- [Narrator] There are
thousands, if not millions, of different kinds of
stones around the world. And while some are pretty common, others are almost impossible to come by. Now, I bet this has many of
you thinking of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies, but there are actually some
stones that are much rarer than these sparkling specimens. And while almost all gems are stones, not all stones are gems. From rocks that are
literally out of this world to glittering gems that glow in the dark, let's take a tour of some
of the rarest rocks, stones and gems on earth. (cheerful music) Racy Red Diamonds. And they say that diamonds
are a girl's best friend, but I don't think those girls
know about Red Diamonds yet. Like their name suggests, Red Diamonds give off a
phenomenally fancy red hue. But unlike Ruby's whose red color comes from chromium impurities in
their compact carbon structure, Red Diamonds don't have
any impurities at all. But this has left scientists
scratching their heads. Without knowing for
sure what makes them red it's impossible to determine
exactly how they form, making them all the more
mysterious and valuable. That's because a diamond's
value isn't just about how big or sparkly it is, but how rare it is. And considering only 30 Red Diamonds of gem quality currently exist, they might just be the
rarest rocks on the planet. The largest of them all,
known as the Moussaieff Red, is just 5.11 carats, meaning it weighs just over a single gram. Despite its size, this Red
Diamond's rarity saw it sell for a bank breaking $8
million back in 2001. So considering the largest of them weighs less than a paperclip, if you collected all 30 stones together, they'd only weigh about as
much as a single AA battery. But based on how much
the Moussaieff Red for, a Red Diamond the size of a AA battery would be worth a whopping $111 million. Now, that'd be one
seriously expensive stone. Tantalizing Tanzanite. As you can probably tell by its name, there is only one place in the world where you'll find Tanzanite: Tanzania. This brilliantly blue stone is formed from a mineral called Zoisite and is mined exclusively in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. This is because about
585 million years ago there was a massive amount
of tectonic activity in this Zoisite rich area. Through sheer luck, the
process incorporated the rare chemical element
Vanadium into this super-heated and pressurized mix. And it's this element that gives Tanzanite it's brilliant blue color. But this geological phenomenon has never been seen
anywhere else in the world, making Tanzanite
approximately 1000 times rarer than a diamond. But it's not just its rarity that makes this stone
seriously interesting. The gem is also pleochroic, so depending on how it's viewed, it can appear to be many different colors, like this one which looks
blue, purple and even pink from different angles. But for all its color changing abilities, it's most prized when it holds that famously deep blue color, as this very lucky miner found out. He discovered two of the biggest, bluest Tanzanite rocks in history with the largest weighing in at more than 20 pounds. He sold them to the government for a phenomenal 7.7
billion Tanzanian shillings. That's a colossal $3.3 million. What a jackpot! Now, I wanna do a quick poll between a Tanzanite
and a rare Red Diamond, which one do you want to own more? For the big blue brick,
hit that like button, and for the crimson carats,
hit that subscribe button. Now, where were we? Rare Red Coral. Most precious stones and minerals are mined from deep inside the earth. Well, there is one very
wet exception to that rule. Red coral, also known as precious coral, is made from the fan-shaped
secretions of marine polyps. It may look like a plant, but its hard branching structure is made up of calcium carbonate
like that of seashells. However, these fabulous fans grow less than an inch every year. And thanks to overfishing and pollution, it's now very rare to find
one more than 1 1/2 feet high. No matter the size, most pieces can be smoothed down and transformed into gorgeous
organic gemstones for jewelry, which is currently in very high demand. Now, you may think coral is pretty common, but red coral only naturally grows around 2000 feet below the waves. Not only that, but it's also only found in specific spots in
the Mediterranean sea, as well as off the coast
of China and Japan. As you can imagine,
these limited locations and dangerous depths make them very rare and difficult to gather, which has pushed the precious
corals price up significantly. Just one top quality gram is
valued at a staggering $1,600. Well, money may not grow on trees, but it's definitely growing
