PARAIBA TOURMALINE STONE.

Stunning small stone ideal for a ring.

mined in brazil

Grading VS

Natural stone heated

weight 0.49 cts

Size 7.2x4.7 x2.1 mm

  These cupriferous tourmalines from the Mina da Batalha in the Federal Brazilian State of Paraiba are small, rare and precious. Their spirited turquoise to green colours are such as are not found in any other gemstone in the world. The exclusiveness of this legendary find makes these rare gemstones real treasures.

Normally, iron, manganese, chrome and vanadium are the elements responsible for the beautiful colouring in tourmalines. The Paraiba tourmaline is different: it owes its splendid colour to copper, an element which has never before been observed in a tourmaline. Indeed quite a fair proportion of its weight consists of copper. But scientists have discovered that it often also contains manganese.

In the Paraiba tourmaline, the interplay between these two elements gives rise to a variety of fascinatingly beautiful colours: emerald green, turquoise to sky blue, sapphire blue, indigo, bluish-violet, and purple. Certain proportions in the mixture of copper and manganese can also result in pale grey to violet-blue tones. Copper in high concentrations is responsible for the highly coveted radiant blue, turquoise and green hues, while violet and red tones are caused by manganese. By means of the burning technique, experienced cutters can eliminate the red colour components, with the result that only a pure copper colour remains.