What color of tourmaline is the most expensive?

Paraiba is the most expensive and valuable variety of the tourmaline mineral. Due to their rarity and beauty, the best specimens can even compete with diamonds in price. This tourmaline received its name in honor of the Brazilian state of Paraiba, where the first discoveries were made not so long ago – only in 1988. These beautiful tourmalines attracted public attention because of their unusual bright color. The palette of this gemstone lies in the “neon” tones of blue, teal, green, blue and violet blue. The most expensive color, according to the gemological community, is a deep blue (as well as blue) without a greenish or purple tint. The color of the stone is related to the copper content, which is responsible for blue and green colors, and manganese is “responsible” for violet shades, which reduce the cost, but can be eliminated by heat treatment. In addition to Brazil, Paraiba tourmalines have also been discovered in Nigeria and Mozambique. Most samples today are mined in Mozambique. In order for tourmaline to be considered a variety of Paraiba, a prerequisite is the presence of an admixture of copper in the composition. It is accepted by the gemological community that Paraiba tourmalines can have any geographical origin, although in the past there has been much debate as to whether it is right to classify African copper-bearing tourmalines as such. For some laboratories it is also important that the stone must have a blue tint. Paraiba tourmaline is a rare gem, which increases the number of unscrupulous sellers who want to make big money from counterfeits. Glass or polymer is used as a material to imitate the mineral. Stone care To care for a gem with a neon glow, only warm, clean water is used; the use of any chemical cleaners is unacceptable. Jewelry containing minerals should be stored separately from rubies, diamonds and sapphires, which can scratch the stone or degrade its appearance. Before storage, jewelry is wrapped in soft cloth or special cases are used. The gem should be protected from direct sunlight – prolonged exposure to the sun can reduce the unique glow of the stone.

Place of Birth

These mesmerizing neon blue stones were first found in 1988 back in the Brazilian state of Paraiba, and later in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. However, today Brazil supplies the market with very small quantities of these tourmalines; their mining sites have practically dried up. A small amount of Paraiba tourmalines have been sourced from Nigeria since 2001. And since 2005, Mozambique has become the main supplier to the world market. Paraiba from Mozambique, after heat treatment, often has a greenish tint and is not as rich in color as from Brazil, and its cost is about 5-10 times lower. Paraiba tourmalines of Brazilian origin rarely exceed 2-3 carats in weight. Now they are extremely rare on the world market, they are something of an established brand, just like a ruby ​​from Burma or an emerald from Colombia.

CHARACTERISTICS

Mineral Type: Tourmaline Chemical formula: XY 3 Al 6 (OHF) 4 [BO 3 ​​] 3 [Si 6 O 18 ], where X=Na, Ca, Li, and Y=Fe 2+, Mg, Mn, Al, G,V Optical character: anisotropic Density: 3,06 (+0,20, -0,06) g/cm 3 Refractive index: 1,624-1,644 Color: light blue, greenish blue, blue, violet blue

INTERESTING FACTS

• The cost of the best specimens of Brazilian origin today can reach 60 US dollars per 000 carat.
• The GIA laboratory, in expert reports, reports detected signs of heat treatment and filling, but never writes about the absence of traces of heat treatment.
• Tourmalines mined in Afghanistan and Pakistan may be similar in color to Paraiba, but do not contain copper.
• Among the Paraiba tourmaline samples on the market, there are specimens called “sugar”. These are minerals containing many inclusions, which makes the internal pattern look like broken glass or cracked ice.
• The largest is the Paraiba tourmaline, weighing 191,87 carats. The mineral was named Ethereal Carolina Divine Paraiba. The necklace in which it is set is worth several million dollars.
• The Paraiba gem, the only precious stone, contains particles of gold.

History

The history of the discovery of Paraiba tourmaline is associated with the name of the Brazilian geologist Heitor Diaz Barbosa. Neon blue crystals were discovered by him in the area of ​​​​the village of São José da Batalha in 1988 (Paraíba state, Brazil). Heitor Disa Barbosa dreamed of glorifying his homeland with some amazing and unusual mineral. To fulfill his dream, he practically lived in mines and adits. And his perseverance and loyalty to his dreams was truly rewarded with a royal gift. At the international exhibition in Tucson (USA) in 1989, Paraiba tourmalines, presented to the public for the first time, created a sensation. Over the four days of the exhibition, the price for them rose from several hundred to two thousand US dollars per 1 carat. Today, this variety is also mined in Africa, but the most beautiful and still noticeably more expensive “electric” tourmalines are of Brazilian origin.

