If you are after tourmalines, I have good news for you - it’s one of the easiest stones to buy on your own. Synthetic tourmalines don’t exist in the market, because it’s expensive and difficult to create them. It means that it is not so risky to buy this stone by yourself - especially compared to sapphires, rubies or emeralds, where a mistake can cost you millions.
Yet I know that you want to find the BEST gems in the market, at the best prices, and this guide will help you buy exactly what you're looking for, and learn a thing or two about this gorgeous gem - tourmaline - as well!
Tourmalines come in all the colors of the rainbow, that’s why it’s SO popular for personalized jewelry and private collections. Every person can choose a color of tourmalines which appeal to them the most.
My passion are bi color tourmalines. I adore these color transitions from light green to dark green or color combinations when you see pink and blue in one stone.
This type of tourmaline has a unique gradient color, and it looks like a true rainbow gem.
In my practice I came across pretty unique tourmaline gems, which combined up to 5 various shades in one.
And while paraiba and lagoon thourmaline have been rising in popularity, I can’t stop admiring the beauty of this gorgeous gem stone even in more classic color combinations, like pink and khaki shade of green, indicolite, blue one, also always impress me, especially, when it has electric blue color.
What is tourmaline in general, and how is it formed? Tourmaline is a complex mineral, and Its color varies depending on the chemical composition, where iron, magnesium, copper and lithium produce green, blue, and pink tourmalines.
Tourmaline is quite durable gemstone, so it’s great for daily wear. Its resistance to scratches and chips makes it perfect for engagement rings or other jewelry that may undergo regular wear and tear.
Tourmaline is distinguished by its three-sided prisms; no other common mineral has three sides. One more interesting thing about tourmaline is that it’s a hemimorphic mineral: two ends of the crystal have different terminations.
Some of the most highly valued tourmaline gems are the rare Paraíba tourmalines, which have a bright neon blue-green color and come from a specific region in Brazil.
Other shades of Tourmalines are mined in Afghanistan, Madagaskar, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique and a few more countries. When you buy your gems, by the way, always make sure that the seller knows where their stock comes from - in fact it should be your first criteria for understanding if the seller is genuine and trustworthy.
Tourmalines are often praised for their clarity, which again adds to it points as the perfect gem choice for jewelry. But how clean should the true tourmaline be? In most cases tourmalines have inclusions, which you can find with the naked eye or with a loupe.
Someone may tell you that the best gems don’t have any inclusions - well, it’s a very controversial point. In fact, inclusions are normally a good sign, which indicates that the gem is natural. Almost no natural gems can be 100% clear and free of inclusions, unless they went through a specific treatment!
So, don’t be scared of inclusions. Just check, that they don’t look ugly and that they are inclusions, but not the cracks.
Now, let me teach you a trick.
When buying tourmaline of any color, view it under several different types of lighting, as most gems will exhibit some alteration in color or decreased saturation in incandescent light.
Now, let’s talk about shapes. Tourmalines are mostly found as large crystals, that’s why the most common cutting shape is rectangle shape. It’s not a rule, but it can be a sign for you that the gem is indeed genuine. Check other gemstones of the same supplier, look at the shapes in general. If a supplier is selling tourmalines, usually a big part of their tourmaline gems will have rectangle cutting shape. It’s not a rule, but a very common thing in the industry.
Finally, the most interesting thing - the tourmaline price. How much a faceted tourmaline should cost?
There are a lot of factors which build the price: color, size, clarity, cutting, weight, deposit.
Average price for gemstones which are not bigger than 5 carats ranges from 100$ till 300$ per/carat. So, if you are looking for a 3 carat tourmaline for your engagement ring, expect to pay anything between $400 and $900.
As I mentioned, the most expensive tourmaline in the market is Paraiba tourmaline, because it has a very nice color, it looks like the Indian Ocean around Maldives and it’s also supported by the fantastic marketing campaigns from famous jewelry brands. The price starts from 1000$ per carat for a very average quality.
But from the aesthetics, or gemology point of view, I’d give a much bigger weight to bi-color tourmalines, for example, which are also just half the price or even cheaper in the market. We have time, till marketers will take them on.
I analyzed the market and realized that tourmalines from Africa are sold at the lowest price. It doesn’t mean that these tourmalines are worse, the real reason is mostly the big offer and big competition from other countries.
And for my personal stock I prefer Afghan tourmalines.
I currently do have a few color options of tourmalines on my website, you can check the link in description, and get a better idea on the prices of tourmalines, as per color and size.
The pricing that I just shared with you can be a bit less or MUCH bigger, depending on multiple factors. In the next posts we will look at different types of tourmalines in more detail and look at commercial varieties: indicolite, rubelite, chrome tourmaline and your favorite Paraiba! Make sure to subscribe to this channel not to miss it!
Truly, Tourmalines come in all the colors of the rainbow! Personally, I can't get enough of this gemstone. In fact, tourmaline was one of the first stones I added into my personal gem collection.