10 Rarest White Stones for Jewelry

Many of the popular gems in their purest form are colorless. People often refer to these as ‘white’ because they reflect all colors of light equally, just like a white light source. Interestingly, even those minerals that produce the rarest colored gems likewise yield white stones. It may thus surprise you that the very expensive white diamond is not the rarest of them all. Here are the ten rarest white stones in jewelry.

Rarest of White Stones: Taaffeite

Taaffeite is a rare mineral, which the Austrian gemologist Richard Taaffe first discovered in 1945, hence the name ‘taaffeite.’ Though typically found in shades of pink, mauve or violet, taaffeite also occurs in white stones. Taaffeite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world, and the colorless stones are even rarer. This is because taaffeite occurs in only a limited number of locations, including Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Madagascar.

2nd Rarest of White Stones: Poudretteite

The third rarest of colorless gemstones is poudretteite. A relatively new gem, poudretteite first became known in the mid-1960s at Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada, and did not see recognition as a distinct mineral until 1987. While poudretteite also occurs in shades of pink, purple and red, the very first crystals were either colorless or nearly colorless.

Poudretteite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world. There were only seven white stones known before the discovery of a new deposit in Myanmar.

The rarity of colorless poudretteite is due to several factors. At first poudretteite came exclusively from the Poudrette quarry in Canada, and even these colorless stones were too small for cutting. While poudretteite later appeared in Myanmar, the stones tend to be pink or reddish in color. Additionally, the white stones come in very small crystals, difficult to cut into gems. Overall, both the limited number of sources and the difficulty of obtaining high-quality gemstones contribute to poudrette’s rarity and consequently high value in the market.

White jeremejevite
From DonGuennie (G-Empire The World Of Gems), CC BY-SA 4.0

3rd Rarest of White Stones: Jeremejevite

Jeremejevite is a rare gemstone from the borate mineral group. The stone first came to light in 1883, when the Russian mineralogist Pavel Jeremejev discovered the mineral in Siberia, wherefore the substance obtained its name. Jeremejevite occurs in a range of colors – including blue and yellowish brown – but the same gem also comes in a colorless variety.

Jeremejevite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world. Though more common compared to the much-coveted blue, colorless jeremejevite is exceptionally rare too. There are several factors that contribute to the rarity of jeremejevite. First, the stone occurs in a limited number of locations worldwide – including Russia, Namibia, Afghanistan and Tanzania – of which gem-quality colorless jeremejevite comes mostly from the Erongo Mountains of Namibia. Moreover, the gemstone occurs in small or thin crystals, difficult to cut and facet into gems.

4th Rarest of White Stones: Musgravite

Musgravite is a rare gemstone from the taaffeite group of minerals. This stone first came to light in 1967 in the Musgrave Ranges of South Australia, hence the name ‘musgravite.’ Ranging in hue from grayish green to brownish red, musgravite also occurs in white stones. This stone is one of the rarest gemstones in the world on account of its occurrence in only a few locations, including Tanzania and Greenland.

5th Rarest of White Stones: Phenakite

Phenakite is a rare, hard gemstone consisting of beryllium silicate. While phenakite occurs in a range of colors – including yellow, pink and brown – the mineral most commonly comes in white stones. The absence of impurities in the crystal allows the occurrence of the colorless variety.

The availability of phenakite in the market is very limited. Cut gems of phenakite are thus rare, seldom seen in jewelry stores. The reason comes down to the limited occurrence of phenakite in nature. Large colorless specimens are especially scarce. If they are not too small, the white stones are often too flawed or too irregularly shaped for cutting. As a result, phenakite is usually only accessible to collectors and connoisseurs of rare gems. This stone comes from several locations worldwide, including Brazil, Madagascar, Russia and the United States.

A recently discovered variety of phenakite is even rarer. Cat’s eye phenakite is highly sought-after for its chatoyant or “cat’s eye” effect, which causes a narrow band of light to appear on the surface of the stone, thus creating the appearance of a slit eye or cat’s eye. This optical phenomenon comes from the reflection of light off parallel fibrous inclusions within the crystal.

6th Rarest of White Stones: Garnet

Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that commonly figure in jewelry due to their beauty and durability. Colorless garnet is a variety of garnet mineral that is transparent, lacking any visible color. There are several different species of garnet, each with its unique chemical composition and physical properties. The colorless stones particularly come from the grossular and andradite species. In the former, the white stone goes by the name ‘leuco garnet,’ from the Greek for “white.” The colorlessness of white garnet is due to the absence of any trace elements that would otherwise give color to the crystals.

