Tourmaline

Tourmaline occurs in a wider range of colors than any other gemstone. The great demand for fashion accessories that has been created in the past few years, due to the increasing use of bright colors in clothing, has created an unprecedented demand for this lovely gemstone.

By far the most popular tourmaline colors are green, blue-green, blue and pink; reds are also in great demand, but are extremely rare and hard to acquire. But the tourmaline palette also includes shades of yellow, orange, brown, violet and other subtle colors that one would expect to find in a paint store, rather than a jewelry shop. Tourmalines are typically color-zoned; a cut gemstone may therefore display several hues, sometimes with the color bands sharply delineated.

Green tourmalines of the best hue actually resemble emeralds, and are widely used as a kind of emerald simulant. But most tourmaline colors, being intense, stand on their own merits. Stones are easily available in sizes up to 5 carats. Large, flawless tourmalines are becoming increasingly rare, however. Investment-grade stones are generally of fine color and flawless, in sizes over 10 carats. Much larger stones are also available, but a flawless green tourmaline over 40-50 carats may be considered worthy of museum display. Since most tourmalines, even these exceptionally large ones, sell at prices measured in terms of hundreds of dollars per carat, they must be regarded as having great potential for future appreciation.