Are you looking for a birthday gift to give someone this month? Do you want it to be special and unique? Well, we have a perfect idea! Birthstones are one of the oldest traditions in the world, but most people don’t know much about them, like why they exist and which ones are rare.
8 Rarest Birthstones You Must Know About
1. Red Garnet
Red garnet is a member of the garnet family, which includes other types of gemstones, such as rubies and sapphires. Red garnets are also known by their alternate names: almandine, pyrope, or rhodolite, depending on their coloration. Red garnets as loose gemstones are considered one of the rarest birthstones, with fewer than 10% found in nature. They can be found in Brazil, India, and the United States.
2. White Sapphire
White sapphire is a variety of corundum, the same mineral as ruby and other rubies. It’s a transparent stone that comes in shades from light pink to yellowish-white. The colorless stone called “crystal” is the most valuable, while those with colors like pink or green are less valuable.
White sapphire is sometimes called a “white diamond” because it has similar properties to a diamond but doesn’t have the sparkle factor that makes people over Polki diamonds. White sapphires can be cut into different shapes like other gemstones (round, pear, oval), and they’re often used in jewelry pieces such as rings or necklaces because they’re durable and beautiful!
3. Green Tourmaline
Green tourmaline is a stone that can be found in many shades of green. It is a type of quartz with some similar properties, but it’s also different: it’s not as hard and doesn’t have the same luster or clarity as other gems. The gemstone is associated with love, friendship, and luck. Green tourmaline gets mined in Brazil, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
4. Yellow topaz
Yellow topaz is a gemstone that’s been around for over 5,000 years. It’s also known as “golden topaz” and belongs to the same family as quartz and tourmaline. Yellow topaz is a yellow variety of the mineral beryl. It can be found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Madagascar, China, and Pakistan.
Since ancient times, yellow topaz has been considered a wisdom and good fortune symbol. It was one of the twelve stones in Aaron’s breastplate. This stone was also used by the ancient Greek god Zeus to make his thunderbolts because he thought it would help him control his temper!
5. Blue Zircon
Blue zircon is a popular gemstone used in jewelry. It is the name given to a blue-tinted variety of the mineral zirconium silicate, and it’s found in Australia, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. The only other natural color of this stone is brownish red or reddish gray.
Blue zircon has been mined since ancient times and was even mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) as being mined from Burma (now Myanmar). Most blue zircons come from Sri Lanka today, but they can be found in many parts of Asia, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Because blue zircons are rarer than diamonds or rubies, their price reflects their rarity by being more expensive than most other colored gemstones on average.
6. Black pearl
Black pearls are the rarest kind of pearls, and they’re also the most expensive. Black pearls are not made by oysters but by mollusks called pteropods. Pteropods tend to live in deeper waters than oysters, so black pearls are hard to find.
Black pearls can be spherical or tubular, with a smooth surface and an iridescent sheen that ranges from dark brown to deep purple. They come in varying shades of black some even appear violet under certain lighting conditions!
7. Hessonite Garnet
Hessonite Garnet is a rare gemstone in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and Tanzania. Hessonite Garnet is known as the “King of Garnets.” It can be found in shades of yellow to orange-red with brownish tints. The most valuable color is an intense yellow color with red flashes that make it look like fire on the stone’s surface. Hessonite is one of those gems that doesn’t need any treatment to improve its appearance. The natural beauty of this stone makes it one of the most sought-after varieties among all types of garnets available in nature today.
8. Orange sardonyx
Orange sardonyx is a variety of chalcedony, a type of translucent quartz. It’s orange and brown and has been used for thousands of years as an ornamental stone. Ancient Romans used orange sardonyx to make cameo glass medallions, often carved with portraits or religious scenes. Orange sardonyx was also popular during the Victorian era when it was often carved into cameos depicting flowers and other natural objects. Today, it’s most commonly used in jewelry, such as necklaces and rings. However, you can find it in other ornamental items as well.
End Note
Well, there you have it—eight of the rare birthstones known. While we’ve covered some of these in other articles, you got to learn more about the rarest gems! The above blog is an excellent overview for anyone who wants to learn more about the origins and history behind their favorite stone!
