Radiant Rocks

Actor and avid jewellery collector Elizabeth Taylor once claimed: “I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can’t possess radiance; you can only admire it.” And admire we do. Our fascination with the natural brilliance of precious stones has endured for thousands of years, manifesting today in recordbreaking, multimillion-dollar auctions and a global race to unearth the next colossal cache of rubies, coloured diamonds, and emeralds, among others. Here, we highlight historic notes and recent statistics for 10 types of gems — both classic and up-and-coming — catching the eyes of collectors and investors, with blue diamonds garnering the highest price per carat and the Paraiba tourmaline looking like a new contender.