at the bottom of the ocean. Fascinating Fulgurite. Lightening may look cool when
it streaks across the sky, but when it hits the ground, it can leave something even
more incredible behind. This is Fulgurite, also known "fossilized lightning". It happens when a lightning
bolt strikes a patch of ground that's rich in the mineral
silica like sand or rock. This mineral melts at a spicy
3,300 degrees Fahrenheit. But lightning's air temperature can reach a fiery 50,000
degrees Fahrenheit. That's five times hotter
than the surface of the sun. So when a lightning
bolt strikes the ground, any silica melts in less
than 1/1000 of a second and fuses together as it cools. When it hits rock, the heat of the discharge sometimes fuses a wedge of the material
into a solid lump of glass. But in sand, it leaves a
curiously hollow tube of glass which is often found in
fragments less than a foot long. However, in very rare cases, the entire branching structure
of the electrical strike can be found perfectly preserved
inside the earth like this. At more than 12 feet long, the branches of this fossilized Fulgurite which was found along the
shores of lake Michigan almost looks like tree roots. But it's far from the longest
fossilized lightening find. In 1996, a lightening
research team discovered this incredible 17-foot-long
streak of Fulgurite running through the
Californian countryside. But because their
structures are so fragile, very few specimens like
this have ever been found. They're so rare and coveted
by the scientific community that anything over six feet is usually whisked away
to the nearest museum. I bet that's one electrifying exhibit. Genuine Jade. Jade is a gorgeous green gemstone that makes for some awe-inspiring
ornaments and jewelry. But as beautiful as it looks, you might be surprised to learn that not all Jade is the same. That's because there's not one, but two distinct mineral species of Jade. The lower of the two grades
is known as Nephrite, a common mineral with an
almost waxy-looking sheen. It's mined all around the world. Jadeite, on the other
hand, is a dense mineral with a rich almost emerald-like brilliance that's mined in just 10 places worldwide. But how do these minerals measure up compared to something hard
and durable like diamond? A mineral's hardness is ranked
through something called the Mohs scale, which runs from 1 to 10. Diamonds, which are one of
the hardest minerals on earth, score a perfect 10. Jadeite scores a respectable 7. But Nephrite only scores about 6. As you can probably tell,
Jadeite's comparative rarity, color and hardness give it
a much higher price point. How high? Well, in 2014, the
Hutton-Mdivani necklace, which is made up of 27 jadeite beads each measuring about half
the width of a thumb, sold for a staggering $27.4 million. That's more than $1,000,000 per bead. Knowing you won't be able to afford this in several lifetimes, is anyone else feeling a little jaded? Stunning Serendibite. Back in 1902, a strange solid mineral was unearthed in the depths of Sri Lanka. It appeared black, but
also held strange hues of yellow, blue and green. Scientists eventually deduced it was a kind of borosilicate mineral, one that had never been seen in a crystalline form like this before. It was comprised of molecules
from many other minerals, such as silicon, magnesium,
boron, calcium and aluminum, which were bound together during an impossibly complex formation process. Despite the mind-numbing
science behind it, this made the mineral's
existence even more amazing. And the incredible discovery
was named Serendibite after Sri Lanka's old
Arabic name Serendib, and miners soon got to work to find more of the mysterious mineral. But they came up short, really short. At one time, less than
five Serendibite specimens were known to exist. Then in 2005, a new Serendibite deposit was miraculously
discovered in nearby Burma. Today, these remained
the only known sources of gem quality Serendibite
on the entire planet. But even with them, fewer than 10 Serendibite
stones of gem quality exist. And this level of rarity
makes them extremely valuable, with raw stones like
this one reaching up to an astonishing $2 million per carat. And that means a single
Serendibite gem weighing just one gram could cost $10 million. Whoa! Overwhelming Opals. Now, there is one type of stone that isn't just rare than a diamond, it's also arguably even more stunning. Opals, like this one, are a form of amorphous hydrated silica. For anyone who's not too
hot on the old science, that's a fancy way of saying it's made up of silicon dioxide and water. As water runs down through the earth, it picks up silica from sandstone and carries this silica-rich solution into the cracks of rocks and even fossils. But as the water evaporates, the shining silica deposit is left behind. This goes on for thousands
