Tourmaline is a highly diverse and popular gemstone, prized for its wide range of colors, brilliance, and versatility in jewelry. It belongs to a complex group of boron silicate minerals.
Tourmaline comes in a wide range of colors, making it one of the most versatile gemstones.
Hardness
7 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale
Durable enough for rings, pendants, earrings, and bracelets
Color
Tourmaline is famous for its color diversity:
Common Colors
Pink
Red (rubellite)
Green
Blue (indicolite)
Yellow
Brown
Black (schorl)
Rare / Special Forms
Bi-color / multi-color (e.g., watermelon tourmaline: green outside, pink inside)
Parti-color (three or more colors in one crystal)
Color depends on trace elements:
Iron → green, black, brown
Manganese → pink, red
Lithium → pink, red, yellow
Copper → blue, green
Where It’s Found
Major sources include:
Brazil – Minas Gerais, Paraíba (famous for neon blue-green “Paraíba tourmaline”)
