Tourmaline is called the ‘gemstone of the rainbow’ as it is one of the most colourful gemstones found on Earth. It is a borosilicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium and is very abundant in nature. Its wide colour range includes colourless, black, green, pink, blue, purple, yellow and red. Green is the classical and the most desired tourmaline colour. Tourmaline gets its name from the Singhalese word, ‘turamali’, meaning ‘coloured stone’. 

Tourmaline with abundance of iron is more black or brown in colour. Brownish yellow tourmalines have abundance of magnesium.  Red, pink, yellow, blue, and green colours of tourmaline are due to the presence of lithium. On rare occassions lithium-filled tourmaline is colorless. Gemstone with two colours is known as bi-coloured Tourmaline and if it has more than two colours, it is known as multi coloured Tourmaline. Blue variety of this gemstone is known as Paraiba Tourmaline, Pink-red as Rubellite, yellow as canary tourmaline, light blue to bluish green as Brazilian Indicolite, green variety is known as verdelite, dark black as schorl. Watermelon Tourmaline is one of the unique and stylish varieties of Tourmaline. Paraiba Tourmaline found in Brazil is one of the rare and expensive varieties of Tourmaline, while others are common and affordable.

Tourmaline was not discovered until the early 1700′s. It is now one of the most abundant semi precious stone available and is found in Brazil, Madagascar, Australia, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Russia, Nigeria, Mexico, Siberia, Thailand, Myanmar, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and throughout the USA.

No two tourmalines are exactly alike. Tourmaline is also dichroic, meaning it can change colour when it is viewed from different angles and in different light and some show the cat's eye effect.

Tourmaline gem stones are durable with a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale and therefore, are excellent for use in jewellery accessories like rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and necklaces set in Yellow gold, white gold and sterling silver.

Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The most valuable tourmaline is the one over 3 carats, perfectly clear and perfectly cut, and most importantly, containing an intense colour. These characteristics make these gemstones highly sought after by stone collectors and fine jewellery lovers.