top 5 dazzling and most expensive gemstones according to Forbes:

The red diamond tops the list as the most expensive Diamond in the world that is, valued at a whopping price of up to $1 million per carat. This gem has a special property that makes it so special among the gemstones in the world that, unlike other coloured diamonds which get their hues from trace elements, red diamonds owe their colour to something called plastic deformation, a twist in the crystal structure that changes the way light moves through it.

There are fewer than 30 known red diamonds in the entire world, and most are tiny, often less than half a carat. The 5.11-carat Moussaieff Red Diamond, which sold for a whopping $8 million. It’s not just a gem, it is the most special among them all because it is ultra-pure and has a priceless history.

Taaffeite has one of the most fascinating discovery stories. It was first identified in 1945 in Dublin, Ireland, as a polished stone initially mistaken for spinel. It has a double refraction, a property not found in spinel, and a dazzling lavender to pinkish-purple colour, which makes it highly wanted among collectors. Found mainly in Sri Lanka and Tanzania, taaffeite is extremely rare, with few known gem-quality specimens. Its accidental discovery and mysterious origins also add to its sky-rocketing prices.

Grandidierite is an extremely rare gemstone that was discovered in Madagascar in 1902. It is well known for being an incredibly rare gem that has a stunning translucent bluish-green hue. This borosilicate mineral gets formed in aluminum-rich, boron-bearing rocks. Because it is rarely found in gem-quality form, most grandidierite specimens are small and opaque, which makes the most well-polished or facetable pieces highly prized. It's pearly luster and serene colour make it a favorite among high-end collectors who are drawn to stones that are as rare as they are beautiful.

Serendibite is an ultra-rare gemstone that was originally discovered in Sri Lanka in 1902. Its bright and attractive colour ranges from blue-green to black, and it’s highly prized for its complex chemical structure, including elements like calcium, magnesium, and boron. Recently, new sources to this gem have been found in the Mogok region of Myanmar, but even then, it's found in extremely limited quantities. Because of its rarity and deep, rich tones, serendibite is one of the most valuable and wanted gemstones among elite collectors.

These are a classic symbol of love and luxury, and are made entirely of carbon atoms arranged in a highly structured lattice. This special atomic setup gives diamonds their hardness and shine . Typically found in ancient volcanic formations called kimberlites, diamonds form deep beneath the Earth’s crust over billions of years. While colorless diamonds are most well-known, fancy colored variants can cost even more. Their utmost shine and sparkle, durability, and value keep them forever in high demand and high in price.