What is Tourmaline
The History of Tourmaline
Tourmaline, a gem whose name resonates from the Sinhalese term "turmali," translating to "mixed colors," unfolds a captivating history steeped in cultural richness. This title perfectly encapsulates the gem's diverse spectrum of hues, an artistic tapestry that has intrigued civilizations across the ages.
While tourmaline has been a gem of significance in various cultures over centuries, it found its zenith during the 18th century as it graced the European stage. Imported from the gem-laden terrains of Sri Lanka, tourmaline became the jewel that adorned European fashion, captivating hearts with its radiant palette. The gem's journey through time mirrors the ever-changing currents of fashion and fascination, leaving an enduring legacy in the annals of gemological history.
Where is tourmaline found
Tourmaline deposits can be found in several countries worldwide, including Brazil, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Madagascar, and the United States. Each location yields unique variations in color and quality, adding to the diversity of tourmaline available in the market.
What causes tourmaline’s colors
Have you ever noticed the beautiful colors in tourmaline gems? It happens because of special elements when the crystal is growing. These gems can show different colors across their length or have one color inside and a different color outside – like a rainbow!
Take watermelon tourmaline, for example. It has pink and green crystals in the same gem, showing how it grew. As it gets bigger, it meets different minerals like manganese and lithium, making it change from pink in the middle to light in the middle, and finally, green on the outside. That's why they call it the "Rainbow Gem" – it's like nature's colorful artwork.
Gemological Characteristics
Tourmaline is a unique gemstone with interesting qualities:
- Hardness: It's durable and resists scratches, ranking 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
- Crystal Structure: Forms prismatic crystals with varied sizes and shapes, ranging from columns to hexagonal prisms.
- Color Variations: Displays a wide range of colors due to trace elements, such as green, blue, red, pink, yellow, brown, black, and colorless varieties.
- Pleochroism: Exhibits different colors from different angles, enhancing visual appeal.
- Luster: Possesses a shiny appearance, known as vitreous to resinous luster.
- Specific Gravity: Ranges from approximately 3.02 to 3.26, helping distinguish it from other gemstones.
- Electrical Properties: Displays pyroelectricity (generating electric charge with temperature changes) and piezoelectricity (generating electric charge under mechanical stress), with applications in technology.
- Cleavage: Has poor to indistinct cleavage, making it durable but challenging to cut.
These qualities contribute to tourmaline's versatility and appeal, captivating gem enthusiasts worldwide.
What does tourmaline look like
Did you know that there are over 30 types of tourmaline? But when it comes to making jewelry, we mainly use three kinds: Elbaite, Dravite, and Schorl. Elbaite is the most common and comes in many colors, while Dravite is brown, and Schorl is black. There are special names for different colors, like the famous and expensive Blue Paraiba from Brazil or the Watermelon Tourmaline, which is green and pink. There's even a type called Rubellite for red tourmalines.
Tourmalines can have cool effects, like a cat's eye, which happens when there are inclusions in the stone. This effect is softer than in some other gems because the inclusions are usually bigger. Picture pink, green, or blue stones with this cool cat's eye look – usually cut in a cabochon shape. The world of tourmaline is full of stories, and each type has its own unique charm.
Famous Tourmaline Gemstones
Schorl
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| Schorl and Albite from Afghanistan. Photo : Coisas de Tere |
Most tourmalines come in a rainbow of colors, but schorl is the dark king of the bunch. It's almost always an inky black, never see-through like other tourmalines. You'll find it most often in long, skinny crystals with stripes running down them, but sometimes it comes in shorter, chunkier shapes too. Schorl makes up a whopping 95% of all tourmaline, so it's the most common one you'll see. What's cool about it? It's got lots of iron, making it magnetic, and its special chemical makeup makes it great at stopping electricity. So, next time you see a black tourmaline, remember, you're looking at the most common and coolest type of its family!
Elbaite Tourmaline
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| Elbaite tourmaline, cluster of four intergrown "blue-cap" crystals, from Tourmaline Queen Mine, California. |
Forget rainbows, elbaite tourmaline is the queen of colors! This variety is the most famous and worth a lot, because almost all fancy, rainbow-hued tourmaline gems come from it. This is one of the largest known gem-quality tourmalines. It weighs over 191 carats and is a beautiful blue-green color. It's named after the Italian island of Elba. Elbaite loves to show off, not with its own color, but with tiny bits of other things inside that turn it all sorts of shades – red, blue, green, you name it! Sometimes, it even wears different colors in stripes or patches. Some special elbaite even has hidden needles inside that make it shine like a cat's eye when polished. Pretty cool, right?
