Tourmaline is a large family of Gemstones with more than 100 hues available.  Its name comes from the
Sinhalese turmali, meaning mixed Gemstones due to the tendency to confuse Tourmalines with other Gems.
Tourmaline from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) was first introduced to the Europeans in the late 1600's or early 1700's by Dutch traders. Our source for Tourmaline is Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), known for producing the finest variety of Tourmaline.
Tourmaline crystals are often cracked and flawed, especially in the Red, Pink and Bi-colors. Clean stones of 10 Carats or more in these colors command a premium price. The Green and Blue colors are generally very clean. The vivid colors like Bubble Gum Pink in Tourmaline is Heat or Cobalt Irradiation treated to enhance and stabilize the color.
CARE - Tourmaline is a very good choice for jewelry but it should be stored in a separate compartment or in a jewelry bag to prevent scratching by harder Gemstones.  Jewelry featuring Tourmaline should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner.  We recommend Ionic Cleaners and/or warm, soapy water and a soft brush as the best way to clean Tourmaline.

Chrome Tourmaline is a rare variety of Green Tourmaline that is found only in Kenya, Zambia, Namibia and Tanzania. The finest Chromes rival the top color of Emerald and offer a more durable stone for jewelry.  Chrome Tourmaline's vivid Green color is determined by the presence of Chromium or Vanadium oxides.  Chrome Tourmaline was first mined in Tanzania in the 1960's.  One of the largest crystal chambers was uncovered by accident in Namibia when an explosives expert shot off excess dynamite.  Gem quality Chromes are extremely difficult to locate.  Stones over 3 Carats are considered very rare in this Gem.  All of our stones are well faceted and eye clean.  A very rare Gem with a great investment potential!

Green Tourmaline is the most recognized of the Tourmaline colors.  Green Tourmalines are typically eye clean stones. Most are cut in the rectangular shapes.  Shades range from a pastel Green to a deep, vibrant Green.

Indicolite is the proper name for Blue Tourmaline.  One of the finest  Indicolite colors are in the medium dark Blue range, close to the color of kashmir Blue Sapphire.  Recently another Indicolite find in the Mulungu mine, and Alto dos Quintos mine, in Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, have produced limited quantities of various shades of turquoise blue-green material, similar to the color of Paraiba (below), but not as vivid a color due to a lower copper content.  These  turquoise blue-green colors demand a higher premium than some of the Blue Indicolite, but should not as high as Paraiba, which only comes from the Paraiba mines.  Our source for fine Indicolite Tourmaline is Brazil, and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), both are known for producing the finest varieties of Tourmaline.  Other sources for Indicolite are Madagascar, California and Maine.
Indicolite is typically a clean Gemstone, seldom with eye visible inclusions and range in shades of medium light to medium dark Blue.   Indicolite Tourmaline is a highly valued Collectors Gemstone.

Paraiba Tourmaline is another of the world's most unusual Gemstones. At first it was called "Electric" then "NEON."  This new gemstone was discovered in Brazil in 1982.  It's brilliant blue and green are more vivid than any ever seen before. The term "NEON" accurately describes the tone of color.  It is so vivid it will shock you with its beauty. You can see this stone from across the room!  These vivid turquoises, electric blues, rich twilight blues, and neon greens haven't been seen with any consistency in any other gemstone variety.  The only Tourmaline in the world that contains Copper, but a recent study by the German Foundation for Gemstone Research also discovered a surprisingly high gold content, 8.6 parts per million, If it wasn't for the fact they were so beautiful, they could have been in danger of being crushed for the gold salvage!  This gem was found only in one "football field" size spot in the world, its location is near a village called São José da Batalha, in northeastern Brazil, in the state of Paraiba.  Another new find was discovered in 2001 at the Edoukou (Indoukou; Edoko) Mine, located near Llorin, which is in the Oyo State of Nigeria, Africa.  The African material has the same exact composition as the Brazilian find, and leading gemologists have been unable to see the difference in the top quality gemstones. Production is very sporadic in both locations, and does not keep up with the strong market demand.  These mine shafts are hand-excavated tunnels up to 60 meters deep and the paraiba tourmaline is found only in very thin veins.  So even with the new find, this means the supply will always be limited and paraiba always be very rare and expensive.  Retail prices are around $10,000 to $15,000 per carat for fine 2 carat specimens, and over $20,000 per carat for the fine 3 to 4 carat specimens, but even that is very little when you realize how rare these gemstones are. Diamonds are quite common in comparison.  The prices for Paraibas are not the standard by which other Tourmalines can be measured.  The price per carat reflects the size, clarity, color and the intensity of the particular shade.  Neon Paraiba Tourmaline is an attractive, highly desirable Gemstone which should be purchased when you can.  The most desired colors have been the shades of clear bright greenish Blue or bluish Green; pure Green; or the medium intense Blue.  Naturally variations of tones create exciting "Neons." Stones are usually transparent with minimal inclusions. This rare Gemstone is a definite winner! 

Pink Tourmaline has become a favorite for mounting because it is available in so many shades, ranging from pure light Pink to intense "HOT" Pink to orangy-Pink and Fuchsia Pink.  Gemologists think that natural irradiation produces the Pink, Red and Violet colors in Tourmaline.  To enhance the color to get the very HOT Pinks, you can expect it to be Cobalt treated.  The darker reddish colors tend to have more natural inclusions than the other Tourmaline colors because they are formed near the center of the crystal pocket and receive more stress and pressure during formation.
We carry the best gem quality Tourmaline available on the market.  Prices per carat vary with the size, color and clarity of the stone. Pink Tourmaline is a highly valued Collectors Gemstone.

Called Rubellite because the deepest shades appear to be Ruby-like RED.  Like all tourmalines, it has strong pleochroism.  Eye clean Rubellite is one of the most expensive of the Tourmalines since most Rubellite has visible inclusions. Clean Rubellite is very rare, so if you see a super clean stone it's probably a Pink Tourmaline or a Rubellite Garnet.  Rubellite's intense RED color makes it a beautiful Gem for mounting.  Colors range in Rubellite from Fuchsia to maroon Red to Red. The price of Rubellite goes up dramatically as the size increases or the Red deepens in intensity.  There have been no new stocks of clean Rubellite Tourmaline on the market for several years.  Expect it to continue to move upward in price.

Sometimes the mineral deposit in the Tourmaline crystal will form a color band along its length or width which will then be appropriately called Bi-color, Tri-color or Watermelon if the colors are Green and Red with a White separation. The vast majority of the stones are obscure or heavily included. Clean Gems are much more expensive.
We offer some of the finest, cleanest Watermelon Tourmalines available in the Gem market.  Definitely one-of-a-kind Gems.  Watermelon Tourmaline is a highly valued Collectors Gemstone.