One of the world’s most colorful, coveted and wonderfully wearable gemstones, Tourmaline is incredibly scarce, and forever synonymous with Brazil and Africa, a premier source, long prized for fine Tourmalines’ whose colorful brilliance displays a plethora of desirable, gorgeous hues.
THE HISTORY OF TOURMALINE
Tourmalines were known in ancient times in the Mediterranean. A likeness of Alexander the Great carved in India around the 200 to 300 B.C. confirms this.
People have been mining, cutting and polishing tourmaline gemstones for centuries if not millennia however because of their wonderful variety of colors they have often been mistaken for other gemstones such as emeralds or rubies. It was not until the 1800s that scientists realized that tourmalines were a particular type of mineral of their own. Its name comes from the Sinhalese word, ‘Toramali', meaning mixed gems or stones.
TOURMALINE ORIGIN AND SOURCES
Tourmaline gems have been mined in America, Brazil in the south, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in Asia and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The rough gems are usually mined from stream sediments and they are often one of many different minerals produced from one mining location.
Tourmalines mined from California's Himalaya Mine, Maine's Mount Mica mine or Cruzeiro mine in Brazil have well-earned reputation for quality but do remember every mine produces a wide range of quality. The fact that a tourmaline comes from a famous mine doesn't mean it is good quality. SJGM stand behind the quality of all our gems wherever they are mined.
Tourmaline Mining Locations
Afghanistan, Australia, Myanmar (Burma), India, Italy, Elba, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Russia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tessin, Tanzania, United States, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), Zambia, Zimbabwe.
TOURMALINE Varieties And Colors
Rubellite Tourmaline - Pink, red, purple or brownish coloring
Pink Tourmaline - pink to red variety
Green Tourmaline - Emerald Green colours
Multi-Tourmaline - Mixed Coloure of Tourmaline
Indicolite Tourmaline - Violet, blue and turquoise
Chrome Tourmaline - Greenish tints
Bi-color Tourmaline - Any combination of two distinct colors
Watermelon Tourmaline - Green - White - Pink/Red
Paraiba Tourmaline - Neon blue-green, turquoise to green glowing colours
Some stones come in more than one color with the most sought after being the watermelon tourmalines, green at one end and pink at the other. The most prized species is the rare neon blue form, the Paraiba Tourmaline, named after the region in Brazil where they were discovered in 1989.
Is Tourmaline a birthstone?
Yes it is.
October has not one but two birthstones, the opal and tourmaline. The colorful Tourmaline has a number of different powers depending on its hue. Treat yourself or a loved one to either of these very versatile gemstones. Both come in a wide variety of colors to suit absolutely everyone. Tourmalines are also the traditional gemstone for an 8th anniversary.
TOURMALINE Gemstone uses and Jewelry Design Ideas
Since tourmaline come in such a variety of colors and are considered a hard gem which will not chip, crack or break easily they make excellent stones for pendants, earrings, bracelets and rings. In addition, Tourmaline cuts are as varied as their colors, ovals, pear shaped, rectangles and even octagons make tourmalines perhaps the most versatile of gemstones. Naturally occurring cat’s eye gemstones come in many colors but are especially common in pink and green hues. These gems are usually cut in cabochon or dome shapes.
We supply Best quality Natural '' TOURMALINE " in above mentioned cuts.
