IN 1554 - spanich conquistador, Francisco Spinoza’s expedition discovers “Brazilian emerald”: the first recorded green Tourmaline crystal. Tourmalines are beautiful Gemstones that have a big variety of exciting colors,known to have the widest color ranges of any gem! People confused them with other gems, like Emeralds and Rubies, until the 1800s. That’s when scientists recognized it as a unique mineral.

Gem and specimen tourmaline is mined chiefly in Brazil and many parts of Africa, including Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi and Namibia. It can also be found in parts of Asia, specifically Pakistan, Afghanistan and Indonesia as well as Sri Lanka and India. Without forgetting Maine and California, these two states we’re the world’s largest producers of Tourmalines during the 1900’s.

TOURMALINE [tur-muh-leen] (noun)

Tourmaline comes from toramalli, which means “mixed gems” in Sinhala, one of the languages of Sri Lanka. It is the birthstone for  October, along with Opal. It is also the gem of the eighth anniversary. It is famous for its dazzling rainbow colors. There are rich reds, pastel pinks, peach colors, different shades of green, bright yellows, and many shades of blue.

Some of our favourite Troumalines are:

1) The Watermelon Troumaline 

Some have more than one color, like watermelon, which is pink in the middle and green around the outside.

In 1822, Watermelon Tourmalines were first discovered in the North American state of Maine, where the most beautiful ones are found. 

This gem can be found in Brazil, Nigeria, Madagascar, Afghanistan and the United states.

The Paraiba Tourmaline 

LC HOUSE OF JEWELRY RING. 3 CTS PARAIBA TOURMALINE AND WHITE DIAMOND SET ON 18K WHITE GOLD.

To put their rarity into perspective, there is only one Paraiba tourmaline mined for every 10,000 diamonds.
Discovered in 1989, in the state of Paraíba in northeastern Brazil, these special Tourmalines are among the world's most prized gemstones. This rare gem is known for its blue, green and violet colors. Copper is the main element that allows the Paraiba Tourmalines to have their typical “neon” colors that are brighter than we find in Tourmalines without copper. This gem can be found in Brazil, Nigeria and Mozambique.

The Mint Tourmaline 

LC HOUSE OF JEWELRY RING. 4.24 CTS MINT TOURMALINE AND WHITE DIAMOND SET ON 18K WHITE GOLD.

This color is a personal favorite, pastel green, a delicate and elegant gemstone. One of the most sought after colors of Tourmaline. 

The premier source for mint tourmaline is Namibia. These rare gemstones are coveted across the globe.