Tourmaline’s name is derived from ‘Tourmali’ which means stone of mixed color in Sinhalese (Sri Lanka). Tourmaline comes in an array of rainbow colors including several beautiful shades of blue, which is tourmaline’s rarest color. Brazil yields the highest source of tourmalines in the world but the stone can also be sourced in Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to name a few.
Tourmalines are divided into different varieties based on color. Light to dark blue tourmaline is called indicolite or indigolite and is colored by traces of iron whereas neon-blue/green tourmalines are called Paraiba tourmaline and colored by traces of copper. Paraiba tourmalines are prized for their vivid color and clarity, and are extremely rare, indeed.
Loose Blue Tourmaline Gemstones
Birthstone: October
Wedding anniversary: 8th
Mohs hardness: 7- 7.5 / 10
You will also like: blue topaz, blue zircon, blue diamond
Looks great set in: yellow gold / white gold / platinum / silver
