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Tourmaline
Tourmalines have a variety of exciting colors with one of the widest color ranges of any gem.
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Abstracts; Spring 1991
This article, from the Spring 1991 issue of Gems & Gemology, is a compilation of abstracts of important gemology-related articles published outside of Gems & Gemology.
Tourmaline Description
Tourmalines come in a wide variety of exciting colors. In fact, tourmaline has one of the widest color ranges of any gem species, occurring in various shades of virtually every hue.
Tourmaline History and Lore
Somewhere in Brazil in the 1500s, a Spanish conquistador washed the dirt from a green tourmaline crystal and confused the vibrant gem with emerald. His confusion lived on until scientists recognized tourmaline as a distinct mineral species in the 1800s.
Copper-Bearing Tourmalines from New Deposits in Paraíba State, Brazil
Two new deposits of Cu-bearing tourmaline have been found in Paraíba State, Brazil, not far from the original source at Mina da Batalha.
Imitation Rubellite Boulders
“Paraíba”-Type Copper-Bearing Tourmaline from Brazil, Nigeria, and Mozambique: Chemical Fingerprinting By LA-ICP-MS
Gem-quality bright blue to green “Paraíba”-type Cu-bearing tourmaline is now known from deposits in Africa (Nigeria and Mozambique), in addition to three commercial localities in Brazil (in Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte States).
Trapiche Tourmaline from Zambia
Well-formed crystals of green tourmaline from northwestern Zambia show a growth pattern reminiscent of trapiche emerald/ruby when sliced perpendicular to the c-axis.
Multi-Generation Cutting Family from Idar-Oberstein
Yellow Mn-rich Tourmaline from the Canary Mining Area, Zambia
Unique Moiré-Pattern Metallic Inclusion in Paraíba Tourmaline
GIA's Gübelin Gem Project: Tourmaline
Tourmalines have a very complex chemical composition, and more than a dozen mineral species are recognized within this group.
