12 of the rarest gems in the world (13 photos)

11 February 2022 13:31

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Today, about 200 varieties of natural precious stones are known in the world. Along with precious stones (natural diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and alexandrites, as well as natural pearls in raw (natural) and processed forms) there are many semi-precious stones, some of which are incredibly rare that their value exceeds many of the most valuable gemstones in the world.

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Grandidierite

An amazingly beautiful mineral discovered in Madagascar was named after the island explorer Alfred Grandidier. The stones have a pronounced white-green-blue tricolor. The first sample of pure grandidierite was purchased for 29 thousand dollars. Today, the existence of 8 genuine minerals has been confirmed.

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Serendibit

Serendibite is a rare mineral from the sapphirine supergroup. Opened in 1902 in Sri Lanka.

The mineral contains calcium, boron, aluminum, magnesium and other elements. Serendibite crystals have a wide range of shades. Some stones have a very rich color, making them appear black. Blue and dark blue samples are also known.

In addition to Sri Lanka, the stone is found in Burma, Myanmar, Tanzania and Madagascar. Over more than a century of searching for it, no more than 1,500 stones have been recovered. The rarity of serendibite has raised the cost of one carat to $18 thousand.

Majorite

Majorite is named after physicist Alan Major, a unique purple mineral also called purple garnet. Garnets acquire this color when exposed to enormous pressure. It was first discovered in Western Australia. The cost of the 4.2-carat mineral was $6.8 million.

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The country's black deposits: coal

It is difficult to list which mineral resources Russia is rich in, but coal mining always comes up in the forefront. Coal is often called the “black gold” of Russia. In terms of its production, our country is second only to China and the United States. Coal deposits are located in the east of the country, in Siberia. Among the largest coal basins there are Kuznetsk, Tunguska, Pechora, Kansko-Achinsky. Extraction methods may vary from field to field. There are open-pit and mine mining methods. Open coal is an economical method, but has a negative impact on the final quality of coal. Mine coal is more expensive, but allows you to obtain high-quality coal.

Red diamond (red diamond)

Among colored gems, the rarest is the red diamond, the average price for 1 carat of which reaches 1 million dollars. Natural color is purple-red. This color is given to such diamonds by constant deformations in the structure of the crystal lattice. The most beautiful stones are rated “fancy red.” The only active mine is the Argyle mine in Western Australia. There are about 50 red diamonds in the world.

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Benitoite

Benitoite is a very rare blue mineral; its composition is a silicate of barium and titanium. It was discovered in 1906 in San Benito County (California), after which it was named. Found in the form of bipyramidal crystals.

The crystal has very strong pleochroism: it changes colors from colorless, greenish blue to deep blue. It is found extremely rarely in the form of small crystals in dense rocks. The largest of the stones, weighing 7.83 carats, is kept in the Smithsonian Institution (USA).

The stone is highly valued by jewelers for its extreme rarity. The cost of one carat of benitoite reaches $4 thousand.

Red beryl

"Red beryl" or "red emerald" was first described in 1904 by the American mineralogist Bixby. Chemical analysis shows a connection with aquamarine and emerald, but red beryl is a very rare mineral. There are active deposits only in the USA. The extraction process is technologically very complex. The largest faceted mineral weighs no more than 10 carats.

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Taaffeit

Taaffeite is a rare mineral of the oxide class. Opened in 1945 by Earl Richard Taaffe in Dublin. In the batch of precious stones, he noticed one that was significantly different from the others. It was initially mistaken for an unusual spinel.

A detailed analysis of the stone by members of the mineralogical department of the British Museum showed that the sample belongs to a previously unknown mineral. Using X-rays and chemical analysis, it was determined that the stone's composition was intermediate between spinel and chrysoberyl.

Taaffeite has a hardness of 8 out of 10 on the Mohs scale. This means that it can only be scratched by harder stones - corundum (score 9) and diamond (score 10). The color of the stone varies from colorless and greenish to pinkish.

It is found in two deposits in China, as well as in Sri Lanka. One carat of taaffeite (0.2 g) costs about $35 thousand. Although formally taaffeite is a semi-precious stone, its rarity (1 in a million diamonds) makes it possible to equate it to precious stones.

