What is taaffeite worth?
Taaffeite – $35,000 per carat Surprisingly, the gemstone was first discovered already cut and polished in Dublin, Ireland in 1945.
Is taaffeite harder than diamond?
Taaffeite. Taaffeite has only been found in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Most material is not suitable for faceting, making it even more difficult to source. The gemstone is so scarce, it is considered over 1 million times more rare than a diamond.
How do you identify a taaffeite?
Taaffeite forms mauve or lilac, red to brown, bluish, green transparent to translucent crystals. A. Thomas reports that “Taaffeite is a very rare gem mineral that was first discovered as a cut stone”. A light mauve stone was originally believed to be spinel.
Where can I find taaffeite?
Taaffeite occurs in carbonate rocks alongside fluorite, mica, spinel and tourmaline. This extremely rare mineral is increasingly found in alluvial deposits in Sri Lanka and southern Tanzania, as well as lower grade taaffeite in limestone sediments in China.
Is taaffeite expensive than diamond?
Taaffeite – $2,500 per carat. Taaffeite is not very familiar to many due to how rare it is. In fact, it is so scarce that it’s considered to be a million times rarer than a diamond. It was discovered by gemologist Richard Taaffe in 1945 in a jeweler’s shop in Dublin, Ireland.
Is taaffeite a crystal?
Taaffeite also has a different chemical composition and crystal structure than spinel. Spinel forms in cubic crystals whereas taaffeite forms in the hexagonal crystal system.
What do I need to get a taaffeite ring?
If you simply must get a taaffeite ring or necklace your best bet is to buy a loose gemstone or even crystal and get it cut and set in the jewelry of your liking. Taking care of the gemstone and what else you should be aware of when buying is something you’ll need to contact an experienced gemologist about.
Where can I find a taaffeite gemstone?
Taaffeite is one of the rarest and most desirable of collector’s stones. Only a very few stones have been found, most of them originally misidentified as spinel. Sri Lanka and Tanzania appear to be the only sources for this material this time.
How much is a faceted red taaffeite worth?
The red variant is particularly rare, only about a dozen faceted red taaffeites currently exist. Despite this extreme rarity, there are literally millions of diamonds, it is not as expensive as you’d expect. Clear medium to high quality gemstones sell for $2000-4000 per carat.
How big is a taafeite stone in carats?
A second stone identified as taaffeite weighed 0.86 carats and is now in the Geological Museum, London. A third taaffeite of 0.84 carats, identified at the Gemological Institute of America laboratory in New York, resides in the S1collection along with a dark brownish-purple gem of 5.34 carats.