Best Value Gemstones
One question we often hear from our customers is:
"What are the best value natural gemstones?"
We've been giving the matter some consideration and would like to share our thoughts on the topic.
First we must point out that this is not an article on the most expensive gemstones or best gemstone investments. That is a totally different issue. What we will be talking about is the best ‘value for money’ gemstones.
What do we mean by value for money?
For example you may have the choice of two cars. One is $50,000 dollars and the other is a $1000. The expensive one is comfortable, reliable, fast but economical while the cheap one is always breaking down, guzzles gas and its bald tires, squeaky brakes and torn safety belts are a life-threatening danger to passengers. Only one of these cars gives any value for money.
In our case it is simply a gemstone that is worth the money you pay for it. NOT a cheap stone but something that will give you pleasure for years to come without breaking the bank.
There are a few factors that determine the price of a gemstone:
- The type of gemstone
- The condition of the gemstone itself – color, clarity, size, etc
- The gemstone is officially certified
- The origin of the gemstone – Burmese rubies are more valuable than Thai rubies
- Simple supply and demand
- Worldwide ‘trends’ for particular gemstones which can fluctuate – what cool people are wearing one year they may not be the next!
Of course the most important element is that you must love the look of your gemstone and it fits your budget.
We have put together a selection of gemstones that we feel offer the best possible value for money.
We have based our choices on factors such as:
- Great color and clarity
- Sufficient durability for most jewelry (Rated 7+ on Mohs Hardness Scale)
- The less treatment the better
- Wide range of sizes and shapes
- Rare but not impossible to find
Let’s begin with the king of colored gemstones, they are quite expensive but they are the best!
|
Pros |
Very durable at 9 on Mohs Hardness scale, excellent brilliance and fire, famous for the deep velvety blue color but also available in yellow, orange, purple, pink and more. |
|
Cons |
Usually Heat Treated but this is a standard practice and has been for centuries. |
|
Price |
$300 - $600 + per carat for heated sapphire, $1000+ per carat for unheated sapphire. |
 |
|
|
Pros |
Durable at 7.5 on Mohs Hardness scale, excellent brilliance (higher than sapphire), gorgeous burnt orange colors, no treatments. |
|
Cons |
The color is limited to orange tones although it is a gorgeous orange. Bigger stones can have inclusions. |
|
Price |
$25 - $150 + per carat. |
 |
|
|
Pros |
Durable at 8 on Mohs Hardness scale, great brilliance and fire, wide choice of colors, no treatments. |
|
Cons |
Larger gem sizes hard to find. |
|
Price |
$20 - $400 + per carat, depending on size. |
 |
|
|
Pros |
Durable at 7 to 7.5 on Mohs Hardness scale, good brilliance and fire, the best choice of colors in the gemstone world, affordable in large sizes and usually untreated. |
|
Cons |
Bigger gemstones can have uneven coloring. |
|
Price |
$20 - $300 + per carat, depending on size, Paraiba tourmaline $300 to $1000 + per carat. |
 |
|
|
Pros |
Very durable at 7.5 to 8 on Mohs Hardness scale, high levels of brilliance, vivid golden yellow colors, great clarity, same family as emeralds but much more affordable, no treatments. |
|
Cons |
Not very well known – is this a bad thing? |
|
Price |
$25 - $40 + per carat |
 |
|
|
Pros |
Very durable 8 on Mohs Hardness scale, great sparkle, wide array of colors but the sky blue one of the most popular gemstones in the world, excellent clarity, some very large sizes available. |
|
Cons |
Most Blue Topaz are treated |
|
Price |
$5 - $40 per carat. Imperial Topaz $500 - $1500 per carat |
 |
|
|
Pros |
Very durable 8 on Mohs Hardness scale, great sparkle, wide array of colors but the sky blue is the most popular, excellent clarity, some very large sizes available. |
|
Cons |
White and Blue Zircons are often heated |
|
Price |
$15 - $400 per carat with price increasing with size |
 |
|
|
Pros |
All a very durable 7 on Mohs Hardness scale, wide range of colors including purple, golden yellow, pink, brown and more, excellent clarity, found in huge sizes, readily available. |
|
Cons |
White and Blue Zircons are often heated |
|
Price |
$2 - $80 per carat |
 |
|
|
Pros |
A durable 7 on Mohs Hardness scale, excellent clarity, no treatments, great golden green sparkle, long history. |
|
Cons |
Only comes in green colors, gemstones bigger than 5 carats harder to find. |
|
Price |
$10 - $80 per carat |
 |
|
Price ranges are approximate, based on our current inventory. The upper ranges for any gemstone variety are always unlimited, since very special pieces are priced accordingly.
There are many fine gemstones which didn't make our short list, including ruby, emerald and tanzanite. Our intention is not to disparage any of these, but to identify the very best value gemstones on today's market, based on the gemstone characteristics cited above.
| Gemstone | Price / ct | Color |
|---|---|---|
|
$20 - $600 |
All Colors |
|
|
$25 - $150 |
Orange / Red-Orange |
|
|
$20 - $400 |
Multi Colors |
|
|
$20 - $300 |
All Colors |
|
|
$20 - $40 |
Yellow / Golden |
|
|
$5 - $40 |
Multi Colors |
|
|
$15 - $400 |
Multi Colors |
|
|
$2 - $80 |
Multi Colors |
|
|
$10 - $80 |
Green |
Overall Rating -> 10 
Gemselect is the perfect site for all your precious stones to buy
Posted By Nate in October, 2022
Source: Bizrate
Overall Rating -> 9 
No comment other than can you add more beads or drilled spheres to your inventory. Finding high quality beads on the internet is almost impossible. Buying from your site i fell confident what i am getting is real.
Posted By Mark in April, 2022
Source: Bizrate
Overall Rating -> 10
So many stones, so little time and money. Easy to fill up the cart when the stones are beautifully pictured. I hope the real items are as beautiful.
Posted By Wen in January, 2023
Source: Bizrate
Overall Rating -> 7 
I love this site, I learn a lot from it. I like the selection and quality, I can't wait to use them in my work. The specimens are phenomenal. Look forward to more business from me in the future..
Posted By Ophii in January, 2023
Source: Bizrate
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