Gemstones are considered rare and very expensive. These are a piece of mineral or fancy stone that is used to make jewelry and other decorative arts. Humans have been collecting jewels for centuries, and precious gemstones are among the most sought after material in the world representing the true monetary value. A lot of these gems are found through endeavors under the earth. The most widely recognized method for 9Gem.com
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discovering gems is through mining. For this reason, they are cherished by millions. Here are ten specific jewels that have set records for clarity, size, and value.
10. Strawn-Wagner Diamond:
In 1990, the most marvelous discovery ever made there, was made when Shirley Strawn found the StrawnWagner Diamond. Originally, the diamond weighed 3.09 carats (620 mg) but, after it was cut to a size of 1.09 carats (220 mg), it was given a perfect AGS grade of 0/0/0 by the Gemological Institute of America, indicating no flaws in cut, color, and clarity. 9Gem.com
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9. Olympic Australis: In 1956, the largest and most valuable opal in the world was found at the Eight-Mile opal field, in the mining town of Coober Pedy in South Australia. It was discovered at a depth of 9.144 meters (29 feet,) and was named the Olympic Australis opal, due to the Olympic Games being held in Melbourne at the time. It weighs a remarkable 17,000 carats (3450 grams,) and is 99% gem quality.
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In 2005, the Olympic Australis was valued at AUD $2.5 million. Due to the purity of the jewel, it has been estimated that over 7,000 carats could be cut from the rough stone but, since the rock is so unique, it will be left in its natural organic state.
8. American Golden Topaz: The American Golden Topaz currently holds the record for the largest piece of cut yellow topaz in the world. More importantly, it is one of the largest faceted gems of any kind. It is sized at 22,892 carats (4.5785 kg) 9Gem.com
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and has 172-facets (flat-faced cuts applied to gems, in order to help them reflect light.) The gem was cut from a piece of yellow topaz that was 11.8 kg (26 lb) in size.
7. Graff Pink Diamond: Some of the most valuable gems in the world are colored diamonds that have been graded (D) and flawless. One such diamond was discovered in the 1950s, when American jeweler Harry Winston purchased a rare pink diamond from an unknown collector. The diamond was 9Gem.com
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24.78 carats in size, and was described by Winston as “one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered. At that time, it was put up for sale by Sotheby’s auctioneers in Geneva, Switzerland, where the pink diamond sold for US $46 million (£29 million), making it the most expensive single jewel ever sold at auction. It was purchased by diamond dealer Laurence Graff, of Graff Diamonds, who gave it its current name of Graff Pink.
6. Blue Giant of the Orient: 9Gem.com
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In 1907, a remarkable huge blue sapphire was discovered near Adams Peak, Sri Lanka. This was a huge deal, as blue is one of the rarest colors of sapphire on the planet. The sapphire was subsequently cut and polished into the Blue Giant of the Orient. At the time, it was reported to weigh 466 carats, and became the largest-faceted blue sapphire in the world. In 1907, the sapphire was valued at ÂŁ7,000. Amazingly, the Blue Giant of the Orient did not sell, but was eventually purchased by an anonymous buyer for an incredibly paltry $1 million.
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5. De Beers Diamond:
In 1888, the De Beers Diamond was discovered in the Kimberly mines in South Africa. It was one of the largest diamonds ever found, and weighed 428 carats. After the diamond was cut, it became a magnificent 234.65 carat gemstone. The De Beers diamond is currently the eighth-largest faceted diamond in the world. In 1928, the diamond became the centerpiece of the Patiala Necklace, which was created by the House of Cartier for Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. The necklace is one of most valuable pieces of jewelry every created. It contained 2,930 diamonds, including the 234.65 carat De Beers. The total weight of the Patiala Necklace was about 962.25 carats.
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4. Smithsonian Alexandrite: The Smithsonian Alexandrite was unearthed in Sri Lanka, and holds a cushion mixed cut. Typical of most alexandrite, the Smithsonian jewel is red and green in color, and weighs 65.08 carats. It is currently one of the rarest, and most valuable, jewels in the world.
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3. Golden Jubilee Diamond:
In 1985, a worker at the Premier mine of South Africa discovered a large brown diamond the size of 755.5 carats (151 g.) It was one of the largest diamonds ever unearthed, but was initially considered something of an ugly duckling. It even had the nickname of “Unnamed Brown.� The diamond was cut over a period of two years in a specially designed underground room free from vibrations. When completed, it weighed 545.67 carats (109.13 g), which made it the largest cut diamond ever. The Golden Jubilee Diamond is currently located in 9Gem.com
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the Royal Thai Palace, as part of its crown jewels. It has been estimated to be worth USD $4-12 million.
2. Neelanjali Ruby: The largest double-star ruby in the world is the Neelanjali Ruby, which weighs 1,370 carats (274 g). It was unveiled to the world at the end of 1988, and immediately entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest double-star ruby. The exact color, grade, or clarity of the ruby is not known; nobody even has a picture of the thing (another double9Gem.com
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star ruby picture has been used, to give you a basic idea of what such a stone would look like.) Going on the rareness of double-star rubies, its estimated price has been put around $100 million.
1. Bahia Emerald: Currently, the largest single shard of emerald ever discovered is the Bahia Emerald, which consists of a huge amount of emerald crystal cylinders, embedded in a host rock that weighs the equivalent of 1.9 million carats. Recently, the Bahia Emerald has received an appraisal as high as $900 million, which would make it the most 9Gem.com
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valuable gemstone in the world. However, most people place the value around $400 million. It was originally discovered in the beryl mines of western Bahia State, Brazil, on July 9, 2001. Reference: www.toptenz.net
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