Tourmaline is a remarkable stone to say the least. It rates very high on the Mohs scale, making a good choice for an engagement ring. It is available in many varieties, starting from semi-precious to precious varieties and in almost all the colors of rainbow and even mixtures of them. Mixed or color-zoned tourmaline is remarkable in that it contains a mix of colors that traverse the body of the gem, often step cut to enhance this characteristic and show off the color display.
Loose Mixed Tourmaline Gemstones
Here are some of the popular varieties of tourmaline:
Verdelite tourmaline: Green, semi-precious variety.
Chrome tourmaline: Intense green like that of emerald.
Rubellite tourmaline: These are of the color of ruby, hence the name. They are rare and expensive.
Indicolite tourmaline: These are the blue variety of tourmalines and are more expensive than verdelites.
Paraíba tourmaline: These are the rarest and the most expensive variety of tourmalines. Their color is often referred to as ‘electric’ and are colored by copper.
Preferred Origin: Brazil and Africa
