Picture the rainbow in all of it’s colors pink, green, blue, yellow, red, fancy, bi-colors, paraiba and everything that falls in between. That’s about how many different unique colors there are of tourmalines. When you factor in color intensity, tone, etc., there are truly thousands of unique tourmaline gemstone color combinations. Some are more rare and exotic than others, and they vary in price accordingly. It’s all a matter of personal preference as to what appeals to you.

Tourmaline in general is a complex group of borosilicate, and some texts will classify them as ferric borosilicates. If they were only that simple to define as there are multitudes of various trace elements that will define specific varieties of tourmalines. Trace elements as magnesium, lead, gallium, copper, potassium, lithium, chrome, sodium, etc., are just a few of the elements that can contribute to the appearance of a given species. So depending on your budget, and taste, there is bound to be a tourmaline for you.

As for jewelry, these are quite wearable stones. Tourmaline is between 7 and 7 ? Mho’s on the hardness scale and quite a tough gemstone.  They are good for rings, perfect for earrings or pendants. You might wish to consider a bezel setting, or semi-bezel for some varieties to better protect the stone. However, you could have a jeweler mount any loose tourmaline in a prong setting also.

The following is a list of various varieties of tourmalines, many of which are  sold by AJS Gems:

Pink Tourmaline

• Pink Tourmaline Technically, these are considered to be of the elbaite species of tourmalines, and they are pink gemstones. They can range in shade from a lighter shade of bubble gum, to a pink that can be quite intense that is nearing fuchsia. So long as pink is the dominate color, it is not generally accepted as being a rubellite. However, when they are borderline between pink tourmaline and what is accepted as rubelitte tourmaline, they can in certain markets command the prices that rubellites obtain.
  
  Many pink tourmalines come from either Brazil or Nigeria. The Nigerian material tends to be a purer pink, while the Brazilian material has more orange in it. If you’ve heard of peachy-pink tourmalines, those are from Brazil and a rare shade. The Brazilian material isn’t necessarily as clean or as large of a size as the Nigerian material.
  
  As for treatments, some stones are heated to improve color and make them more uniform. Some material is irradiated to be a more intense pink. AJS Gems will disclose any known enhancements accurately. There are other sources that may or may not disclose these enhancements.

• Rubellite Tourmaline This is also known as a red tourmaline. It is called a rubellite as it’s what the best rubies wish they could be, and they are “ruby like”. Red tourmalines can command premium prices per carat depending on the particulars of the stone. These are sought after collector stones. These are often said to be the second most desirable group of tourmalines after the famed copper bearing/Paraiba tourmalines.
  
  So what makes a rubellite a rubellite? If it’s in the range of fuchsia to a fire engine or blood red, it’s considered to be a “rubellite”. The term rubellite is a marketing name, and the technical term is red tourmaline. It is one of 3 stones officially recognized by the GIA as being type III in clarity. In other words, it’s not uncommon to find heavily to moderately included stones. So slightly included specimens are considered to be premium.
  
  Nigeria is a good source of these gemstones as well as Madagascar. The Madagascar material might have some more brown tone to it and it may appear more like a red garnet. The Nigerian material has an absence of brown, but you may find a very subtle tint of orange here and there with some specimens. Some will prefer the more fuchsia color which is quite in demand now. Others may prefer a purer red, however expect to see some fuchsia undertones in various light conditions with a purer red. Which is better? It’s a matter of preference.
  
  Stones above 5 carats are considered by some to be rare. If you see a pure red, it’s possible that the stone has been irradiated to eliminate any undertones.
  
  It is not uncommon to heat these stones to improve the color and it is considered a natural enhancement and is stable.
  If you’ve wanted a large Burma ruby but it’s out of budget, this is a great alternative and it’s a natural stone. It is a rare type of tourmaline at that, and quite pleasing to the eye either loose or set in a piece of jewelry.

Paraiba Tourmaline

Paraiba Tourmaline The technical term for this is cupriferous elbaite, or copper bearing elbaite. The term Paraiba denotes the origin of the find in the Paraiba province of Brazil. There have been 2 finds within close proximity in the late 80’s of the original find. The naming has been the subject of heated discussion around the globe, the subject of lawsuits over the use of the name since it denotes an origin.
However, there was another two finds one in Nigeria and one in Mozambique said to have rivaled the colors of the original find in Brazil they like the gems from Brazil are found to contain copper as a trace element. Therefore, they were termed “paraiba” tourmaline.  

Regardless, Paraiba tourmaline from Brazil is colored by copper and various other trace elements like gallium. It is general a vivid blue like window cleaner. Some have described that material to be so vivid, they say it appears as if you need the change the batteries in it. If it is from the original find in Brazil, the prices are very expensive and extremely hard to find. There are some specimens that are green and intense as well they’re all generally more included with some exceptions.

• Green Tourmaline and Chrome Tourmaline These are technically considered to be verdalite tourmalines, and the chrome bearing versions are another specimen.

Green tourmaline can come in various shades. Generally the larger the stone, the darker shade of green it becomes. It’s generally a very strong green and very clean material. It’s a less expensive alternative to an emerald, and popular in part because of that. When you have some slight blue undertones to it, it can appear to be a lighter or more mint color that starts to appear more like Colombian or better Zambian emeralds.

While the green variety is available in larger carat weights, it’s chrome bearing brother is another story. Chrome tourmalines are not as common, and generally come from parts of eastern Africa. The value has increased significantly over the past 5 or 6 years in retail jewelers. If you can imagine something that’s a brilliant pure green to a forest color with a silver powder coat type of tone (pending the lighting conditions), that’s what chrome tourmaline looks like. It’s a very rich green, and it is a sought after collectors stone. They can appear more like a premium Muzo mine emerald than the green varieties.

