Discovering the Rainbow Gemstone Called Tourmaline

The gem tourmaline comes in an unprecedented number of colors. It has many shades that are distinctly its own, with the most famous being the pariaba tourmaline. But many of tourmaline's pinks and greens are quite unique as well.

Tourmaline got its name form "tura mali" which literally translates to mean "stone of mixed colors." An Egyptian myth claims that tourmaline began as a clear stone. However, as it rained from the heavens, it fell through a rainbow thereby catching many different shades of red, pink, yellow, green, blue, honey, violet, brown, and black.

The most common tourmaline runs from a blue-black to a deep black color. It is called "schorl." This variety of the gem tends to be rich in iron. It accounts for about 95 percent of the tourmaline found in nature. Clear tourmaline is referred to as "achroite" and is much less popular than its many brothers and sisters.

Bright red tourmaline is called "rubellite" because it not only mimics the finest red ruby, in some instances, it actually manages to exceed it. These particular tourmaline stones have vibrancy and clarity and are intense throughout.

Reddish pink tourmaline that changes color from red to pink, depending upon the type of light in which it is observed, is referred to as shocking pink tourmaline. It can skew to an unusual watermelon pink color.

Blue tourmaline is called "indigolite." It can skew from a pale blue to a deep, almost sapphire, color. Paraiba tourmaline, which wasn't discovered until 1987, is a deep, intense turquoise or neon blue color. It comes from one single location, a mine in Paraiba Brazil. Highly prized for its beauty, paraiba is some of the most expensive tourmaline in the world.

Green tourmaline is called "verdelite." It ranges in color from a pale spring grass green to the most intense deep emerald green. It can be very expensive as well.

Purple tourmaline is referred to as "siberite." It ranges in color from a medium violet shade to a deep amethyst.