of years until an opal forms. And some, like this one, are
unearthed in spectacular style. - Holy moly. Oh! - [Narrator] Crikey, what a beaut? Now, Australia produces around
97% of the world's opals. While most of them come from the world famous Coober Pedy Mines, there is one type that's
found almost exclusively in a called Lightning Ridge. These are Black Opals, one of the rarest gemstones
in the entire world. Unlike a regular opal, the body tone of these
salacious stones is black, which makes the colors refracting
off the silica deposits stand out even more. And the bigger the specimens are, the more breathtaking their colors become, like those of "The Eternal Flame". This 568 carat crystal is the
world's finest uncut opal, weighing in at close to a kilo and valued at more than $675,000. As fine as it is, it's not one of the most
expensive black opals ever found. At 306 carats, the uniquely vivid
green and blue specimen, known as The Royal One, is a truly stunning Black Opal that was discovered by
a miner back in 2005. At first, the scum on its
top led him to believe the opal beneath was of poor quality, but just one cut into it revealed a gem of such rare spectral clarity that it eventually sold for
a staggering $3 million. But it's not just the
sheer size of an opal that can make it rare. As proven by the stunning 72
carat Virgin Rainbow Opal, this extraordinary stone
can refract light so well that even in darkness it's rainbow colors appear to glow vividly. The incredible coloring
and fabulous fluorescence makes this gem, which is only
about the size of a finger, worth a staggering $1 million. Well, it may be expensive, but I guess it does double
up as a fancy night light. Incredible Lapis Lazuli. Just about every spiritual
Susan with a crystal ball and a bandana will claim that their brilliant blue
Incredible Lapis Lazuli stone, or Lapis for short, has magical healing properties. While low grade variants
of this stone are common, high grade variants are incredibly rare. But even then, they're
definitely not magical. Sorry, Susan. Lapis is a rare mineral that's
been prized for centuries. Not because it makes for a striking statue or awe-inspiring ornament,
but for its incredible color. Before 1824, the ultra Marine pigment this blue rock provided to
painters made it more precious and more valuable than gold. It was so expensive that even artists as
famous as Michelangelo simply couldn't afford it. But when a synthetic ultra Marine pigment was developed in 1824, Lapis became even more prized
for its natural imperfections. The glittering crusts running through it are traces of calcite,
pyrite, augite and mica. Minerals which refract
light in different ways when used in paints. This means no two Lapis paints will ever give the same finish, making these pieces of art truly unique. Although in its most prized form, Lapis has no visible calcite and it's midnight blue hue makes the stone look like a matte sapphire. At this top-tier quality, a 20 or even 10 carat cut
is extraordinarily rare. At most that's just four grams. Although that's still enough
to leave you feeling blue. Brilliant Blue Amber. Amber is a rich golden colored gem that usually graces ladies' necklaces and dinosaur enthusiast canes. It's a type of fossilized resin, which is a sticky substance
produced by some trees to protect them against insects and fungi. And as such insects and plants can get trapped in the resin. And as it's left to harden, sometimes for millions of years, their golden prison
eventually becomes Amber. But over in the Dominican Republic, they mine an impossibly
unique type of Amber, which surprisingly doesn't
have that trademark golden hue. Instead, it has a bizarre blue color. The super rare resin that
makes up these specimens came from the now extinct
Hymenaea Protera tree, which was lost around 25
to 40 million years ago. Scientists believe forest
fires involving these trees released hydrocarbons into the atmosphere which in turn got caught in the resin. These hydrocarbons shift
any ultraviolet light, like that in sunshine, down in frequency, resulting in the blue glow. However, when it's held
under artificial light, which doesn't have any ultraviolet rays, it glows golden just like regular Amber. The limited availability of such a stone has fueled its popularity in recent years, with penny sized chunks
selling for upwards of $2,000. At more than $450 per gram, this smokey old tree sap
is worth more than gold. And they say money doesn't grow on trees. Fierce Fire Obsidian. Obsidian is a kind of
