Blue tourmaline

Blue tourmaline

Tourmalines are the most colourful gemstone group. They occur in all variations, green, red, blue, yellow, colourless, black ... and some come in two or more colours at once. There is no other gemstone group whose diversity of colour exceeds that of the tourmalines, but the colours do not occur with equal frequency and they are not all equally well known. The best known are the green tourmaline and the pink or red rubellite. By contrast, a tourmaline which is pure blue is a rare thing indeed. Mostly, the blue colour has a more or less noticeable touch of green.

Pure blue tourmalines are much coveted on account of their beauty and rarity. In fine qualities, blue tourmalines are almost always one-offs. They are also highly esteemed by collectors. They are at their most valuable when they show an intense, clear, radiant blue which is not too dark, the kind of blue that puts one in mind of an aquamarine or a beautiful sapphire. The pure blue of the tourmaline radiates harmony. Perhaps it is for that reason that the gemstone therapists claim that a blue tourmaline makes people both honest and tolerant.

These rare blue gemstones originate mostly in the classical country of tourmalines, Brazil, or, to put it more exactly, in the north of Brazil, where the magnificent turquoise Paraiba tourmalines were also discovered. However, they are also found today in the gemstone mines of Namibia, Afghanistan and Pakistan and, since recently, also in those of Nigeria.