The 11 biggest gemstones in the world are considered rare and very expensive. Gems have been valued for their beauty and the number of things we can use them for. They’re made out of the earth and consist of various minerals that combine to make rare and beautiful stones. Because of how rare some of these gems are and how difficult it is to acquire them a lot of these gemstones become valuable and are chased after by various companies as well as wealthy families, individuals and collectors. The gems listed here are the biggest and some of the world’s most wanted.
A lot of these gems are discovered through expeditions under the earth. The most common way of finding gems is through mining. A lot of them have been discovered by accident as mining companies often search for other resources like gold and oil. An example of these mining companies can be found in our list of 11 Biggest Gold Mining Companies in the World. A lot of these large gemstones are often found raw and then they are refined to be the beautiful gems as we know them today.
There has been a lot of violence and blood in countries that have been mining these gems competitively. It has been a global issue and there are historical bloodbaths surrounding gems like diamonds which are often fought over because of their high selling price. What are the biggest gemstones in the world? Let’s find out as we start this list:
11. The Cullinan
Previously the largest cut diamond in the world, The Cullinan was discovered in Praetoria during 1905. It had a size of 530.29 carats and held the title for 80 years until finally giving the title up to the Golden Jubilee in 1985.
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10. The Golden Jubilee
In 1985 a South African mine worker discovered this brown diamond weighing 755.5 carats. The diamond was eventually cut in a span of two years until its final product was created. It currently weighs 545.67 carats. The cut led it to have a yellow-brown appearance and is considered the largest cut diamond in the world. It currently resides in the Royal Thai Palace.
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9. Neelanjali Ruby
The Neelanjali Ruby is the largest double star ruby in the world. Asterism or a star appearance on a surface of a ruby is a rare occurrence. It’s even more rare and valuable for a ruby to have a double star appearance on both its sides. It weighs 1,370 carats and was owned by the Indian family Vidyaraj. It was claimed to be a jewel of the family passed down through generations.
8. Rajaratna Ruby
Discovered around the late 1980s, the Rajaratna Ruby is considered as one of the largest rubies in the entire world. It weighs 2,475 carats but many consider it to be more of a specimen than a gem.
7. Pearl of Lao Tsu
Discovered by a Filipino Diver off the coast of Palawan in 1934, the Pearl of Lao Tsu is the largest pearl in the world. Originally called the Pearl of Allah, this pearl weighs 14 pounds and its estimated value is around $40 million. No other pearl comes close to the size of this one.
6. Olympic Australis
The largest and most valuable opal was discovered in 1956 at a mining town in South Australia. It’s named after the Olympics that were being held in Melbourne around that time. It weighs 17,000 carats and is claimed to have 99% gem quality. It’s estimated that 7,000 carats can be cut from the stone but it has retained its natural organic look since its discovery.
The biggest gemstones are at the second half of this list of 11 biggest gemstones in the world.
5. 125West Ruby
The 125West Ruby is the current title holder of largest ruby in the world. It was certified by the Gemology Institute of America and weighs 18,696 carats. There has been a recent discovery of an even larger ruby in Myanmar though it has not yet been fully certified.
4. American Golden Topaz
The American Golden Topaz is the largest cut yellow topaz in the world. It is also considered as one of the largest faceted gemstones of any kind. It weighs 22,892 carats and was originally discovered in Brazil.
3. Carnaiba Emerald
Discovered in the 1970s, this emerald is considered as one of the largest in the world weighing 86,136 carats. It was last valued at over 1.1 million US dollars.
2. Chaiyo Ruby
This ruby would be considered the largest in the world if not for the mystery surrounding this gem. It weighs 109,000 carats and is consistently the topic of debate in terms of ownership. Many claim that the gem is fake and manufactured but no claims have been proven.
1. Bahia Emerald
The Bahia Emerald is the largest single cut emerald ever discovered. It weighs at a staggering 1.9 million carats and appraisals of the gem have valued it to over $900 million.
This has been the list of the 11 biggest gemstones in the world. If you value size of your gems, then you should consider checking the beauty of these large gemstones in person.
