Birthstones have captivated people for centuries and over time have become prized collector’s items. The rarest and finest gemstones often end up in museums like the Smithsonian. While top-quality gems from each month can command high prices, some are far more valuable than others.
Below is a ranking of birthstones by typical market value, along with what makes each stone unique and notes on record-setting specimens. Price figures reflect average values per kilogram at the time of publication; individual stones vary widely in price depending on cut, clarity, color and overall quality.
12. Peridot
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Month peridot represents: August
Average price: $500/kg
Most expensive peridot on record: ~ $18,000
Peridot, often called chrysolite, is the light green birthstone for August. Though emerald typically fetches higher prices, peridot is admired for its distinct olive-green tone and often excellent clarity. Peridot’s sparkle remains vivid under artificial light, earning it the nickname “the evening emerald.” Clear, richly colored specimens are favored for jewelry and can reach significant prices.
11. Amethyst
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Month amethyst represents: February
Average price: $600/kg
Most expensive amethyst on record: ~ $300,000–$400,000
Amethyst is a widely available purple quartz with a Mohs hardness of 7, making it suitable for many types of jewelry. While commonly affordable, large, deeply colored crystals—especially those with intense red-purple tones—can demand higher prices. Amethyst remains popular for both decorative specimens and fine jewelry.
10. Topaz
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Month topaz represents: November
Average price: $24,000/kg
Most expensive topaz on record: ~ $148,800
Topaz, a silica-based mineral, occurs in many colors and has a Mohs hardness of 8, making it durable and suitable for all kinds of jewelry. While colorless topaz has little value, richly colored varieties—such as imperial topaz, deep blue or intense orange—are much more prized. Brazil is the largest producer of natural topaz, though notable deposits exist in other countries as well.
9. Garnet
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Month garnet represents: January
Average price: $400,000/kg
Most expensive garnet on record: ~ $316,000
Garnets come in a broad spectrum of colors, with red varieties among the most well known. They are sometimes compared to rubies but generally show more orange tones, different clarity characteristics and lower durability. Despite that, certain rare and large garnets can be highly valuable. The largest star garnet on record weighed thousands of carats and is part of a notable private collection.
8. Emerald
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Month emerald represents: May
Average price: $500,000/kg
Most expensive emerald on record: $5.5 million
Emeralds are a green variety of beryl prized for rich, vivid color. They typically have a Mohs hardness around 7.5–8 and usually contain inclusions, so exceptionally clear stones with deep color command top prices. Colombia is famous for producing some of the finest emeralds, and historically significant stones—like the Rockefeller emerald—have sold for multi-million-dollar sums at auction.
7. Opal
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Month opal represents: October
Average price: $700,000/kg
Most expensive opal on record: ~ $1 million
Opals range from plain common types to spectacular precious opals that display a “play-of-color”—shifts and flashes of multiple hues as the stone moves. Australian precious opal is among the most sought-after, with black opal and finely patterned specimens commanding the highest prices. Exceptional museum-quality opals have reached valuations around the million-dollar mark.
6. Aquamarine
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Month aquamarine represents: March
Average price: $750,000/kg
Most expensive aquamarine on record: ~ $1.5 million
Aquamarine shows a pale blue to greenish-blue color and is valued for its clarity and size. It rates about 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, so it is durable enough for rings and necklaces. Large, transparent aquamarines—especially those with intense color—can reach very high prices. Notable finds have produced exceptionally large crystals weighing hundreds of thousands of carats.
5. Tanzanite
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Month tanzanite represents: December
Average price: $1,000,000/kg
Most expensive tanzanite on record: ~ $3.3 million
Tanzanite, a blue-to-violet variety of zoisite, is prized for its vivid color and pleochroic nature—its color can appear different from different angles. With a Mohs hardness around 6–6.5, it’s less durable than corundum gems and is often kept as collectible specimens rather than everyday jewelry. Tanzanite’s rarity—currently found primarily in a narrow region of Tanzania—adds to its value.
4. Sapphire
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Month sapphire represents: September
Average price: $1,750,000/kg
Most expensive sapphire on record: $6.7 million
Sapphire is the blue variety of corundum and rates 9 on the Mohs scale, equal in hardness to ruby. While blue is most familiar, sapphires occur in many colors known as “fancy sapphires.” Color saturation and depth are the primary drivers of value—intense, velvety blues, particularly from regions such as Kashmir, are the most sought-after and often fetch record prices.
3. Ruby
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Month ruby represents: July
Average price: $3,500,000/kg
Most expensive ruby on record: $14.2 million
Rubies are prized for their vivid red hues and exceptional durability, with a Mohs hardness of 9. They are the red variety of corundum; trace elements give them their color. Large, clear, intensely colored rubies—especially those of Burmese origin—can reach astronomical prices. Exceptional stones such as the Jubilee Ruby have sold for multimillion-dollar sums at auction.
2. Alexandrite
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Month alexandrite represents: June
Average price: $5,000,000/kg
Most expensive alexandrite on record: ~ $100,000
Alexandrite, a rare color-changing variety of chrysoberyl or beryllium-bearing minerals, is prized for its dramatic shift from green in daylight to red or purplish-red under incandescent light. Its color-change quality, combined with scarcity and desirable hardness (around 8.5), makes fine alexandrite one of the most valuable gemstones. Large cut alexandrites are especially rare and command premium prices.
1. Diamond
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Month diamond represents: April
Average price: $6,000,000/kg
Most expensive diamond on record: $71.2 million
Diamond is the most recognizable and oft-coveted gemstone. Composed entirely of carbon in a crystalline lattice, diamonds are prized for extreme hardness and brilliance. Gem-quality diamonds are relatively rare, and stones with exceptional color—such as rare pink, blue or vivid fancy colors—can sell for tens of millions of dollars. The Pink Star and other famous auctioned stones illustrate how far diamond prices can climb for extraordinary examples.
The values above are general averages; actual prices depend on each stone’s specific characteristics. Collectors and buyers should evaluate color, clarity, cut, carat weight and provenance when assessing a gemstone’s true market value.