Paraiba Tourmaline - ING24

Beautiful, colorful, phenomenal tourmaline may be the world’s most versatile and varied gemstone.

Tourmaline is available in more colors than any other gemstone, so it is fitting that it serves as the birthstone for October, when the seasons change in the Northern hemisphere and trees are alive with color.  In addition to its status as the October birthstone, tourmaline is also the gem of the eighth wedding anniversary. The name comes from the Singhalese words “tura mali,” which translates to “stone with mixed colors.” It is the gemstone of love and of friendship and is said to render the wearer’s relationships firm and long-lasting. 

“Tourmaline is an incredible gem that comes in many unique colors, and I think that's why people like them so much,” says gem dealer Tracy Lindway of Gems by Nomads, New York City. “People can choose a gem in the precise color that speaks to them... and chances are their friends and neighbors won't have a stone in the exact same color. Tourmaline is a gem that really lets the wearer show his/her individuality,” says Lindway.   

Tourmaline can be found all over the world, but most is mined in Brazil and Africa. It can also be sourced in Afghanistan and nearby regions, and there are even some scattered mines in the U.S. In Africa it is mined in Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Madagascar and Nigeria. According to New York gem dealer Tracy Lindway, there is no one location where the “best” tourmaline is mined. “Each geographic source can produce both very fine tourmaline and lower grade tourmaline.

Paraiba tourmaline, discovered in 1987 at a mine in the Brazilian state of Paraiba, has become the most prized of all tourmaline colors because of its striking neon color and its rarity. Paraiba is an elbaite tourmaline, with large amounts of the trace elements manganese and copper. These elements cause colors that range from greenish blue, bluish green, green, blue, and violet hues. Although buyers covet all these colors, blue and violet have the most appeal. The gem’s unique, vivid coloring sets it apart from other tourmalines. Even prized rubellite reds and chrome greens do not reach the prices commanded by fine Paraiba. Because of its high value, Paraiba tourmalines are almost always custom cut. They are usually faceted into brilliant cuts, commonly pear and oval shapes. Paraíba tourmaline is rarely cut to sizes bigger than one carat. With Paraíba, however, color is the key factor, rather than size. A small, vividly colored stone has a greater value than a larger one of lesser color, all other factors being equal.