Get to know tourmaline with Singapore’s Gem Guru, Howe Wei, Graduate Gemologist (GIA) in Singapore
Tourmaline comes in a dazzling array of colors, a perfect precious stone for this festive season! Tourmaline is one of the most popular gemstones in the world and it serves as a modern birthstone for the month of October. The name is derived from the Sinhalese word toramalli, which translates to “stone with mixed colors” since it often features multiple colors in one crystal.
Know your gems: Tourmaline
Tourmaline’s rainbow of colors ranges from red, green, black and blue to multi-coloured and even colorless. The most popular tourmalines include the red-tinged “rubellite”, intense emerald green “chrome tourmaline” and blue “indicolite” tourmaline. Due to its wide range of colors, tourmaline was often mistaken for other gemstones in the past until it was recognised as a distinct mineral species in the 1800s.
The world of tourmaline
While tourmaline is plentiful across the globe, Brazil has been the world’s leading and most important source of this well-loved and popular gemstone. Brazil is also home to the rarest and most expensive tourmaline called Paraiba, named after the coastal state of Paraiba. The easiest way to identify a Paraiba tourmaline is through the traces of copper it contains, which gives it a spectacular neon-like blue and green color. The vividness of the gem’s colours is often described as “neon” since they appear to glow. Tourmalines rose in popularity after the discovery of Paraiba tourmaline in 1987, gaining a tremendous amount of attention in the gem and jewellery market. The Paraiba gemstones increased in value at speed, selling for over US$2,000 per carat and peaking at over US$10,000 for the highest quality material in sizes more than one carat.
The sudden spike in worldwide demand led to a Paraiba mining craze and the modest supply of Paraiba tourmaline from Brazil was absorbed by the market within a few years. Much to the delight of gemstone enthusiasts, jewellers and mineral specimen collectors, Paraiba-like tourmalines were unearthed in South Africa in the early 2000s. The more recent discovery in Mozambique uncovered beautifully saturated tourmaline gemstones that possessed Paraiba’s vivid hues that are also coloured by copper. Although the Paraiba-type tourmaline gemstones from Mozambique are often found in larger sizes than the Brazilian variety, African gemstones exhibit the same colour and chemistry. As such, the materials produced from the newer African sources are virtually indistinguishable from the Paraiba tourmaline from Brazil. Although it is not priced as highly as top quality Paraiba gemstones, some Mozambique-sourced material sell for over US$5,000 per carat, which is still a considerable price tag compared to other tourmaline varieties.
Tourmaline gem as jewellery
The Master of Colored Gemstones, Bulgari, launched a new series of annual capsule collections called “Color Journeys” last year and dedicated the first chapter to Paraiba tourmaline, in celebration of the rare gem’s beauty. This exclusive collection includes 17 unique high jewellery creations including a necklace in pink gold with seven cushion Paraiba tourmalines (36.81 ct), 22 pink tourmalines (12.15 ct), 25 round brilliant-cut diamonds (D-F VVS 11.78 ct) and pave-set diamonds (D-F IF-VVS 35.24 ct).
Desirée Gem, located at Far East Plaza has a beautiful and affordable collection of tourmaline jewellery set with gold and more!
Gioia Jeweller is the go-to place for unique engagement rings with the precious Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline.
The tourmaline is rated 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness and is generally suitable for everyday wear. These colorful gems are usually stable enough to withstand light and most chemicals, but heat can be damaging. It is best cleaned with warm, soapy water and a soft brush. The use of ultrasonic and steam cleaners is not recommended.
Interested to find out more or have questions about tourmaline, gemstones or diamonds in Singapore? Don’t hesitate to contact us!
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