volcanic glass formed by lava or magma flows that are rich in silica, making them really thick, viscous, and weirdly satisfying to watch. While most flows cool gradually, some flows are chilled rapidly by a water source like the sea. It cools so quickly that the lava's atoms can't arrange themselves into their usual crystalline structure, and the result is a smooth
textured volcanic rock that fractures like glass. - Holy (indistinct). - [Narrator] But sometimes there is something seriously stunning trapped inside that glass. Those colorful layers are from
a beautifully rare specimen of Fire Obsidian. Unlike regular obsidian, that kaleidoscope of
color comes from layers of magnetite nanocrystals
which formed thin layers in the rock as the lava hit the water. These layers refract light
much better than the host body of the obsidian, producing these vivid and fiery colorations. But as you might imagine,
this marvelous magnetite mix isn't a common occurrence. In fact, true Fire Obsidian
has only ever been found in the volcanic highlands of Oregon, although there are other
slightly less vibrant obsidian specimens around
the world like this one. This is the aptly named Rainbow Obsidian. While its color is also caused by the distribution of
magnetite nanocrystals, the muted color of rainbow obsidian occurs in much thicker striations. Though, personally, I don't
think it's any less impressive than its fiery friend. But if you had the chance, would you rather own a sliver
of vibrant fire obsidian or a huge chunk of rainbow obsidian? Let me know down in the comments. Astounding Alexandrite. Back in the 1830s, a miner
in Russia's Ural mountains, really struck gold, or more accurately, Alexandrite. At first glance, this
enchantingly clear stone doesn't appear all that
special until you see it in a different light, literally. Because it has trace amounts of chromium inside the crystal structure, the stone appears Emerald green
or peacock blue in daylight, but Ruby red or amethyst purple
under incandescent light. At the time of its
discovery, red and green just so happened to be Imperial
Russia's primary colors. So it's no wonder the aristocracy named
the color shifting stone after their beloved leader, Czar Alexander II. - What an honor! - [Narrator] As you can imagine, specimens with strong and
distinct color changing properties are rare and highly desirable. Though Alexandrite has since
been discovered in Sri Lanka, Africa and Brazil, the vibrancy of its color shift differs depending on where it was mined although it all sells
at a very high price. How high? Well, at its highest quality, a single carrot of Alexandrite can sell for upwards of $40,000. That means stones like this
superb 27 carrot specimen would be worth well more than $1 million. But for two captivating
colors in one precious stone, I'd say it's worth every penny. The Mother of All Pearls. While they're not technically stones, the perfect appearance of pearls means they're still a coveted gem. They're made when something small, like a grain of sand or a piece of shell, finds its way inside an
oyster. clam or mollusk. To protect itself, the host secretes a
substance called nacre, which usually coats
the inside of its shell to protect it from parasites. Slowly the nacre builds
up around the irritant and the painstaking Pearl
building process begins, with wild pearls taking up to seven years to successfully form. But depending on how
large the irritant is, the resulting Pearl can
be any size or shape. And some mollusks can
even have multiple pearls tucked inside their shells. Usually, the rounder
these lustrous orbs are, the rarer they're considered to be, although there is one colossal
exception to this rule. Known as the Pearl of Puerto, this planet-sized Pearl was discovered inside a giant clam in the
Philippines back in 2006. Weighing a gargantuan 75 pounds while measuring 26 inches in
length and 12 inches wide, it's considered to be the
largest Pearl in the world, but its wondrous weight makes it a staggering 170,000 carats, meaning it's valued at
an insane $100 million. While nobody knows just
how long it took the clam to make this prominent pearl, it's clear that whatever
irritant started it was bothering it for quite some time. Amazing Ammolite. Now, pearls aren't the
world's only organic gem. Found almost exclusively in the slopes of North America's Bearpaw Formation, ammolite is a gemstone that can dazzle you with its incredible color and
its unusual spiraling shapes. This gem forms in the fossilized shells of prehistoric animals called Ammonites. Like oysters and clams,
these were marine mollusks. And though they went extinct
