Given its brilliance and rarity, tsavorite offers incredible value, at a quarter to half the cost of emerald. This is why people say it’s like a Rolls Royce at Cadillac prices -- an appraisal that’s hard for collectors to pass up.

Cortez Pearls are the most rare cultured pearls in the world, with only 4000 produced annually. They display a rainbow of color unlike any other pearl because they are produced by the rainbow-lipped pearl oyster, found only in Baja, Mexico, and northern Peru.

Every gemstone has a long and unique history of usage and significance. These layers of meaning make jewelry endlessly fascinating for the collector. They also make it hard to choose favorites. What is your favorite gem?

There’s a reason gemstones are so valuable. Not only are they rare and beautiful, they require a tremendous amount of resources to retrieve from the earth. The average consumer doesn’t know where their gemstone came from, let alone what mining methods and labor practices were used to extract it.