These 10 Insanely Rare Gems Are the Real Treasure Hunters' Dream

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Because of its initial misidentification and later acceptance as a separate mineral species, taaffeite is a gemstone with special position in gemological history. Collectors value this rare gemstone especially for its beauty and exclusivity; it comes in lavender, mauve, and pink. Early in the 20th century, Taaffeite's narrative started when it was first thought to be spinel only then turned out to be a new and uncommon gemstone. Taaffeite first came about in 1945 when gemologist Richard Taaffe bought a spinel gemstone from a Dublin jewellery store. Taaffe examined the gemstone more closely and found that it displayed unusual optical characteristics than standard spinel. Further investigation turned out that the jewel was actually a new mineral species, thereafter known as Taaffeite in his honour. Taaffeite's path as one of the rarest gemstones on Earth began with this fortunate find. Taaffeite has a hexagonal crystal arrangement and falls from a gemological standpoint into the oxide mineral group. On the Mohs scale of hardness, it comes out as 8 to 8.5, which qualifies for many kinds of jewellery. But Taaffeite is rare, thus collector's items rather than regular wear usually feature it. The colours of the gemstone could run lavender to mauve, pink, even bluish-gray. Its varied colour palette is a result of trace elements including iron, magnesium, and zinc within its crystal structure. With minor amounts discovered in Tanzania and China, Taaffeite mostly comes from Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The low amounts of gem-quality Taaffeite generated by these sites help to explain its scarcity. Taaffeite is extremely valuable among gem collectors and aficionados because of the gemstone's scarcity and difficulty of obtaining. Especially prized are excellent specimens with good colour, clarity, and size. Apart from its looks, Taaffeite is prized for its special optical qualities. The gemstone may show pleochroism, in which case its colours will vary depending on the perspective. This optical impact accentuates the gemstone's appeal and heightens its mystery. Taaffeite's beauty, rarity, and special circumstances of discovery and creation really appeal to collectors. Taaffeite is, all things considered, a gemstone of extraordinary rarity and beauty. It is a very sought-after gemstone because of its first misidentification and later identification as a unique mineral species. Taaffeite is a real gemological treasure because of its optical qualities, variety of colour range, and scarcity as well as other aspects. Owning a chunk of Taaffeite connects collectors and gem aficionados to the intriguing background of gemology and the amazing forces sculpting our earth.