Alexandrite

An amazing stone that can change its color was discovered in 1830 in the Urals in Russia and named after the Russian Tsar Alexander II. Alexandrite is a variety of chrysoberyl and appears blue-green in sunlight, but turns red-violet in incandescent light. The cost of this gem weighing up to 1 carat is $15,000, but a stone weighing more than one carat will cost $70,000 per carat.

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Top 12 Rarest Gems in the World:

1. Grandidierite.

A beautiful mineral of unusual color was found on the territory of Madagascar, and was named in honor of Alfred Grandidier, who was exploring the island. Grandidierite is a tricolor mineral combining green, blue and white. The first such mineral was bought for $29,000. Today, the existence of eight such stones is known.

1. Majorite.

Majorite was named after physicist Alan Major. This mineral has a purple hue, which is why it is also called purple garnet. The mineral owes its beautiful color to the effect of high pressure on it. Majorite was first discovered in Australia. The price of this mineral weighing more than four carats was almost $7 million.

1. Ermeevit.

Back in the 19th century, scientist Pavel Eremeev discovered a mineral that was initially considered a type of aquamarine. It was then found that this stone is a separate independent mineral, which was called ermeevite. All products made from this mineral can be considered jewelry value, because no more than 2-3 stones are found per year, and the price for 1 carat starts at 2 thousand dollars.

1. Benitoite.

A bright blue saturated mineral that can independently illuminate in white-blue when exposed to ultraviolet rays. This unique stone can only be found in the USA and has become a symbol of California. For 1 carat of processed benitoite, the price reaches 4 thousand dollars.

1. Painite.

The unusual orange-red mineral was named after the English scientist Paine. This mineral is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the rarest. A total of 18 stones were found that were of gem quality. And there are very few transparent painites; now 3 stones have been found.

1. Taaffeeit.

In 1945, scientist Taaff discovered this rare mineral. The cost of this stone can reach 10 thousand dollars per carat, and its authenticity is verified by the effect of double refraction of light.

1. Red diamond (red diamond).

The rarest among colored gems is the red diamond. Its average cost per carat is more than a million dollars. The purple-red color of the stone is given by deformations and changes in the crystal lattice of the mineral. Fancy red color is the most beautiful among these stones. The red diamond deposit is the Argyle mine, located in Western Australia. Today there are about fifty of these stones.

1. Jade.

Jadeite is one of the rarest minerals, ranging in color from bright green to light emerald. The most valuable is the Imperial jadeite. The largest of the faceted jadeites was valued at $2 million.

1. Red beryl.

Red beryl was first described by the American mineralogist Bixby in 1904. Thanks to chemical analysis of the mineral, a connection was found with emerald and aquamarine. This mineral is a fairly rare gemstone that can only be found in the USA. It is very difficult to obtain such a mineral. The largest cut red beryl weighs no more than 10 carats.

1. Alexandrite.

Alexandrite is distinguished by its unique ability to change color. It was discovered in the Urals in 1830, and received its name in honor of Tsar Alexander II. This mineral is a variety of chrysoberyl, which has a blue-green color under ultraviolet rays and turns red-violet under artificial light. Its cost for a stone weighing less than a carat was 15 thousand dollars, and for a stone weighing more than 1 carat the cost would be more than 70 thousand dollars.

1. Poudrettite (Poudretteit).

The beautiful pale pink mineral was named after the Poudrette family who owned the quarry where the stone was found. Poudretti is one of the rarest cameos. The first stone of jewelry quality was discovered in Myanmar in the year 200. Its weight was almost 10 carats. Today, the main supplier of these minerals is Canada.

1. Black opal.

Opals are typically a light, creamy white color with iridescent inclusions that reflect light. Black opal is extremely rare and can be mined in Australia from the Lightning Ridge mines. A stone is considered more valuable if it has the darkest possible color and bright inclusions. The most valuable and famous black opal, which was sold for 763 thousand dollars in 2005, is the Aurora Australis stone.

And in order to weigh all these future discovered precious stones and not miss a single thousandth of a gram, the Radwag concern offers to purchase ultra-microbalances. The discreteness of such models of Radwag scales is from 0.0001 to 0.001 g. In addition, they are made of glass and steel, equipped with additional methods of protecting the influence of external factors on the weighing process (windproof casing). You can find out more on the website – https://thnl.eu/Vesy-Radwag Radwag weighing equipment.