The colorless stones are arguably the rarest of natural garnets, since this mineral does not typically produce completely white stones, which are in consequence less commonly mined than other varieties of garnet. In addition, the colorless stones that do come to light occur in small sizes, difficult to cut and facet into gems. On account of both their rarity and beauty, colorless garnets are valuable. The white stones occur in a few locations around the world, including Tanzania and Canada.

7th Rarest of White Stones: Sapphire

White sapphire is the pure variety of precious corundum, which is also the mineral that makes up rubies. This white stone is a durable and brilliant gem that often figures as an alternative to diamond in jewelry. As the name suggests, white sapphire is typically white or colorless, although it can have a slightly grayish tint. The colorlessness of white sapphire is due to the absence of any impurities or color-causing elements, such as iron or titanium.

Since corundum rarely occurs in white stones and most of the time contains color-causing elements, white sapphire is quite rare and hence valuable. Large high-quality white sapphires are even rare, and thus pricier. The white stones come from several locations around the world, including Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Tanzania.

8th Rarest of White Stones: Spinel

Though most popular in red and blue, spinel also occurs in white stones, whose transparent appearance allows it to resemble diamond, white sapphire and other colorless stones. In fact, on account of its high hardness and durability, white spinel sometimes serves as a substitute for diamond in jewelry. The lack of color in white spinel is due to the absence of impurities that would otherwise cause color in the stone.

White spinel is extremely rare. The colorless stones occur less frequently in nature than other colors of spinel – such as red, blue or pink – and accordingly do not commonly appear in the market. While colorless spinel occurs in a variety of locations around the world – including Myanmar and Vietnam – the most notable source is Sri Lanka.

It is worth noting that although white spinel is rare compared to other white stones, the stone is still relatively affordable and accessible. The demand for white spinel is relatively low – especially when compared to highly sought-after colorless gems, such as white sapphire or diamond. Hence, the colorless spinel commands lower prices despite its rarity.

9th. Diamond

White diamond is arguably the most popular of gems. The white stones are colorless or nearly colorless, having little or no visible color. The absence of any impurities or color-causing elements, such as nitrogen or boron, causes the colorlessness of white diamonds.

White diamonds are rare, and high-quality diamonds even rarer. In fact, less than half of diamonds produced in the mines are suitable for jewelry. Large, high-quality white diamonds over 10 carats, moreover, are exceptionally rare.

Diamonds are scarce due to the rarity of their occurrence. Composed of pure carbon, diamonds form deep within the Earth’s mantle under high pressure and temperature, and come to the surface through volcanic eruptions. Magma destroys diamonds in the process, hence the rarity of the white stones. Diamonds come from several locations around the world, including Russia, Australia, Botswana and Canada. See —

Goshenite
From DonGuennie (G-Empire The World Of Gems)r, CC BY-SA 4.0

10th. Goshenite

Goshenite is a colorless variety of the mineral beryl, which is the same mineral that makes up emeralds and aquamarines. The white stones often serve as substitutes for diamonds in jewelry. The colorlessness of goshenite is due to the absence of any color-causing elements, such as iron or chromium.

Goshenite is a relatively rare gemstone. Though goshenite occurs in large white stones suitable for cutting into beautiful gems, high-quality large crystals remain relatively rare and hence more valuable. Goshenite comes from several locations around the world, including Brazil, Madagascar and the United States.

Rarer White Stones Not Always More Expensive

White stones provide a very vivid example that value does not always reflect rarity. A gemstone may be rare but not in high demand, and thus holds lower value. Indeed, while the rarer colorless stones, such as musgravite or poudretteite, can be more expensive than white diamond, the less common yet less sought-after white spinel is in fact far less valuable. Ultimately, the popularity of a gemstone stemming from its beauty heavily determines its value.

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For all white or colorless stones, see also:

Exploring the White Diamond

The author wrote this article while doing research for his book on diamonds. In doing so, he learned that white diamonds are less rare than other colorless gems, yet still more expensive. His book, ‘Diamond, Its Magic and History,’ is currently still in progress. In the meantime, check his other book —

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About the Author

Jomar Pandan

Jomar ‘Deomar’ Pandan is the author of Power Birthstone. He’s on the fourth draft of a high-fantasy novel, Cybelym, and the first of a historical fiction, Gem Faerie. He hopes to release a nonfiction book about diamond soon. Follow him for updates. Or see his jewelry and designs.

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