It seems that the time has come to pay homage to a gem of many colors that has been misidentified for centuries. Because of its veritable rainbow of variety, Tourmaline gemstones have long been mistaken for other gemstones that shared a color before the development of modern mineralogy. The first known discovery of Tourmaline gemstones was in 1554 by Francisco Spinoza, who mistakenly named the gem “The Brazilian Emerald”. In fact, Tourmaline was not identified as its own mineral species until the 1800s! The name Tourmaline means “mixed gems” in the language Sinhalese, which reflects confusion about the gemstone as well as its rich assortment of colors.
Speaking of the impressive color range, Tourmaline gemstones can vary from rich reds, pastel pinks and peach to, vivid yellow, deep blue and intense emerald green. Some colors of Tourmaline have become popular enough to deserve their own names. The GIA Gem Encyclopedia outlines some of the Tourmaline varieties:
Rubellite is a name for pink, red, purplish red, orangy red, or brownish red tourmaline, although some in the trade argue that the term shouldn’t apply to pink tourmaline.
Indicolite is dark violetish blue, blue, or greenish blue tourmaline.
Paraíba is an intense violetish blue, greenish blue, or blue tourmaline from the state of Paraíba, Brazil.
Chrome tourmaline is intense green. In spite of its name, it’s colored mostly by vanadium, the same element that colors many Brazilian and African emeralds.
Parti-colored tourmaline displays more than one color. One of the most common combinations is green and pink, but many others are possible.
Watermelon tourmaline is pink in the center and green around the outside. Crystals of this material are typically cut in slices to display this special arrangement.
If you are looking for a beautiful gemstone in a specific color, chances are you will be able to find a Tourmaline in that color! It can also be used as a more affordable substitute for Emeralds and Rubies. AfricaGems has an impressive collection of loose tourmaline gemstones and tourmaline jewelry for your viewing and shopping pleasure! Enjoy!
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