What precious stone do you know that you would add to the list of precious stones? Write in your comments!

Medicinal properties

Since ancient times, many peoples have revered pomegranate as a stone with healing properties.

The crusaders, in order to protect themselves from wounds and illness, wore rings inlaid with garnets. It is not without reason that this stone was credited with the ability to relieve pain. In Rus' there was a belief that pomegranate could help a woman in childbirth. In India, it was believed that the gem shares energy with the lungs and heart and supports the body’s immunity.

Pomegranate has a positive effect on a person’s emotional state, helps with metabolic disorders, and stabilizes the activity of the heart. The gem is able to stop the inflammatory process. The mineral will promote wound healing, tissue and organ regeneration, stimulate blood circulation and increase potency.

Modern lithotherapists say that for diseases of the pulmonary system, a garnet set in silver should be worn around the neck. A garnet in a gold frame, worn in a ring on the right hand, can help with throat diseases, headaches and high fever. Back to contents

Magical properties of pomegranate

Garnets are symbols of constancy, loyalty, devotion, faith and strength. These are the talismans of all lovers, which is why lovers exchange these minerals. You can also give a pomegranate as proof of friendship.

Red garnets stimulate sexuality, self-esteem, will, courage and endurance. These gems are able to provide the owner with a positive mood and optimism; they drive away sadness, bring joy and cheer the soul, and arouse love passions.

The talisman of artists, sculptors, musicians, poets, fashion designers, actors and directors, that is, all people whose success directly depends on passion and complete dedication, is also the pomegranate.

Green stones help women maintain attractiveness and youth, take care of loved ones and maintain family comfort.

The colorless stone is a talisman for leaders and careerists, while the black stone strengthens power over others.

Medieval knights wore a ring with a garnet before a long journey in order to protect themselves from poison and wounds. Back to contents

Minerals of Russia: oil shale

Shale production, after the collapse of the USSR, was significantly slowed down. However, today the need for its support and development is increasing. The main area of ​​consumption is the chemical industry. Oil shale production in the Russian Federation is carried out in the Leningrad region (the region of the Russian part of the Baltic basin). A promising industry in the modern world requires significant investments related to innovative technologies and general modernization of production. This is the direction the shale industry is moving.

Precious metals market : profitable investments and expert forecasts

How to find a driver for a car?

If the car is taken as a taxi, the driver becomes the key figure for the investor. It depends on him how profitable this investment will be, and how much money he will receive from the car.

Here are the main ways to find a driver:

1. personal acquaintance. You can offer a job to a driver whose services you have already used and were satisfied with.
2. ad on Avito (you can post an ad yourself or search the database). This way you can get a lot of feedback from drivers.
3. advertisement on specialized websites such as hh.ru. You will have to pay, but not much, but the level of drivers will be quite high.
4. specialized services that will select a good driver.
5. through a management company or taxi company (on average, you pay your partner from 10 to 15 thousand rubles per car and you don’t have to waste your time).

You should not skimp on finding a driver. It’s better to pay a little more, but get a reliable and trusted person.

Tritium

Image: GOKLuLe/Wikimedia Commons

• Cost: $30,000 Tritium Supply Considerations / Los Alamos National Laboratory per gram.
• Where to find: Tritium Extraction Facility, Savannah River, USA; PA "Mayak", Ozyorsk, Russia; Ontario Hydro, Darlington Nuclear Power Plant, Canada. It occurs in nature in the upper layers of the atmosphere when particles of cosmic radiation collide with the nuclei of nitrogen atoms.

The most common substance in the Universe is hydrogen. That's why it's so cheap. It’s even funnier that the radioactive isotope of hydrogen, tritium, on the contrary, is quite expensive.

Tritium is produced in nuclear reactors by irradiating lithium-6 with neutrons. The creation of one kilogram of this substance costs Tritium Supply Considerations / Los Alamos National Laboratory approximately $30 million.

Tritium is a transparent, invisible gas. Related to this is the story Deuterium and tritium: hydrogen, but not the same / Science and Life, which is told by employees of the High-Tech Research Institute of Inorganic Materials. They say that once officials came there for an inspection and demanded to show them tritium. The scientists were unable to do this and received a scolding. But in general, tritium glows in concentrated form, which is why it is added to key fobs, watch hands and medical devices.

