The tourmaline is the birthstone of the month of October. Tourmaline is the gemstone with the widest variety of colours, from colourless to black, to all the spectral colours. Some tourmalines are even polychrome, i.e. they have several colours, either in the elongation of the crystal or concentrically from the center of the crystal, such as watermelon tourmaline.
Some varieties of tourmalines have specific names, such as rubellite for red tourmaline, indicolite for blue tourmaline, or schorl for black tourmaline, while others are merely referred by their colour.
The quality of a beautiful tourmaline depends on its colour and clarity. The most valuable is the Paraiba tourmaline, originally hailing from the region Paraiba in Brazil, with its electric blue/green colour due to trace amounts of copper (Cu). Copper bearing tourmalines have also been found in Mozambique and Nigeria, however, purists consider the Brazilian stones superior.
Where is Tourmaline found?
Tourmaline is found in Madagascar, Russia and Sri Lanka, but Brazil is still the main producer. Since the 2000s, Mozambique and Nigeria have joined the list, but unfortunately do not offer the same quality of colour. Afghanistan has also been noted in recent years for its production of very pure, but generally rather pale, polychrome tourmalines.
Tourmaline is a fascinating and relatively affordable stone. A raw crystal can make a great decoration that will get you a lot of attention! Faceted stones can be mounted in any form of jewellery, as tourmaline is very durable and comes in large sizes perfect for “cocktail” rings.