This article has been written to give you an introduction to the types of gemstones that might be considered collectable and the reasons why they would be worth collecting.

In reality this is a very complex subject, with many other gemstones that may not be mentioned in this article also considered collectable, so readers are encouraged to form their own opinion, do their own research and view this article as it is intended, a guideline and introduction only.  

Collecting gemstones can be a rewarding and profitable hobby and what might start out as a hobby can very easily turn into a valuable collection over time.

Investment grade gemstones are usually referred to as the “Big Four” which consists of fancy coloured Diamonds, Emeralds, Ruby’s and Sapphires and considered the most expensive gemstones to invest in and certainly worth buying if the price is right.

Referring to gem types as “precious” and all other gems as “semiprecious” can be misleading, since it implies precious stones have inherently greater value, as an example of this, garnet gems have traditionally been considered semi precious gems, yet some sell in excess of $1,000 a carat, ten times the price of a low-quality diamond.

Collectable gemstones are an alternative to investment grade gemstones and can offer investors a lower cost way of getting started in gemstone investing but still have the potential for an appreciation in value if you choose them well.  

Just like coin collecting there are many aspects to gemstones that make them collectable, coins are often collected based on their rarity, serial numbers and the various designs and colours they come in. 

Gemstones are certainly collected if they are rare or unique in some way, as well as coming in range of collectable colour combinations. 

The aim of investing in collectable gemstones is to buy gemstones that have visual appeal and that stand out as being different to the many other gemstones available on the market, creating demand and interest for that type of gemstone.   

Emeralds

Emeralds are by far one of the most sought after investment gemstones and are one of the “Big Four” investment gemstones, with the most expensive Emeralds coming from Columbia, but as you can imagine not everyone can afford a Colombian Emerald.  

The good news for collectors is Emeralds come from many other locations from around the world and are often available at a lot cheaper prices then their Columbian counterparts, making them a more affordable investment for collectors.

This Australian banded Emerald is a great example of this, it is a very unique type of Emerald consisting of multiple green bands and the more green bands they have the more saturated the greenish blue colour becomes in the Emerald, which gives it a very unique look that is only found in one location on earth – Torrington Australia, making them a very collectable and sought after Emerald.

Colour Change Gemstones

Colour change gemstones are in my opinion the ultimate form of collectable gemstone, they are a gemstone I have specialised in for many years now and cant help but see their appeal as a collector gemstone.

There are only a small percentage of gemstones that will display the colour change effect as in when they display different colours under different light conditions, which gives them a greater appeal and rarity over many of the single coloured gemstones available out there.

Colour change gemstones come in a variety of gemstone species with some being much rarer than others. Garnets for example will often exhibit colour change whereas colour change Zircons would be a lot harder to find.

Apart from that, another aspect that make them very collectable is the variety of different colour change combinations you can find in them and collect just like you would with rare stamp and coin collecting.  

Of particular interest for a collector is the different changes in colour that can occur in the same gemstone family group like for example Zircons, that also share the same underlying base colour like Mauve Maroon, but will then go on to show completely different changes in colour when exposed to a warm incandescent light source.  

So while one Zircon with an underlying base colour of mauve Maroon might change to a reasonably common raspberry red colour under an incandescent light source another might change to a much rarer Madeira orange colour, while another might change colour to pink.

It’s the differences in these colour change combinations and the rarity of the colour it actually changes to, that affect their value and make colour change gemstones very collectable indeed!

To read a detailed article on Colour Change gemstones and to see more examples of them, read our article about them here:

Collectable Gemstone Colours

Teal Sapphires

Certain colours in different types of gemstones, also make them very collectable. A great example of this has been Australian Teal (blue/green) “ocean” coloured Sapphires which have seen strong demand from investors and have become very collectable simply by being this ocean blue green “Teal” colour.

Paradascha Sapphire

Paradascha coloured Sapphires have become a very popular collector colour for Sapphires, the preferred colour qualities range from a light to medium-tone orange-pink to pink with a slight orange hue to orange with a slight pinkish hue to a more deeply saturated orange-pink.

Paraiba Tourmaline

Paraíba is a variety of elbaite tourmaline with a very identifable copper content, it’s neon-blue colour stunned the gem world in the 1980s and has continued to appeal to gem enthusiasts as a collector gem ever since.

Paraíba tourmalines are copper-bearing, and it is the copper content in these crystals is what imparts the intense neon-blue colours that make paraíba tourmalines the most valuable variety of tourmaline on the market.

Spinel

Spinel is actually rarer then Sapphire, it has recently seen a lot of interest and for a long time was thought of as a semi-precious gemstone, but many of the Spinels coming from regions like Burma are now considered precious gemstones, and have become very sought after expensive gemstones.

As result Spinels from other regions like Mahenge in Tanzania have become very collectable, with many collectors buying these as an alternative to Burmese Spinels, – Red, pink and cobalt blue have become popular collector colours in Spinel.

Unique Gemstones

There are also collectors that specialise in buying gemstones that have inclusions within the gemstone that gives them a unique visual and collector appeal, with the inclusion being made a feature of the gemstones. So while many gemstone collectors will avoid gemstones with inclusions, others find them very collectable making them visually unique which gives them their value.

This Quartz gemstone is good example of this, as it has been cut in a way to make the Garnet inclusion in its center a feature of this gemstone, giving it collector appeal.

There are of course many other gemstones that would also be considered to have collector appeal and this article would be pretty lengthy if I kept going, so just remember it has been written to give you an introduction to types of things that make gemstones collectable and why they can stand out from the many other gemstones available out there.

Other Examples of Collectable Gemstones worth Considering:

Red Beryl, Tanzanite, Tsavorite Garnet, Dermantoid Garnet, Benitoite, Grandidierite, Trapiche emerald/sapphires, Star Ruby’s and Sapphires, Cats Eye Gemstones,  Dragon Garnets, Alexandrite, Taaffeite (Burma), Hackmanite and Tenebrescent gemstones – Just to name a few…

As mentioned previously, this is a very complex subject, with many other gemstones that may not have been mentioned in this article also considered collectable, so readers are encouraged to form their own opinion, do their own research and view this article as it is intended, a guideline and introduction only.  

Developing an eye for the uniqueness of collectable gemstones can help turn your interest in gemstones into profitable investments.

I have been a collector these gemstones for many years and have a good variety of them available on the Gemrock Investments website should you wish to consider any of them for your own collection.

You can review our list of current gemstones on offer here: 

General Disclaimer:

Any information provided by Gemrock Investments is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute financial advice, either general or specific. You should assess whether the information is appropriate to your individual financial circumstances before making an investment decision.

Gemrock Investments are not financial advisors. You should always seek professional financial advice from your accountant or financial planner before making major financial decisions.

The information provided has been derived from research and sources believed to be reliable. However, no guarantee is expressed or implied as to their validity. Opinions included herein are subject to change without notice.

All investments involve different degrees of risk and you should be aware of your risk tolerance level and your financial situation at all times.

The gem market is speculative and unregulated and certification does not eliminate all risks associated with the grading of gems.

It is also important to remember that previous growth and returns demonstrated from gemstone investments are not an indicator of future growth nor is it intended as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security or gemstone.

Gemrock Investments may also own gemstones in areas they feature or discuss.

Gemrock Investments urges you to obtain professional advice before proceeding with any gemstone investment decision.