Ennobling

Almost all Paraiba tourmalines are heat treated to change their color. Initially, many copper-bearing tourmalines from Mozambique appear purple, pinkish, green, or yellowish-green. And only after heating, the blue color appears in them, and the pink and purple blooms are eliminated. Brazilian specimens are sometimes heat-treated to improve the intensity of the existing color, and also to eliminate violet tints. In recent years, cases of filling cracks in them with various polymers have become more frequent in order to visually improve the clarity of the stone. The fact of heat treatment and filling can reduce the cost of the sample, so you need to pay attention to the mention of refining in the expert report.

The healing properties of the stone

Lithotherapists endow a stone with a neon glow with a number of healing qualities:

• Regularly wearing blue tourmaline jewelry calms the nervous system, improves mood, and improves self-esteem.
• The mineral is able to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, restore impaired metabolism, and accelerate metabolism.
• The gem helps to gain mental balance, a state of harmony and self-confidence.

PHOTO of Paraiba tourmaline

In the photo there is a decoration with a unique Paraiba weighing 13,65 carats – a brooch pendant from Gem Lovers

The photo shows a rich blue Paraiba tourmaline with an oval cut (Brazil)

The photo shows Paraiba tourmalines in cabochon shape (Brazil)

VIDEO

Video of Paraiba tourmaline

Paraiba tourmaline in our catalog

Neon blue Paraiba tourmaline 2.51 carats

• Cleanliness: moderately noticeable inclusions
• Upgrading: heat treatment
• Cut: oval
• Dimensions: 10.06×7.82×4.18
• Origin: Mozambique

Blue Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique 2.09 carats

• Cleanliness: with very visible inclusions
• Upgrading: heat treatment
• Cut: square cushion
• Dimensions: 8.24×7.90×4.70
• Origin: Mozambique

Pair of blue Paraiba tourmalines 0.55 carat

• Cleanliness: moderately noticeable inclusions
• Upgrading: heat treatment
• Cut: circle
• Dimensions: 4.37×2.37; 4.21×2.54
• Origin: Brazil

Precious Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique 3.41 carats

• Cleanliness: moderately noticeable inclusions
• Upgrading: heat treatment
• Cut: oval
• Dimensions: 9.93×8.17×6.60
• Origin: Mozambique

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This stone comes from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). It was brought to Europe by Dutch merchants in the 18th century. The name is given by the word “tourmali”, which the islanders used to refer to precious stones. Although now tourmalines are a whole group of stones, some of which are truly considered precious (paraiba), some are considered ornamental.

Tourmaline is composed of boron and aluminum silicate. Many variants of impurities determine its varieties. Thus, rubellites are pink tourmalines with an admixture of manganese. Indigolites are blue due to the addition of iron. Verdelites are green due to chromium inclusions. The intensity of the inclusions determines the color saturation. Some tourmalines exhibit pleochroism: the color of the stone changes depending on the viewing angle. There are also chameleon stones with different colors in different lighting and “watermelon” tourmalines, which combine several colors at once.

Another interesting property of tourmaline, which, by the way, can easily help distinguish a real stone from a fake, is electrification. If you rub it with a cloth or even just roll it in your hands, it becomes charged with static electricity. A “charged” stone attracts light objects. The easiest way to check is to bring the crystal to your hair. Smokers found an interesting use for tourmalines: in the 18th century they were used. to clean pipes and collect ash.

However, tourmalines are not often counterfeited. Fakes are made of plastic or glass. There are no attempts to synthesize these stones yet. But in the past they themselves often served as fakes: bright rubellites were often passed off as rubies, and indigolites, so named due to their rich blue color, indigo, were passed off as sapphires. Tourmalines are distinguished by their high hardness (7-7,5 on the Mohs scale) and are widespread throughout the world (there are almost fifty deposits in Russia alone), so they are often used in jewelry, usually combined with other precious and semi-precious stones.

Tourmaline Paraiba

The most expensive of tourmalines surpasses other diamonds in cost. These stones are often more expensive than sapphires and emeralds, and rare examples are considered to be among the most expensive gemstones in the world. Paraiba is steadily growing in price (20-30% annually) and is considered a profitable investment.

