Tourmaline Buying Guide

Tourmaline Buying and the Four Cs

The IGS tourmaline value listing has price guidelines for paraíba tourmalines, indicolite, rubellite, chrome tourmalines, and other colors of faceted stones, as well as cat’s eye and non-phenomenal cabochons.

Color

Tourmalines come in all the colors of the rainbow. When buying tourmaline of any color, view it under several different types of lighting, as most gems will exhibit some alteration in color or decreased saturation in incandescent light.

Blue

In tourmalines, blue and blue-green hues arise from iron or copper in the crystal structure. While rare, blue hues are also the most popular color of this gemstone.

Indicolite is the gemological name for blue tourmalines. Generally, this term refers to tourmalines colored by iron. Indicolites can be greyish blue, blue, or blue-green. The most costly gems exhibit medium tones and saturated color. Since indicolites commonly receive heat and radiation treatments, ask about treatments before purchasing.

If you’re interested in indicolites, read the indicolite buying guide.

Paraíba

In 1989, a new variety of tourmaline came out of Brazil. This material, called “paraíba tourmaline” for the Brazilian state of Paraíba, displays an electric blue to blue-green hue due to the presence of copper. Before the…

Addison Rice

A geologist, environmental engineer and Caltech graduate, Addison's interest in the mesmerizing and beautiful results of earth's geological processes began in her elementary school's environmental club. When she isn't writing about gems and minerals, Addison spends winters studying ancient climates in Iceland and summers hiking the Colorado Rockies.

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