10 # The Blue Giant of the Orient.
This century old sapphire has spent most of its life shrouded in mystery, as after it
was sold in 1907 to an anonymous bidder and remained out of the public eye until 2004.
Along with most of the largest sapphires in the world, this 486.5 carat gem was mined
in Sri Lanka.
This gem really is a giant, measuring at nearly 2 inches wide, 2.5 inches long, and 1 inch
thick.
Completely saturated with color, the rough stone weighed over 600 carats before being
meticulously cut into, what would eventually become known as, The Blue Giant of the Orient.
Originally purchased in 1907 for a reasonable sum of 10,000 USD, when it finally made its
reappearance 100 years later, that price had shot up to the relatively small sum of a million
dollars.
A real sparkling bargain compared to our next prized possession...
9# Pink Star Diamond.
Currently the holder of the title for most valuable pink diamond, The Pink Star is considered
one of the finest gems in the history of the world.
Pink diamonds themselves are pretty rare, but this beauty is astoundingly large weighing
in at 59.6 carats.
One of few diamonds this size to have flawless internal clarity, it has come a long way since
it was found in Africa in 1999.
Found by the De Beers Corporation as a rough stone, it was double the size it is now and
weighed a whopping 132.5 carats.
Scientists have worked out why certain diamonds may be found in different colors – red diamonds
for example are formed due to changes in the electron structure of the diamond, yellow
diamonds contain additional nitrogen.
As for why diamonds can turn pink?
That one hasn’t been figured out yet.
A businessman from Hong Kong valued this particular pink diamond’s worth at 71.2 million dollars,
buying it in 2017.
8# Filipino Pearl.
This beautiful stone weighs an impressive 75lbs and sits at 27 inches long, and 12 inches
wide!
It blows the previous largest natural pearl found right out of the water.
This as yet unnamed pearl was found by a Filipino fisherman, who kept it under his bed for upwards
of a decade.
Discovering his ‘good luck charm’ in the waters of Palawan, he has the anchor of his
boat to thank.
It had become lodged underwater and when he dove down to dislodge it, he found it held
up on a giant clam.
Despite the common misconception, pearls are more often found in oysters than clams, but
not in this case.
After over 10 years of living quietly in the unnamed man’s home, it is now on display
and has been valued somewhere in the region of 90 to 100 million dollars.
7# The Neelanjali Ruby.
The red Neelanjali is the world’s largest double star ruby.
During rare occurrences, it’s possible to see a “star” on the surface of the gem,
and in even rarer instances, it’s possible to see the “star” on both sides.
Exclusivity means money so it comes as no surprise to find out this tiny red rock is
worth a cool 100 million US Dollars.
Making each of its 1370 carats worth just shy of $73,000 each.
Believed to be cursed, for years a Hindu family dynasty had possession of the stone.
It remained covered in soot and dirt for generations, as no one would dare touch it.
In 1988, it’s true beauty and true worth were finally revealed.
#6 Myanmar Jade.
Miners in Myanmar, formally known as Burma, unearthed one of the biggest precious gems
ever in 2016.
This enormous boulder of translucent green jade stands 14ft high and 19ft long and weighs
approximately 200 tons!
Not to be confused with its lower quality counterpart found in decorative pieces and
sculptures, Myanmar is a hotspot responsible for about 70% of the world’s finest jadeite,
a rare and higher quality jade specifically used in jewelry.
In turn, the whole industry is responsible for about 50% of Myanmar’s GDP, totaling
over 35 billion a year.
Neighboring China is one of their biggest buyers, who know the gem as the “stone of
heaven”.
This stone was not found in the heavens, but at nearly 300 feet deep inside a mountain
in the north of Myanmar.
Estimates put the total value of the boulder at 140 million dollars and it was sent to
China where it’s due to be carved up into thousands of expensive jewels.
#5 The Star of Adam.
The modern-day discovery of this blue sapphire makes it the 5th most valuable stone in our
ranks, and the biggest sapphire mined to date.
Nearly double the size of the previous record holder, the Star of Adam originates from Ratnapura,
Sri Lanka – nicknamed the city of gems.
It was mined there in August of 2015 and boasts a whopping 1404.49 carats.
