
These two countries alone account for about 5,000 tons of amethyst production annually, the bulk used for decorative purposes. The bulk of these larger amethyst clusters used for decoration are mined in Brazil and Uruguay from very extensive basalt flows. Larger crystal clusters and geodes are relatively common and can be quite stunning.

“Siberian” amethyst prices can go up substantially from there.Īmethyst is extremely popular for decorative and ornamental purposes. Typically with amethyst, the labor that goes into faceting the stone is going to represent the bulk of the price of the cut gemstone.įor some price context, faceted amethyst gemstones from India may sell for as little as $2 per carat where some of the material with better color from brazil will sell for $5-10/caret. This is because unlike those other gemstones, amethyst is typically found as larger crystals so the size of the raw material isn’t a constraining factor. Unlike diamonds and rubies where gemstones get exponentially more expensive the larger they are, the price of amethyst gemstones increases gradually with size. While amethyst and black calcite geodes might be the most valuable, don’t overlook the dozens of varieties!Ĭrystal quartz geodes are vibrant and complement a crystal lamp nicely.Amethyst from Brazil faceted into gemstones for jewelry. Geodes are a stunning natural phenomenon. The museum is located an hour’s drive time from Cairns International Airport and has an amazing crystal and mineral collection for you to view. I provided a link above but if you wondering where Crystal Caves is located in Australia then look no further. The Empress of Uruguay makes for the ultimate Tik Tok or Instagram post.

So, add this to your bucket list when visiting Australia.

This beautiful Amethyst geode is now on display at the Crystal Caves in Australia which means everyone can enjoy Mother Nature’s creation. If a bidding war started then I’d expect this geode to sell for well north of $150,000. There’s no telling what it would sell for because it’s so unique and there’s only one in the world. If it was sold today then more than likely it would go to auction. The geode was purchased in 2007 for $75,000.00 USD and the current owners dished out an additional $25,000.00 USD to ship the massive geode across the ocean. This is why, although not the largest geode, the Empress of Uruguay geode is the most valuable! However, amethysts are a much rarer crystal variety. These caverns are just giant geodes underground, which is impressive. Ohio’s Crystal Caves are considered the largest geode ever discovered, over 30 feet in width. The Pulpi Geode stretches for over eight miles and is almost two miles wide. The two largest geodes are the Pulpi Geode in Spain and Ohio’s Crystal Cave. This means it towers over even the tallest men and has a vast, open cavity displaying its purple interior.Īlthough this geode is the most valuable and largest amethyst, it’s not the largest geode. It stands at 3.27 meters, or 10.73 feet tall. Not only was this geode the most valuable, but it was also the largest amethyst ever found.

The discovery of the Empress of Uruguay was a game-changer in many ways. The Artigas mine is known to produce some of the highest quality Amethyst geodes but the Empress of Uruguay is the world’s most valuable. This crystal took three months for miners to extract the geode from the solid basalt and geologists believe it took at least 130 million years to form. It is valued at over $150,000 US dollars and is currently housed in a crystal museum in Australia. The Empress of Uruguay Geode is the most valuable geode ever found. Amethyst is a semi-precious gemstone of the Quartz variety and the highest quality is royal purple in color and occasionally has a blue flash. The most valuable geode ever found was the Empress of Uruguay, which is made of Amethyst and has a couple of Calcite crystals as well. However, amethyst and black calcite geodes are the most expensive. The most common are clear quartz and limestone geodes since they typically form near water deposits. Geodes are a cluster of crystals that form inside an air pocket, water pocket, or other hollow patches inside the Earth.