There are some green tourmaline that has a chiromancy effect, more commonly known as a cats eye effect. That’s why those rare specimens are known as cats eye tourmalines. With a single light source, you can see a white line that moves over the stone appearing like that eye of a cat. These are sought after collectors stones because of this natural occurring phenomena.

• Blue, Blue Green and Indicolite Tourmaline Indicolite as well as blue tourmaline is another highly valued group of tourmalines that have copper as a trace element which is partially responsible for their color. They’re not considered to be copper bearing tourmaline. The blue variety tends to be a darker ink blue, clean, and with strong color saturation.
  
  There are some specimens in which you might find various shades of blue or green undertones in them. Those are sometimes referred to as mint green or mint blue tourmalines, and they tend to be a little lighter in color and less tone. Those are not quite as common as the greens, and the indicolites are less common. As such, they command a higher value in various markets.
  
  When you have a tourmaline that is that perfect blend of blue and green, almost a teal color, that is what is also referred to as a Popsicle tourmaline. Those are highly desired stones, and they can command premium prices-particularly for larger sized stones. If you’re a collector or you want something rare and unique, you might want to consider something like that if it’s within your budget. Popsicle or blue-green tourmalines are not common at all. They’re quite lovely and breath taking in person.

Bi Color Tourmaline

• Bi-color and Tri-color Tourmaline If these stones were people, a shrink would love them as they have sort of an identity crisis in that they never could figure out what they were as they grew. The terms bi and tri color are technical and generic names for any tourmaline gemstone that has 2 or 3 colors.

However, the most common bi-colors are those that are both pink and green or red and green. One part is an elbaite (pink to red), and the other part is a dravite. You can see a clear distinction between the two as the crystal grew. Due to the red, many reputable vendors will consider them to be type III stones as they can be quite included. However, it’s the natural phenomena of 2 specimens being within the same stone that captivates many a collector or jeweler.

What you typically see as tri-color tourmaline is often referred to as a watermelon tourmaline. The reason being is because there are 3 zones of color being red, white, and then green just like a slice of water melon. These tend to be heavily included, and they are quite rare. If you can find one that is not as included, it’s something to consider for a unique piece of jewelry or for the collector. They often come from Brazil and are prized amongst various individuals for the unique zoning that depicts 3 varieties of tourmalines in one.

• White Tourmaline The technical term is anchorite tourmaline for this variety. These are colorless tourmalines. Some people will buy these as they like having them for their collection as colorless gem stones. They are amongst the few colorless gemstones along with topaz, danburite, goshenite, and some spodumenes (colorless kunzites in specific), and white sapphire amongst others. They are a far less expensive alternative to a diamond, and some people will consider that as a substitute for a larger diamond though not as brilliant or hard. Regardless, it’s still wearable for jewelry and quite a beautiful gemstone.

• Yellow Tourmaline Yellow tourmaline is considered to be a rare form or tourmaline, and it can range from a canary yellow to a honey gold color pending the specimen. 

Anything being 1 carat or more is considered to be a collectors size-especially in gem quality material. Why? For one, this is one of those stones that’s so rare it’s more of an obscurity. So it’s not something that you can mass market in any appreciable size. Additionally, you might find a piece of rough of a given carat weight. You’ll loose 60% or more of it getting through all the inclusions as this is some seriously included rough.

There is a relatively new find in the Mali region of Africa, and it’s been producing some fine colored material. Nigeria has produced some larger stones here and there that are of gem quality. These are in fact collector stones that are starting to gain popularity, and larger sizes in some markets will command some premium prices. However, larger stones are hard to find-particularly above a few carats.

• Orange Tourmaline  They look spectacular when they’re cut right and of any appreciable size.  They are known to come from Brazil and they’re a lovely shade of orange. These are sometimes referred to as “fancy color” as it is a rare and unusual color of tourmaline.

Purple  Tourmaline

• Purple or Lavender Tourmaline Siberite is the technical name for this rare tourmaline. It is very rare to find a purple or lavender tourmaline. You generally don’t see them often at all. Don’t assume it to be copper bearing from some origin simply because it’s purple. True purple tourmalines are collectors stones and known of by very few.

• Black Tourmaline This is also referred to as the schorl variety or tourmaline. It is common geologically.

Keep in mind that tourmaline is a difficult stone to cut for a few reasons. It can have a color shift or color change effect to it pending the light and the stone. So when a lapidary cuts it, they try to get the best color possible out of it. The challenge is to nail down that perfect color. Additionally, sometimes the rough can just chip away for no apparent reason and thus render it unworkable. These are not easy stones to cut for those reasons, however a well cut tourmaline is something to admire and treasure.

You can find a variety of tourmaline shapes at AJS Gems you see everything from rounds and ovals, to elongated emerald and octagon cuts, radiant bottoms, heart shaped and cushion cuts. Heart shapes are considered to be specialty cuts as well as Portuguese cuts. You might find some elongated specimens as the crystals are more favorable to those shapes, so to get the best of weight, color, and clarity, you might see that. There are also cabochon cuts if that's what you’re looking for.

The color of whatever you buy will vary, and you may notice various undertones of various colors. You might find some oranges mixed in with your pinks if you have a pink tourmaline, or some shades of shocking pink with your red tourmaline, etc. That’s inheriting with tourmalines in general, and it adds to their unique character. You may notice a stronger color change with one specimen or variety vs. the other. That’s expected and normal with natural tourmaline. This is what is known as dichroism (the presence of 2 colors within a specimen). You might notice one color along one axis of the stone, and another going in a direction perpendicular to the other. Tourmalines are also doubly refractive, which is another identifying characteristic of natural tourmaline.