Many gemstones get a lot of their value, both physical and otherwise, from the fact that they are incredibly rare, and rarely found naturally on earth, outside a few key sites.
And that’s what we’re going to cover in this guide. Here, we’re taking a look at some of the rarest and most beautiful gemstones in the world, where they are found, and what makes them so rare, as well as some of the meanings that have been attributed to them.
1. Black Opal
Many of us have likely at least heard of the opal gemstone, rarely found across the world, known to shine in a multitude of colors and be a symbol of power and love.
But what if we told you that this was not the only type of opal out there? What if we told you about a much rarer, more striking version of this already exceptional gemstone?
Black opal is similar to normal opal in many ways, being part of the same type/family of rocks that, even having a similar iridescent and light-scattering effects (see also ‘What Are The Metaphysical Properties of Opal?‘).
However, despite what the name would suggest, black opal is more colorful than traditional opal in many cases, with the colors being even more vibrant when in contact with light, an effect even more noticeable when placed against a dark background.
Black opal can technically be found in the same regions that traditional opal can be found, though it is extremely unlikely, with the only site for the best quality examples have mostly come from the Lightning Ridge Mines in South Australia.
As you can imagine, this makes black opal incredibly rare and is virtually priceless.
If you are lucky enough to come into possession of black opal, it is said to have healing properties that help cleanse both the body and soul, so count your spiritual self well looked after too!
2. Musgravite
Whilst perhaps not as well-known and established as opal, Musgravite is still one of the most striking gemstones that can be found in the world, perhaps in part due to its recent discovery.
Musgravite was first documented in 1967 in the Musgrave range in Australia (hence the name), although it is likely that examples of this gemstone have been found for a long time, and that some examples of gemstones that were thought to be taffeite (another rare gem) may have been this particular gemstone all along!
In its natural form, musgravite already looks striking compared to normal rocks, being a maroon-reddish-purple stone.
However, once the stone has been worked, the gem shows its true beauty, coming in a variety of colors, from dark reds to many shades of purple, even a very light, almost clear green.
In terms of the symbolism that is often attached to them, you’ll often find that musgravite is closely associated with stillness or tranquility, or even peace of mind.
Musgravite is believed to have a calming effect on the mind, making it a valuable asset to anyone who needs time away from their thoughts running away from them, is a very calming gem to have near or around you.
That is, of course, if you are lucky enough to own one!
3. Grape Chalcedony Agate
Where to start with this peculiar gemstone?
Being a member of the agate family of minerals and gemstones, chalcedony agate is already often associated with a balancing of physical and mental well-being, as well as its often distinct and warm earthy tones.
However, grape chalcedony agate is a truly fascinating gem that seems to bear very little resemblance to the other gems in its family.
The first thing that an onlooker would notice, if they somehow found this rock for themselves, would instantly note the small round clusters that this gemstone forms in, as well as the light purple color that it is usually found in.
Small wonder that it earned its name, thanks to its purple grape-like appearance!
While agate is by itself a pretty common type of stone to find, grape chalcedony is incredibly rare to find for yourself and is only found in a few scattered packets around the United States and South East Asia, with the only examples of this gemstone being found in Utah.
If you do happen to find this rare gemstone, then count yourself lucky!
Outside of the incredibly rare chance of you finding this rock for yourself, grape chalcedony is also known to help those looking for spiritual harmony to understand their dreams better, as well as being able to connect the crown and third eye chakras in traditional South Asian Yoga practices.
4. Paraíba Tourmaline
The first thing that most people will notice about this marvelous and highly coveted gem is its stark colors.
The sky electric blue shape that most of these gems can be found in is striking, even amongst gemstones. Its blue is so bright that its color almost shines like neon in darker lights, thanks in part to copper impurities that allow light to bounce out of this gemstone in a truly unique way.
This is also, like many other items in this guide, an incredibly rare gem to find for yourself. While deposits have been found in Africa in both Nigeria and Mozambique.
The best and main source for this gem comes from Brazil, where one in every 10,000 diamonds is found in the mines of the Paraíba province in the country.
If you happen to be one f the very few who are fortunate enough to own a specimen of this gem, then you will find that the gem itself bolsters both your creative spirit, as well as helps impart wisdom to you and those around you.
These features, combined with its stunning looks and rarity, make those few specimens of Paraíba tourmaline a very popular gem that is used in jewelry, from necklaces to rings.
5. Painite
Another recently discovered gemstone, Painite was only discovered in 1951 and was dubbed at the time as the world’s rarest mineral (see also, ‘The World’s Rarest Metals‘), with only two known specimens being found.
Now, in the time since then, other examples of this deep red gem have been discovered. However, with that double-digit number only sitting at around 24 verified gems, that’s still not exactly a lot, is it?
Considering that over 133 million carats worth of diamonds is found every year, that just goes to show how few of these gemstones exist in the world, even though new mines searching for painite have been opened.
This gem was originally mistaken as a type of ruby before further examination proved that it was a completely different type of gemstone.
While the chances of a regular person owning this gemstone are slim, the spiritual healing and emotionally lifting effects of a gem like this can do a person a lot of good as well.
6. Ammolite
Ammolite is an outlier gemstone in many regards.
While many of the gems we have covered so far are purely created from the earth over massive amounts of time, ammolite is derived from an organic combined and is one of the rarest gemstones on the planet.
And, by geological terms at least, is a relatively young gemstone too.
For one thing, ammolite is only found in one rock formation in the Rocky Mountains that dates back to around 70 to 65 million years old. Compared to the 900 million-year-old deposits that diamonds are found in, that’s nothing!
Fossil buffs and exerts will also likely have clocked that the name sounds quite a lot like an ammonite, the extinct ancient shelled mollusk that lived in earth’s oceans around that time as well.
Ammolite is primarily derived from the shells of similar fossilized marine mollusks, animals that would go on to evolve into the shelled creatures that we know to create pearls and similar precious stones.
It may be this shared lineage that helps create the iridescent patterns that Ammolite is best known for and has made it a staple of Native American pendants and jewelry for centuries, particularly among the Blackfeet nation.
Among the Blackfeet people and communities, ammolite, also known as iniskim, was seen as a stone that could aid in buffalo hunts, as it was thought to draw herds of the animal into within hunting range.
Among feng shui spiritualists, it is also thought that the bright and iridescent colors of the gemstone can help promote healing in almost any soul, as well as aid in the flow of chi throughout the body.
It’s also known as ‘seven color prosperity stone’ for its many colors.
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, while diamonds, rubies, and sapphires might be considered rare gemstones in the world today, they are still incredibly common when compared to some of these examples.
We are constantly reminded by these rarer and more recently discovered gemstones that the earth has so many more secrets to learn about.
Every time we think we know something, the ground itself reveals something unexpected, almost as a reminder that we’re still always learning.
Hi, my name is Andrea Daehma and I have been collecting and using crystals in my everyday life for just over six years now.
I have my own collection of crystals gracing my house, several for every scenario I could think of.
Learning about crystals has truly changed my life, and I want to help others turn their life around too. Please enjoy my website and find your own small stone to begin your crystal journey with!
