About Gemstone Tourmaline:
The spectacularly colored gemstone Tourmaline is a birthstone for October (the stone for the Zodiac sign of Leo). It is also the gem for your eighth wedding anniversary.
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Tourmalines are treasured for the seemingly endless spectrum of colors displayed by these gemstones. The name ‘tourmaline’ itself is derived from the Singhalese (Sri Lankan) words ‘turamali’ which means ‘stone mixed with colors.’
The marvelously colored gemstones are highly valued as gems & crystals since they comprise virtually the entire gamut of color variation found in the mineral world. It is this very quality that lends it the name “gemstone of the rainbow”.
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It would be more correct to speak of “Tourmalines” in plural. This is because the term encompasses a cluster of minerals with changing chemical formulas.
The term Tourmaline represents a host of disparate boron silicate minerals. Identical crystal structure and similar physical properties mark these minerals. However, the blend of constituting chemicals differ vastly. A multitude of chemicals come together in a motley mix to form the crystals.The gemstones have a complex and changing composition since they are mixed crystals of aluminum, boron and silicon.
Aluminum, boron and silicon are common to all strains. But the rock-crystals also stash a complex mixture of various elements such as sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, chromium, vanadium, fluorine, and occasionally copper. The conglomeration of chemicals convey myriad colors and color-combinations to the gem.
The gem crystallizes in cavities and crackings of metamorphic & igneous rocks. The genesis happens during hydrothermal activity. Hot water springs and impregnated vapors carry the constituent chemicals into the cracks and cavities. These empty spaces are the wombs that nurture and grow the baby crystals. The crystals remain tiny or grow into supersized prisms based on the nourishing environment. They occur as elongated prisms, often marked with grooves parallel to the faces. A loaded pocket of quality crystals will enrich you by millions of dollors.
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The changing composition imparts motley of colors for the gemstone to display. Also these colors change and may even look more or less intense depending from the angle you look at. Some varieties can even change color contingent upon whether they are illuminated by natural or artificial light. The color range of gemstone tourmaline is one of the widest in the mineral kingdom.
Tourmalines occur in such wide variety of vibrant colors that certain colorations have their own color specific trade names.
Rubellite Gemstone Tourmaline
Tourmalines possessing fairly saturated dark pink to red colors in medium to dark tones are called Rubellites. The name comes from the Latin ‘rubellus’, which means reddish. Ruby-red colored gemstones devoid of brown or orange hues are greatly treasured. On the other hand, brownish tone greatly depreciates the stone’s value.
Red and pink tourmalines occur in many subtle as well as distinct nuances. The colors might range from tender pink to shocking pink and from an intense violet to a bold ruby-red.
Trace quantities of manganese in the crystal structure impart natural pink-to-red color in Rubellites. At times, light pink stones are categorized as Rubellites. It is a marketing ploy. Such stones are essentially pink tourmalines.
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Then again, not all of them are entitled to be called ‘rubellites’. An important yardstick, if fulfilled, bestows this name. Behavior of a stone in changing sources of light determines this. Most of these gemstones change color depending on the source of light. A genuine rubellite does not. It sparkles just as intensely in artificial light as it does in daylight.
Other pink or red tourmalines are likely to display a tinge of brown in artificial light. If the color of the stone happens to change with a change of light source, it is called a pink or shocking pink tourmaline. It is not Rubellite.
Rubellites are Type III gems. They hold inclusions which are often eye visible. You can commonly see growth tubes looking like striations. You might also see fibrous clusters called silk. Both produce chatoyant or cat’s eye stones, if aligned correctly with the crystalline axis. Untreated and eye-clean stones are hugely prized.
Rubellites are irradiated to induce robust red coloration in pale pink stones. The treatment is virtually undetectable. So you have to presume every stone to be treated though some of them may not be.
Heavily included Rubellites are given oil or epoxy resin fillers akin to emeralds.
While holding substantial hardness, Rubellites also retain a lot of inclusions. As such, protect them from knocks and bumps. Moreover, fillers make them reactive to heat. In addition, irradiated stones might lose color in sunlight or any kind of bright light. So keep them in a cool dark place. Also, do not clean them in ultrasonic cleaners. Rather, clean them in slightly warm water with dilute mild detergent and ultra soft brush.
Indicolite or Indigolite Gemstone Tourmaline
Dark violet blue, blue, or greenish blue tourmaline is called Indicolite or Indigolite. It is a very rare and special kind of gemstone tourmaline. The word Indicolite stems from the Latin word, meaning ‘indicum plant’.
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Paraiba Tourmaline
Paraiba Tourmaline is intense violetish blue, greenish blue, or blue and is from the state of Paraiba, Brazil. Paraiba gemstones are small, rare & precious. They exhibit spirited turquoise to green colors of extraordinary vividness.
The Paraiba tourmaline is also known as cuprian elbaite tourmaline. The word cuprian refers to the (high) copper content of the mineral, while elbaite is a mineral species of the tourmaline group. It is among the most rare and coveted gemstones of our planet. Only one paraiba tourmaline is found for every 10,000 diamonds unearthed.
