In the wonderful world of gemstones, ‘rare’ can mean a number of things. Generally, when we say rare, we mean unusual or hard to come by, but there’s something about the word that also makes us think of something truly special. When searching for a new jewellery piece, who doesn’t want to find something unique? By that logic, the rarer the gemstone the better, right? Saying this, rarity doesn’t necessarily equate to the highest value in the gemstone world. However, there really is nothing like the feeling of coming across a truly rare and special piece.
Today, we’re talking about unusual gemstone rings — how to know if a gemstone is rare, and which rare gemstones make the very best engagement rings. Read on to learn more about some interesting and unusual gems!
What Is The Rarest Gemstone Ring?
Numerous gemstones fall into the ‘rare’ category, and for different reasons. Some gemstones are particularly difficult to come across, whereas other gemstones can be dubbed ‘rare’ for their exceptional quality in comparison to other stones of their type (for example, large diamonds with extreme purity or clarity). Today, we’re focussing on the gemstones that you may not have come across before. We’ve all heard of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, but it’s time to shed some light on some lesser-known members of the gemstone family that make gorgeous, unusual gemstone rings.
Cat’s Eye Chrysoberyls
The name of this unusual gemstone is intriguing enough — just wait until you see how beautiful they look set into a dress ring! Out of all the gemstones that can showcase the “cat’s eye” effect, chrysoberyls are the most valuable and they are very rare. This gemstone has a greenish-yellow hue and is characterised by the striking “pupil” effect that resembles a cat’s eye, giving this stunning stone its name.
Like this impressive example set in an antique Victorian dress ring, cat’s eye chrysoberyls are usually cut in the cabochon shape, which maximises the dazzling pupil effect.
Alexandrites
Alexandrites are rare and nothing short of stunning. These impressive gemstones can perform a little magic trick: they turn from blueish green in the daylight to deep red or purple when night falls. This colour-changing stone has a very high hardness, making it a great option for a gemstone ring that you want to wear often, or even an engagement ring. Due to their rarity, they are also considered to be one of the most expensive gemstones for engagement rings in the world.
Learn more about the history of the alexandrite gemstone.
Demantoid Garnets
Within the garnet family, demantoid garnets are as rare and unusual as it gets. Another expensive gemstone ring option, demantoid garnets come in shades of intense green with an impressive depth of colour. These gemstones are particularly coveted because they very rarely occur in sizes larger than three carats — making large demantoid garnets exceptionally expensive! They are also an excellent choice for an unusual gemstone ring as they rival the brilliance of many gemstones and even trump diamonds when it comes to dispersion. Furthermore, while the value of most gemstones decreases when they have visible inclusions, yellow inclusions that can be seen in some demantoids can actually increase the value of the stone.
Coloured Diamonds
We can’t talk about rare and unusual gemstones without giving a shout out to coloured diamonds. While clear diamonds are beloved and very popular, other coloured diamonds are perfect if you’re looking for a more unusual gemstone ring. Naturally coloured diamonds are exceedingly rare. In fact, only one coloured diamond occurs within every 10,000 natural diamonds. Particularly rare and sought-after diamonds include pink diamonds, blue diamonds, red diamonds, and green diamonds.
Any of these examples would make wonderful gemstone rings with large feature stones — if you are lucky enough to find them! And if you’re looking for the best gemstone engagement ring options (other than the traditional diamond, of course) any of these options would work excellently and feel truly unique.