It is also used as fuel in thermonuclear reactors and used to power hydrogen bombs. Tritium is also used to power low-power generators, for example in medical devices.

History of the mineral

Garnet stone has been known since ancient times.
In Ancient Egypt, Persia and Rome, this gem was already used for jewelry purposes. Both gold and silver dishes were inlaid with garnet. This particular gem was adorned in the belts and shields of warriors. Garnet was considered a stone of war, which has the power to bring victory. Garnet gets its name from the Latin "Grantus" - grains of the pomegranate tree, and they do bear similarities to the red garnet minerals in both color and shape.

Previously, the lion's share of garnets was processed in the form of cabochons. Opaque iron gems are used in the abrasive industry. In Europe, garnet was actively used to create jewelry in the 17th-19th centuries. In the era of romanticism, there was a special fashion for garnets, and in ancient times, rulers, gods, as well as portraits of loved ones were depicted on the surface of large processed minerals. Magnificent gems, telling about the high skill of engravers, have survived to this day and are kept in museums around the world.

Who suits garnet from the zodiac signs

Garnet corresponds to Capricorn. The harmony of representatives of this sign and this gem is achieved due to common traits and properties: the desire for new beginnings and ideas, courage on the path forward, enviable determination, high self-esteem and the achievement of one’s goals.

Capricorns especially need help in new endeavors in the first half of life. It is at this time that young Capricorn is fighting for the best place in the sun, for this reason the pomegranate will be an excellent companion for him.

Capricorn, sometimes too down-to-earth and striving for financial security, sometimes forgets to devote enough time to family and loved ones. The pomegranate talisman will help develop this side of life, teach not only to demonstrate success, but also to show sympathy for the weak, make Capricorn open and tolerant of the people around him, understand and accept other people's values.

The pomegranate also pays attention to representatives of other zodiac signs:

• Gemini - with the help of the stone they will be able to balance their state of mind, focus on important issues, and prioritize business.
• Leos - will receive soft and positive energy from the pomegranate and will be inspired by new ideas.
• Virgos will change their lives for the better and discover new opportunities in themselves.
• Libra - with a dark red pomegranate talisman, you will become more sensitive to the people around you and their problems.
• Scorpios will be able to calm down their eccentric nature and direct their energy in a peaceful direction.
• Sagittarius - with the help of a pomegranate, they will increase their strength and direct it towards achieving their cherished goals.
• Aquarians - will receive from the mineral the gift of the ability to realize their goals and achieve better results on their own.

It is not recommended for zodiac signs to have a stone with them:

• Aries - with frequent contact with pomegranate, they can lose control over their emotions.
• Pisces - the fiery energy of the stone is incompatible with the vulnerable soul of Pisces.
• Cancer - red stones are contraindicated for weak-willed Cancers, while green gems will not do any harm.
• Taurus - can wear red stones only for a short time in order to avoid emotional breakdowns and nervous strain.

Poudretteite (Poudretteite)

The pale pink mineral is named after the Canadian Poudrette family, who owned the quarry where the stone was discovered. One of the rarest gems. The first gem-quality stone weighing 9.41 carats was found in 2000 in Myanmar. Currently, Canada is the main supplier of powderitte.

[CHOSEN FOR YOU] The most important events of our Universe over 14 billion years were summarized in a 10-minute video

LSD

Image: Coaster420/Wikimedia Commons

• Cost: About $3,000 DEA Field Division Assessments/Schaffer Library of Drug Policy per gram in purest crystalline form.
• Where to find it: it’s better not to look for it.

LSD is d-lysergic acid diethylamide, a psychedelic that causes powerful hallucinations in people. It was discovered by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann and immediately used it - first by accident, and then got involved.

LSD is made from ergot, a fungus that causes ergotism, a disease that causes hallucinations, gangrene and convulsions. The creation of LSD is illegal in most countries of the world, which is why the substance is so expensive.