some 65 million years ago, they've left behind a colorful legacy. This is because the
shells contain aragonite, the same mineral that
makes up a mollusk nacre. The thin platelets that
this mineral is composed of have crystallized over time, which interfere with the
light and bounce it back in a variety of iridescent colors. Reds and greens are most commonly seen inside these great swirling spirals with some crystallized
chunks sporting a texture that makes it look like dragon skin. Because gem quality
ammolite can only be found in the Bearpaw Mountains, the incredibly colored gem is
considered to be much rarer than a diamond. And its price certainly reflects that. Depending on the vibrancy of their color, large fossils like this
18 inch diameter specimen can be sold for upwards
of a whopping $125,000. Oh, anyone else think that price is spiraling out of control? Sus Snake Pearl. Now, we've learned that some
mollusks can make pearls, but have you ever heard of
snakes producing pearls? Sometimes called a cobra pearl,
snakes pearl or nagamani, these are smooth lens-shaped stones that are supposedly found in
the heads and tails of snakes, like this one. In African, Indian and Asian folklore, it's thought that holding these
stones against a snake bite can have a healing effect. But unlike a mollusk, there is absolutely nothing
in a snake's anatomy that would cause a stone like
this to form in its body. And sadly, many of these stones
turn out to be dark glass or burnt animal horn inserted
into the snake by humans all for the sake of fueling this folklore. Well, personally, I
reckon this video was made with a common black bead
and a lot of iMovie edits, purely to fuel the cruel Cobra Pearl myth. What about you? Let me know what you think
that black stone really is down in the comments. A Pallasite To Behold. On a clear night, you
might be lucky enough to spot meteorites streaking
brightly like diamonds across the sky. But some of these space rocks have more in common with
diamonds than you realize. This is a Pallasite meteorite
from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This honeycomb of crystal and rock is made up of minerals and metals from the time the solar
system was first formed, around 4.5 billion years ago. While the rock is mainly made
up of iron and nickel metal, the crystals are a mineral called Olivine. These crystals are of such high purity that they've been adopted
as the scientific standard for the composition of Olivine, which on earth is more
commonly known as Peridot. Although it's still expensive, earth's volcanic Peridot has comparatively high
concentrations of impurities in it, meaning its quality is far less than that found in Pallasite. To add to its rarity, there are only about 93
Pallasite specimens like this known to man. And while some are small, others are huge. So just imagine the excitement that this scientist, Randy Korotev, felt upon seeing this
massive Pallasite specimen. It had been found by a
confused farmer in his field back in 2006, but it wasn't until two avid
meteorite hunters spotted it that it was handed into
Washington University in 2011 for testing. They didn't just confirm
that it was pure Pallasite, but by their estimates
and the dirty looking rock was worth a whopping $850,000. I guess you could say
the price of these stones is out of this world. Marvelous Mercury Stone. But Pallasites are far from the only rare meteorites
streaking across the night sky. Although, at first glance, the uninspiringly named NWA 7325 meteorite doesn't look half as pretty
as its Palisade cousin, but it's actually much, much rarer. And that's because NWA
7325 didn't form randomly out in the depths of
space, but on Mercury. At just 345 grams, this little green rock is barely bigger than a human fist, but despite its size, scientists were able to determine
that it's high magnesium and chromium content closely matched that of the solar
system's smallest planet. And it's that densely packed
chromium oxide component which is often used as
a pigment for green dyes that gives the stone it's green hue. Not to mention its magnetism matched that of Mercury's exactly. This is like an episode
of "CSI: Solar System". To date, scientists know
of about 180 meteorites that have hit Earth from
the Moon and 70 from Mars, but this was the first and currently only meteorite from mercury. Being the only specimen
of its kind to date makes it without a doubt the
rarest of all stones on Earth. While no one has dared to
put a dollar value on it, I don't think it's too farfetched to say that this stone is priceless. Have you ever seen any of
these rare rocks in person or even held one? Let me know down in the comments below. And thanks for watching. (upbeat music)
