ROCK STARS IN THE MAKING

Savvy collectors are gravitating towards lesser-known gemstones with a rarity that makes them investment-worthy.

In the world of gemstones, the Big

Four – rubies, emeralds, diamonds and sapphires – are among the most appealing for their investment value and beauty. Increasingly, however, other coloured gems have been basking in the spotlight as collectibles – their value enhanced by the rarity of finding them displaying astounding colours in a natural state.

Alexandrite, red beryl and grandidierite are just three of the top 10 rarest gems. As testament to their appeal, jewellery houses have been featuring them in collections.

Singapore-based luxury jeweller Caratell, for instance, debuted a high jewellery line in 2017 dedicated to red beryl. In terms of scarcity, a 2-carat red beryl is as difficult to find as a 40-carat diamond.

In another example, luxury Italian brand Rubeus debuted a collection featuring ultra-rare alexandrite (a crimson/green colour-changing chrysoberyl) just last year. Even in the auction world, rare stones have made headway, with a 4.78 carat grandidierite selling at a Phillips auction last year for US$52,500 (S$73,000).