News April 2021: Our devices are frequently used by jewelers, gem dealers and valuers. We note that many investors are considering investing in gemstones. How values are developing is indicated in the Gemval, the Dax, so to speak, for gemstones. This price guide records the value development of a total of 26 different types of stone. The examples are impressive: from 2005 to 2013 alone, sapphires rose in value by 48 percent. Sapphires originating in Sri Lanka are particularly popular. In some years their value can grow by as much as 30 percent (annually).
Emeralds are also enjoying increased demand. What very few people know: rare emeralds could quite possibly prove more expensive than diamonds. The year 2015, for example, saw a price jump of around 20 to 25 percent. The increased demand has also attracted the attention of jewellers, many of whom work with A.KRÜSS gemmological devices. In this way we too have heard that the deep green colours of these stones are particularly popular. Inclusions do not decrease the value of these emeralds. On the contrary: collectors are looking for these stones. They are considered the fingerprints of nature, the technical term is “Jardin”. Diamonds still have to be flawless, however. Emeralds are also found in Europe, with mines located in the Habach Valley in Austria and at Byrud Gård in Akershus, Norway. Brazilian emeralds are particularly valuable because of their usually very intense green colour. The Bahia emerald, considered to be the largest gemstone on earth, has a diameter of 1.3 meters and reportedly weighs 272 kilograms. As the most expensive gemstone, however, it may not be traded and has therefore never been put up for sale. Expert opinions on its value vary, with estimates ranging between $ 75 million and $ 400 million.
Less well-known gemstones, such as the yellow-green peridot (96 percent) or the light-blue topaz (123 percent), recently caused even bigger price jumps. The blue tanzanite, one of which adorns our home page, is also increasing in popularity. Experts assume that the supply of tanzanite could be exhausted in the next 20 to 30 years. This means that such stones are considerably rarer than diamonds.
A ruby is a superlative in terms of value: a few years ago, the Burmese Sunrise Ruby, which weighs 25.59 carats, was sold at Sotheby’s in Geneva for around 30.3 million US dollars. The highest price ever paid for a ruby and also the highest price per carat.