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The gem-hunter Heitor Dimas Barbosa discovered this tantalising blue-green stone in the state of Paraiba in Brazil during the 1980’s. Oh! How ecstatic he must have been to set eyes on the electric blue of the gem.
The stone has since electrified gemstone aficionados around the world with its astoundingly beautiful color. Its value has also sky-rocketed with time.
Mines in Mozambique have also subsequently thrown up gemstones with chemical composition similar to the paraiba ones.
Copper and Manganese present in the gemstone bequeath the scintillating play of colour to these stones. The mountains of Mozambique are considerably rich in copper. It is this copper that colors the gem a luminous and luscious green.
Also, unlike diamonds, Paraiba tourmaline does not occur in large sizes. Stones are very very rarely above 2 carats in size.
Chrome Tourmaline
Chrome Tourmaline is intense emerald like green. It has tiny traces of chrome but is colored mostly of vanadium, the same element that colors many Brazilian and African emeralds.
Canary Tourmalines
Tourmalines of pure yellow color are a relatively new discovery. A good deposit containing exceptional yellow tourmalines was unearthed in the Malawai region of Southern East Africa in the year 2000. The enchanting color is imparted to the gemstone by trace quantities of magnesium. Though Malawai remains the main source of supply, yellow tourmalines are also found in the African regions of Nigeria, Mozambique and Zambia.
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Canary Tourmalines are scarcer than those of certain other colors. Yet, they more plentiful than other yellow gemstones like yellow emeralds.
Yellow tourmaline is found in small sizes usually less than one carat. As such, the yellow ones above two carats are particularly rare. Again, since this variety tends to have significant inclusions, an eye-clean specimen is considered very fine. The best sampling shows a neon-like exceptional brilliance. A respectable hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale makes the gem suitable for any type of jewelry.
Watermelon Tourmaline
Perhaps, the most prized attribute of this stone is zoning. The term refers to the occurrence of different ‘regions’ or ‘zones’ of color in the same crystal. The color-zoning may have a concentric or transversal orientation within the gemstone. And the color-boundaries are often blurred. This gives birth to a species of mineral with its own signature multi-color appearance. It is the aptly named Watermelon Tourmaline.
This particular gemstone is red/pink on the inside and green around the outside periphery akin to watermelon fruit. The typical beauty of this jewel is highly coveted in the jewelry world. Lapidaries cut this type of gemstone into slices for better appreciation of the spectacular internal colors. It also enhances its resemblance to the watermelon fruit.
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Cat’s-eye Tourmalines
These tourmalines exhibit the cat’s-eye effect called chatoyancy. This effect is rendered by a profusion of tube-like thin inclusions. The inclusions take shape naturally while the crystal is developing. Aforesaid stones are cut into cabochons to amplify the effect.
Crystals displaying more than one color are parti-colored tourmalines.
The properties and chemical composition of tourmaline define its species. Elbaite, liddicoatite, dravite, uvite, and schorl are the important species.
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Elbaites
Elbaites are rich in sodium, lithium, aluminum, and sometimes copper. They are found in granite-containing pegmatites, which are rare igneous rocks. Elbaites offer a plethora of tourmaline colors ranging from green, blue, yellow, pink, red, colorless or assorted with a combination of colors.
Liddicoatites
Liddicoatites are named after the late Richard T. Liddicoat, former president of GIA and former chairman of its Board of Governors. He’s called the “Father of Modern Gemology.” They are mainly found in Madagaskar. Liddicoatites are rich in calcium, lithium, and aluminum. They are also found in granite-containing pegmatites and showcase an extensive range of colors.
Uvite
Uvite found in metamorphic environments and is rich in calcium, magnesium, and aluminum.
Dravite
Dravite is rich in sodium, magnesium, and aluminum. It is usually brown in color. Most tourmaline gemstones are a combination of uvite and dravite.
Schorl
Schorl is black in color. Such tourmalines are rich in iron content. It is rarely used in jewellery.
Bright yellow “savannah” tourmalines are a mixture of dravite and uvite. Iron imparts them their color.
Tourmaline’s range of colors (from rich reds to pastel pinks and from intense emerald greens to vivid yellows and deep blues) is dazzling. The plethora of colors make tourmaline a highly coveted gemstone. It is easily available in most jewelry outlets. Shapely specimens are supremely sought after by collecters. Colorfully vibrant gems command a handsome price.
It ranks 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. The fair degree of hardness makes it suitable as a gemstone.
Heat and irradiation are treatments given to boost the color of tourmaline. The treatments are imparted after the stones have been cut and polished.
Brazil is a leading source of tourmaline since many centuries. It produces this gem in an array of colors including bicolor rough. California is an important source of this gemstone in the US while Maine near Paris is a key source in France. Countries like Tanzania, Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Pakistan also supply this stone in substantial quantities.
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