What are the most expensive gems that are ever bought in a sphere shape?

Question

I want the few most expensive, in order if possible. Do they ever make diamonds or other expensive gems into spheres? Are pearls the only ones? Or aren't pearls even very expensive?

Answer 1

The most expensive stones are the rarest, reguardless of cut. The rarest stones in order (top 10)
http://www.curiousnotions.com/home/gemstones.html

They make beads out of the poorer quality stones, you can buy them many places, but they just don't look as good. A sphere has no depth the way a faceted stone does. They come in any gem you want for reasonable prices.
http://www.firemountaingems.com/gemstonebeads.asp

They make things like paperweights and home decor in larger spheres out of fine gems. These spheres usually aren't as valuable since they are mostly mineral quality stones and not gem quality stones. Most gem quality stones are cut into jewelry, and usually are faceted when cut.
http://www.broadrivergemsandmining.com/spheres.html

You can find cabochons, but they are rare. Cabochons are a rounded cut stone, think about how an opal looks to get an idea. Gem quality stones cut into a cabochon are very expensive because of thier rarity.
http://www.crystalarium.com/products.asp?keywords=cabochon&sort=11

Good pearls are very expensive, even more so if they are uncultured. Most pearls on the market today are cultured, meaning that they are grown and harvested at a farm of oysters. Uncultured pearls are the ones that are gathered by divers out of the oceans and sea. It's not common anymore, it's practically non-existent, you see them only in antiques. I once saw an uncultured pearl necklace at an estate auction, the starting bid was $100,000. The final price was $350,000. I see diamond tennis necklaces that sell for less!
Cultured pearls vary in price, just like any other gem. Size, color, luster, qualtity.... determines price the way the 4 C's do in diamonds. Saltwater pearls are more expensive than fresh, and rounds are more expensive than the ovals and oblongs. Natural fancy colors can run more than the whites and creams. Artificially colored pearls, are less expensive.
Read more at:
http://www.pearl-guide.com/