The cost of a stone is determined by its rarity and incredible color. The best examples of Paraiba are neon blue, like the ocean waters off exotic islands. Jewelers play with the mesmerizingly beautiful color of the stone, allowing it to take center stage in the decoration, and often specially creating the entire composition to match it. The color of the stone is determined by the high copper content and manganese inclusions. Due to the special structure of the crystal lattice, this stone transmits light through itself and scatters it, creating a radiant effect. Once skillfully cut, it really seems to glow like something otherworldly.

The ideal color comes from stones from Brazil, where this stone was first discovered. It was named after the Paraiba region in the east of the country. The first deposit was chosen almost instantly, but soon several more were found nearby. In the late 1980s, the Brazilians brought Paraiba to a gemological exhibition in the United States, where they created a real sensation. The price of the stone literally skyrocketed. Visionary jewelers (in particular, the jewelry giant Tiffany & Co) quickly bought all the large examples of Paraiba and continue to hunt for them to this day. Large Brazilian stones are among the rarest gemstones in the world. The price for them can reach $60 thousand per carat!

In 2001, Paraiba deposits were discovered in Nigeria, and a few years later in Mozambique. African stones are similar in color, since they also have a lot of copper, but as a rule they are paler and carry a tint: green, purple. They are often refined using heat treatment to bring the color to the desired blue. Nowadays, most of the Paraiba on the market comes from Mozambique. However, jewelers from large houses (like Tiffany & Co) refuse to recognize African stones as Paraiba tourmalines, demanding that they be given the prefix type, “Paraiba type,” to thereby indicate their secondary nature. African stones are much cheaper than Brazilian ones (the difference in price can be colossal, 5-10 times), and jewelers specializing in top-class products will always prefer Brazilian ones, which are so rare and spectacular.

Tourmaline Indicolite

This indigo colored stone was often passed off as sapphires. Gemologists may use the terms “Ural sapphire” or “Brazilian sapphire” (this is professional slang), but keep in mind that we are talking about indigolites, large deposits of which are located in Transbaikalia, near Irkutsk, and in Latin America. Brazil is practically a monopolist on the market, accounting for 75% of indigolite supplies. This stone is also found in Finland, Namibia and Afghanistan, but less frequently. And, of course, in Sri Lanka, where the entire class of tourmalines comes from.

The color of indigolite is determined by the presence of iron. The more it is, the bluer the sample will be. Less saturated shades are valued less. Light-colored stones often fall into the green spectrum. The shade is affected by the oxidation state of iron, and its distribution inside the crystal gives the effect of a magic trick, pleochroism: from different angles the stone will appear blue, cyan, or turquoise. Indigolite is considered a semi-precious stone and is often used as a spectacular jewelry insert. Designers like to play with the color of the stone, which is revealed through skillful cutting. Indicolites are not the most expensive variety of tourmalines, but they are often refined through additional oxidation and ionization to change the color, bringing it closer to the blue of the exceptionally valuable Paraiba tourmalines.

Tourmaline Rubellite

This red-pink tourmaline is often confused with rubies. Many people remember the luxurious bunch of grapes, carved from wine-red stone, an exhibit of the Diamond Fund. It was presented to Catherine the Great by the Swedish King Gustav III. For a long time, the stone was mistaken for a ruby, although in reality it turned out to be rubellite. The weight of the rarity is 250 carats! The royal hats and imperial crowns stored in the Armory, as well as church utensils, are decorated with rubellites. In Rus’, these stones were considered the same as spinel, which was then called laly.

These stones have been known since the end of the 18th century and are mined in the same place as other tourmalines: there are many of them in the Urals and Transbaikalia, Latin America, the USA, Nigeria and Mozambique, and Madagascar. The color of the stone is determined by manganese impurities. The jewelry value of rubellite lies in its beautiful color. Shades can vary from burgundy to violet. The most valuable are considered to be stones of rich, deep crimson and cherry colors (there are many of these in the Urals, so they are often separated into a separate class, called Siberites), as well as extra large samples with a minimum of inclusions. However, in general, this stone is not considered expensive and belongs to the category of semi-precious. By the way, the first tourmalines that came to Europe were rubellites.

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