Product care

The gem is durable and unpretentious. However, it is advisable to properly care for pomegranate:

1. Wash in water at room temperature. You can add a little soap. A soft brush or cloth will do. If the water is too hot or cold, cracks may appear on the surface over time.
2. After washing, rinse the jewelry and wipe with a soft cloth.
3. It is important to avoid contact with detergents, cosmetics, and chemicals. For example, during dirty work, it is advisable to remove products in the shower.
4. The crystal is hard, but it is better to protect it from mechanical damage.
5. Do not remove the garnet from the frame for cleaning. The fastenings can become loose, and the stones can then get lost.
6. It is advisable to store gems wrapped in soft cloth in a special box, separately from other jewelry. This will help avoid scratches.
7. Sometimes they cleanse from bad or simply alien energy. This must be done if the stone was worn by another person. The easiest way is to keep it in water.

The garnet looks great and effectively protects the owner, but it is better for calm, thoughtful people not to wear it all the time. The gem is a talisman of energetic, enthusiastic and life-loving people.

Non-ferrous metals - a rainbow in the bowels of the earth

Russia is infinitely rich in mineral resources, among which non-ferrous metals occupy a separate row. Aluminum, nickel, cobalt, vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, copper, tin are the main raw materials of non-ferrous metallurgy. The largest is the mining of aluminum. Russia is not the leader in its production; the lead has been going to the United States for many years. The country ranks third in terms of copper reserves, behind the United States and Chile. Oktyabrskoye, Talnakhskoye, Gaiskoye, Udokanskoye copper deposits occupy 70% of the country’s total reserves. Geological exploration reports the presence of deposits:

• 88 lead;
• 124 zinc;
• 28 nickel and cobalt;
• 94 tungsten.

Enrichment technology

The raw materials from which rare metals and elements are extracted usually contain tenths or even thousandths of a percent of the necessary materials.

Preparatory process

Crushing and grinding separate mined minerals from waste rock. The result is a product in a form acceptable for further processing with a given concentration of the mined metal.

In case of difficulties with enrichment (uranium ores or a number of other minerals), hydrometallurgical methods for extracting metals are used. For a number of valuable large-size fraction minerals, manual mining of ore on a conveyor is used.

Main process

The main beneficiation process consists of mechanical, physical and chemical processes, the purpose of which is to obtain concentrate (a product of ore enrichment that has a high concentration of the required mineral) and waste.

In the case of processing rare metal ores, the following types of enrichment are used:

• Crushing followed by screening is based on the different degrees of hardness of useful and waste rocks.
• Sliding of the necessary minerals along an inclined plane at a speed different from unused materials.
• Gravity enrichment - the operating principle of this method is based on different speeds of falling mineral grains in a gaseous or liquid medium.
• Flotation enrichment, which is based on a change in surface wettability under the influence of flotation reagents.
• Magnetic enrichment separates materials based on their magnetic properties.
• Electrostatic beneficiation is based on the use of differences in the electrical properties of minerals.

Helper process

Technological processes that facilitate the main processing processes are called “auxiliary”.

It is not possible to obtain rare metals directly from ores. The output of a number of complex basic processing processes are only oxides and salts. Naturally, end consumers are not satisfied with this, since they require highly purified metals.

To solve this problem, enrichment methods are used, the essence of which is: decomposition, creating compounds of the required purity, obtaining technically pure metal or alloys with its presence in their composition, refining the metal, obtaining ingots or products with the simultaneous formation of the desired physical and chemical structure. These methods are based on hydrometallurgical, chemical and pyrometallurgical processes.

What types of classification of natural stones are accepted by mineralogists and jewelers?

There are several characteristics by which all stones are classified. The Kluge and Bauer system is most often used. The German mineral scientist Kluge compiled a list consisting of 5 groups of minerals. Three include precious samples (diamonds, topazes, opals, garnets, tourmalines), and two are reserved for simple gems. Bauer modified the system by adding non-precious crystals and formations of organogenic origin.

In Russia, jewelers use the Bauer classification of stones, supplemented by the scientist Fersman. According to the description and definition, natural stones are divided into classes, and gems for crafts are distinguished separately. Kievlenko in 1973 proposed taking into account the price of natural samples and their purpose. Since that time, the systematization has included jewelry, jewelry-ornamental and ornamental gems. The latest additions were made by Melnikov almost 10 years ago. He added adjustments to Kievlenko’s classification, including the functionality of minerals.