10 Rare Rocks Found on Our Planet Earth

It is quite common to notice that people get attracted to things that are found rarely on the planet. Whether it is a luxurious car, expensive jewelry, or an extraordinary artwork, the rarer an item, the more value it holds. For instance, gems or rocks take thousands of years to form in nature but still, only a fraction of them are accessible to be mined or cut or to be sold as gemstones.

While you are familiar with the fact that diamond is the most common gemstone found. But can you name some rocks which are actually precious and are rarely found on the Earth? There are more than 3000 minerals on earth. Unfortunately, you can’t see all of them in your lifetime. Well, here we have compiled a list of some of the rarest rocks present on Earth. Have a look!

1. Tanzanite

Source = Stonecontract

This gorgeous blue-purple stone is very rare and can only be found in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro as a limited edition. You will be surprised to know that Tanzanite is 1000 times rarer than diamond. The stone exhibits color shifts that depend upon the lighting and crystal orientation conditions. Tanzanite changes color when viewed in horizontally polarized and unpolarized light.

2. Poudretteite

Source = Pinimg

Originally discovered in the 1960s near Mont St. Hilaire Quebec, Canada, Poudretteite is one of the rarest gems ever known.  Initially, it was discovered as a tiny crystal but was not recognized as a mineral until 1986. It is surprising to note that one of the rarest minerals suddenly appeared in the market at 9.41 carats. This precious stone was gifted to Smithsonian by Frances Miller Seay. (18.1)

3. Painite

Source = Wikimedia

According to the Guinness Book of World Record, Painite is among the rarest minerals ever found on Earth. It was first found in Myanmar by a gem dealer Arthur C.D. Pain. 

For decades, there were only 2 known crystals of the minerals on Earth. By 2005, more than 20 specimens were recorded. The attractive red color in the stone is challenging for gem cutters. It has a specific gravity that covers rubies and almandines.

4. Benitoite

Source = Blogspot

This amazingly precious blue to purple gemstone is found near the San Benito River in California. What’s more interesting is that the rock is placed under UV light and it resembles blue chalk. It is formed at the last stage of cooling of a hydrothermally altered serpentinite. It is considered one of the most attractive of all the rare gems found.

5. Red Beryl

Source = Blogspot

Red Beryl, popularly referred as Scarlet Emerald or Bixbite, is limited to New Mexico and Utah. Red Beryl’s price has reached as much as 10 grand per carat for cut stones. Very few people know that these stones are infused with resin to stabilize and fill fractures. It was first produced in Russia in the mid-1990s. The largest crystals of rocks are about 2 cm wide and 5 cm long.

6. Jadeite

Source = Healingcrystals

Jadeite is the rarest rock in the collection. Jadeite’s color includes light and dark green, white, gray, cream and yellow. It sometimes occurs in multicolored form. The stone is resistant to weathering and is formed under high pressure and low-temperature conditions. It was in 1997 when Christie’s auction house sold a beautiful Jadeite necklace for $10 million.

7. Musgravite

Source = Pinimg

Musgravite was discovered in 1967 in Australia but has shown up in a limited edition in Antarctica and Madagascar.  The color composition of the stone ranges from light olive green to grey-purple.  It is a member of the Taaffeite mineral group and is composed of granules with magnesium, beryllium, and aluminum. The largest Musgravite rock is owned by multicolor gems that weigh 5.75 carats.

8. Black Opal

Source = Absoluteopals

It is the most valuable and rarest opal. The first Black Opal was found in 1873. But until 1903, the people were not aware of its range and value. Some people think that black opal comes in black color but initially, the stone has a white or grey appearance. When it is washed and clipped, it reveals its black potch. This is the reason why the stone is called black opal.

9. Serendibite

Source = Crystal-treasure

First discovered in 1902 in Sri Lanka, Serendibite is a rare gemstone with complex formula ((Ca,Na)2(Mg,Fe2+)3(Al,Fe3+)3[O2|(Si,Al,B)6O18]). Minerals occurring with stone include scapolite, apatite, uvite, warwickite, and hyalophane.  It was recently noticed in the Mogok area of Myanmar.

10. Jeremejevite

Source = Dakotamatrix

Jeremejevite was first discovered in the 19th century in the Adun-Chilon Mountains in Siberia. The stone has a hardness similar to that of quartz on the Mohs scale and is thus the ideal stone for jewelry. The stone was named after Russian mineralogist Pavel Vladimirovich Eremeev. 

It is the rarest and the most expensive gem ever found. Jeremejevite is sharply crystallized and has a lustrous surface. Sometimes, it occurs in two tones with a white base and a blue base.

Be like these rare rocks. The more they are cut, the more they shine!