Imagine holding a gem that exists in a single verified crystal on the entire planet. That’s kyawthuite for you. Discovered in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in 2010, this rare orange-red beauty is officially the rarest gemstone known to science.
Only one faceted specimen has ever been found—weighing a modest 1.61 carats. To put that in perspective, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning while holding a winning lottery ticket than to ever see this stone in person.
Why so rare? Its chemical formula is a bizarre mix of bismuth, antimony, and oxygen (Bi3+Sb5+O4, if you’re into geeky stuff). It doesn’t just look rare; it’s chemically impossible for most places on Earth to produce.
But Wait—Is That It? What About Other Contenders?
Before you shout “What about painite?”—yes, painite is famously rare, but not this rare. Painite has a few hundred known crystals; kyawthuite has one. Then there’s grandidierite (beautiful blue-green, found in Madagascar) and jeremejevite (colorless to pale blue), both ultra-rare but still available in tiny amounts.
And let’s not forget red beryl—sometimes called “red emerald”—which is 8,000 times rarer than diamond. Yet even red beryl has multiple mines. Kyawthuite? Nope. Just that one little superstar.
So yes, kyawthuite sits alone on the throne. The Guinness World Records agrees: it’s officially the rarest gemstone. Take that, all other sparkly rocks!
What Is The Rarest Gemstones In The World | Detroit Chinatown