In real-world terms that is about 0.6 lbs or 2 dollars and 50 cents, making its valuation
of 180 million particularly unbelievable.
Before it’s sale, the most expensive sapphire sold was for less than 18 million dollars,
but it is unknown how much the current holder paid for this particular sapphire.
The anonymous owner of the Star of Adam has been quoted saying “this was not a piece
of jewelry but an exhibition piece.”
-- Although it is not currently on display to the general public.
Hmm #4 The Koh-i-Noor.
Now weighing a massive 109 carats, this diamond, whose name means ‘mountain of light’ in
Persian, lives in the crown of Queen Elizabeth II.
Originally mined in the 13th century from near Guntur, India, the rough uncut clear
diamond was 793 carats and was owned by the Kakatiya dynasty of south India.
Cut and recut over the years, the stone is now less than 1.5 inches along its width and
length, and is only half an inch thick.
Even at this size, the Koh-i-Noor diamond is still worth over $200 million.
Today, like many of the royal crown jewels, it can be found in the Tower of London, and
is seen by millions of tourists each year.
Governments from India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have all claimed to be rightful
owners of the more than precious stone, but naturally, the British deny this costly claim.
#3 The Hope Diamond.
This beautiful blue stone may come with an inspiring name, but it has a long and bloody
history.
Before being given its new name, it was owned by King Louis XIV who named it ‘Le bleu
de France’.
It remained in possession of the French monarchy even during the French Revolution in 1793
when King Louis the XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were beheaded.
Known to have originated from a mine in Guntur, near the Bay of Bengal, India, the earliest
documents to the stone go back to 1666 but it remains a mystery as to who discovered
or cut the blue diamond first.
The 45.5 carat gem was purchased by the Hope family, who very cleverly renamed it “The
Hope Diamond” in 1839.
Recent valuations put the Hope Diamond’s value at 350 million dollars, and it is available
for all to see after it’s donation to the Smithsonian in Washington DC.
I wonder if the donation was tax deductible?
#2 The Cullinan Diamond.
This enormous diamond was found in the South African mines of the same name, in January
of 1905.
When it was first found, the blue-white rough diamond contained 3,106 carats and was presented
as a gift to the British royal family.
While being sent to the UK, it was placed in the ship captain's safe and was kept under
armed guard 24/7.
What none of these men knew was that the real stone was actually sent via the Royal Mail
in a biscuit tin!
They had been tasked instead with guarding an exact replica.
A few years later the giant diamond was cut and polished, transforming into 9 large gems
and over 100 smaller ones.
The Cullinan I, aka The Great Star of Africa, and The Cullinan II – which landed the slightly
underwhelming title of The Lesser Star of Africa, were both presented to King Edward
the VII and now reside in the Tower of London as part of the Crown Jewels.
Royals do like to keep it in the family so to speak, and Queen Elizabeth II is the current
owner of the 7 remaining large stones after inheriting them from her Grandmother, Queen
Mary.
The original rough diamond would have been worth over 400 million dollars if found today.
#1 The Bahia Emerald.
Crashing in at number 1 is the ‘piece de resistance’, the Bahia Emerald which was
found deep in the eastern jungles of Brazil in July 2001.
Brazil is home to many emerald mines, and this was, to date, the mother of all finds.
It’s the largest single-shard of emerald ever pulled from the earth – with 1.9 million
carats it stands at 3 feet tall and weighs nearly 850lbs and holds.
It should come as no surprise that it comes with its own controversies.
Since its discovery, 9 men, 1 woman, 3 corporations, and 1 government have laid claim to its ownership.
Reportedly smuggled all the way from Brazil into the United States, the giant green rock
was then subject to multiple sales and thefts, as well as a brief disappearance in the wake
of Hurricane Katrina.
For 2 months, it lay submerged 16 feet underwater around New Orleans before it was retrieved.
Currently sitting in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles County, a judge presides over
the cases from several men and the country of Brazil.
If you’re wondering how much it takes to square up to a government, the going rate
is currently an estimated 900 million US dollars.
Brazil claims that as it was mined and exported illegally, the stone is still their property,
regardless of any transactions made thereafter.
Already 10 years into legal proceedings, there is no end in sight.
Would you rather own a million-dollar gemstone that you can't sell or $100,000 in the bank?