Liddicoatite Tourmaline
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| Liddicoatite Tourmaline On display at The Kristallmuseum in Riedenburg, Germany Photo Credit : Dusted77 |
Liddicoatite is a relatively new member of the tourmaline family, only gaining its own name in 1977 after years of mistaking it for elbaite. But unlike its more common cousin, liddicoatite has a wild side when it comes to color.
This gem can be a smoky brown, but that's just the start. It can also wear shades of pink, red, green, blue, and even a rare white! Don't be surprised if one crystal shows off multiple colors in stripes or patches – that's just liddicoatite's way of flaunting its unique style.
These color zones are like fingerprints for liddicoatite. They swirl around the crystal because the chemical recipe for its growth keeps changing, like a chef experimenting with different ingredients. So, if you ever see a tourmaline that seems to break the color rules, it might just be the playful liddicoatite up to its tricks!
Dravite Tourmaline
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| Dravite from Mwajanga, near Komolo, Tanzania Photo: Marin Mineral |
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| Chrome Dravite from from the Commander Mine Nadonjukin Tanzania. Photo: Benjamin DeCamp |
Rubellite Tourmaline
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| Rubellite from Jonas mine, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil Photo : A&M |
Rubellite tourmaline, a pink or red gem, shines like a raspberry in the sun. Known for its stunning red color, this rubellite tourmaline is a 58-carat gem that has gained recognition for its vivid hue. Some rubellites sparkle pure red like rubies, but most wink with hints of pink or purple. These gems hold tiny treasures inside, called inclusions, which add character and depth. Rubellites come in all shapes and sizes, and the prettier ones, with rich color and clean insides, are worth the most. Mined around the world, these beauties bring love, passion, and creativity, and look stunning in rings, earrings, and necklaces. So, if you want a gem that's both unique and eye-catching, rubellite tourmaline might be your perfect match!
Indicolite
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| Indicolite Photo : Rob Lavinsky & MineralA |
This tourmaline is prized for its intense blue color and exceptional clarity. It exemplifies the beauty of tourmalines found in Brazil.
Other Tourmaline varieties and species
Achroite - Colorless tourmaline. Achroite is the rarest type of tourmaline, and it is often used in industrial applications.
Rubellite - Rubellite is the most valuable tourmaline variety, and is prized for its intense red color. (color due to iron and manganese)
Indicolite - Blue or greenish-blue tourmaline. Indicolite is another popular tourmaline variety for jewelry, and it can be found in a range of shades from light blue to deep teal. (color due to iron)
Verdelite - Green tourmaline. Verdelite is a more common variety of green tourmaline than chrome tourmaline, and it can be found in a range of shades from light green to deep forest green. (color due to iron and titanium)
Siberite - Violet tourmaline from Siberia. Siberite tourmaline is often found in large crystals, and it is known for its deep purple color.
Watermelon Tourmaline - a pink core with green edges
Bi-color Tourmaline that displays two distinct colors, such as green and pink, or blue and yellow
Multicolor tourmaline - Tourmaline that displays three or more distinct colors
Paraiba - Paraíba tourmaline is a rare and valuable variety of tourmaline that is known for its intense blue-green color. (color due to copper and manganese) Mined in the Paraíba region of Brazil, these tourmalines are celebrated for their electric blue or greenish-blue colors. They are considered some of the most valuable and sought-after tourmalines in the world.
Uses of Tourmaline
Cutting and Jewelry Design
Tourmaline's dazzling colors make it a perfect fit for beautiful jewelry. Jewelry makers can cut it in many ways to create unique designs, from classic cuts to special shapes like watermelon tourmaline's two colors. This gem is tough, making it a favorite for creating all kinds of enchanting pieces.
Market Value and Trends
Tourmaline is like a timeless treasure in the world of gems. People love it for its bright colors, and its value depends on things like how intense its colors are and how clear it is. Even as styles change, tourmaline remains a great choice, always bringing a touch of specialness to the jewelry it's in.
Tourmaline in Art and Culture
Tourmaline isn't just for jewelry; it's part of stories and traditions. People have admired it for a very long time, from ancient ceremonies to today's art. When you visit museums or art shows, you'll see how artists use tourmaline to tell stories about the beauty of nature and how much we love this amazing gem.
Tourmaline Photos
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| Verdelite -Tourmaline from Landani, Tanzania Photo: Marin Mineral |
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| Elbaite Tourmaline at The National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. USA Photo Orbital Joe |
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| Smoky Quartz with Lustrous Black Tourmaline from Haramosh Mts., Pakistan Credit: Daniel Virgadaula |
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| Siberite Tourmaline on Quartz - Ibity, Madagascar Photo SpiriferMinerals |
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| A “slice” of watermelon tourmaline |