Since natural carnelian is quite rare, much of the carnelian on the market is actually dyed agate.ĭarker red-brown carnelian is often traded as 'sard'. It is one of the oldest gemstones and was often used for making signet or seal rings in ancient Rome. Some gems being marketed as 'red beryl' or 'bixbite' are actually pezzottaite, another rare red gemstone, but pezzottaite is not quite as valuable as red bixbite beryl.Ĭarnelian is a brownish-red to reddish-orange variety of chalcedony quartz. The mine is known to produce roughly 5,000 to 7,000 carats per year and markets the rare red beryl as 'red emerald'. Bixbite is mined mostly from the United States at the Gemstone Mining Company in Southwestern Utah. A 2 to 3 carat bixbite would be considered huge and clean well-cut pieces would easily demand top prices. Many bixbite specimens have sold for tens of thousands of dollars per carat, but it is rarely found weighing over 1 carat. Even though emerald belongs to the elite group of 'the precious 4 gemstones', red beryl is considered to be one of the rarest gem types in the world and because so, it is also one of the most valuable too. Red beryl is known in the trade as bixbite, and because of its rarity, it is fairly unheard of by the general public.

The trade name has become widely accepted, but it is still often referred to as just 'andesine', in addition to other names, such as 'red labradorite' and 'Congo sunstone'.Īlthough green emerald is traditionally the most famous member of the beryl family, red beryl is the rarest of all. Soon after the shocking discovery of andesine's true chemical composition and origins, 'andesine' was renamed to 'andesine-labradorite' to ensure it would not mislead gemstone buyers. After its introduction to the gem market, it was discovered to be a color-enhanced variety of labradorite to much surprise, it was not actually 'andesine' at all. The gem was first traded as 'andesine', named after the Andes Mountains where it was thought to be first discovered. Through iridescence, andesine-labradorite can exhibit various ranges of color depending on the viewing angle.Īndesine-labradorite was originally traded without disclosure of treatment, which in turn led to controversy regarding its origin when it was first introduced. It usually occurs with traces of orange or green and yellow and is known to exhibit a faint metallic schiller similar to that of sunstone or labradorite, hence its name. Andesine labradorite is a relatively 'new' gemstone often found with stunning red color.

Black gemstones names