This Asian gemstone is more expensive than diamonds and gold! We are talking about jadeite, a type of jade mostly found in Myanmar, and its most searched color is called Imperial Green. A known example of a jewel made of jadeite is the Hutton-Mdivani necklace, which belonged to a rich heiress named Barbara Hutton. What people are most interested in this necklace is its beauty and value since it’s believed it comes from the courts of the Qing dynasty.
According to experts like Gem Rock Auctions and Secret Garden of Gems, jadeite is made under pressure in geological subduction zones, which makes it very rare and special. From now and then, we heard about the discovery of personal objects from ancient times which have become very valuable. So, let’s find out more about this gemstone!
The rarest and most expensive mineral
When we think about valuable and stable metals, we tend to say gold is the best in the world when it comes to matching these adjectives. Its price has increased due to global economy instability, and it’s currently valued over $3,300 per troy ounce. Someone who owns 926 troy ounces of gold, will be able to earn around $3 million! I know, that’s a lot of money, but what if we told you there’s a gemstone even more valuable than gold? That’s right, jadeite is that gemstone. If we compare it to gold, one carat of jadeite is worth similar to all 926 ounces of gold. So, you would get more money for less amount of jadeite.
Jadeite
The first thing we should know is that there are two types of jade: jadeite and nephrite. This jadeite gemstone is known as the most expensive mineral worldwide. Throughout history, jadeite has been highly valued for its aesthetic beauty and durability, that’s why it was used as tools and ornaments.
It belongs to the pyroxene groups of minerals and it’s very resistant, even more than a diamond! That’s one of the main reasons why jadeite is great for luxury jewelry.
Nephrite v. Jadeite
To have a clear idea of what’s the difference between the two types of jade, you should know nephrite is more accessible and less expensive than jadeite because the latter has a wider range of colors. However, the most desired is the Imperial Green since this color tone is purer and brighter than an emerald, so now you know why so many people want this gemstone.
Where to find this gemstone
Jadeite is formed in geological subduction zones, where there is a combination of high pressure and low temperature. These are the necessary conditions for this gemstone to be crystallized, this process occurs in the border of the continental plates which limit many places in the world where jadeite is found in its natural state.
Proper names of these places
There are many countries where this gemstone has been found, but where there is the most is Myanmar. This is an Asian country that has 70% of jadeite global supply used for jewelry. According to data from Gems Rock Auctions, other places that have jadeite deposits are: California, Guatemala, Japan, Russia and Kazakhstan.
The most expensive jadeite necklace in the world
Since we mentioned jadeite jewelry, let’s see which is the most expensive necklace made with this gemstone, shall we? There is a famous necklace called the Hutton-Mdivani necklace with 27 jadeite beads of great purity, color and unusually big, which justify the price. It’s also important to now a bit of the history of this necklace, which belonged to the heiress Barbara Hutton, from the Woolworth empire, known for her huge jewelry collection including rare pieces and of great historic value.
Now, let’s talk about figures. In 2024, this piece of jewelry was sold for $27.4 million and it became the most expensive jewelry ever sold. Would you ever buy something like this for these crazy amounts of money? I mean, it would be a very valuable possession from history.