The Paraiba tourmaline: A unique gemstone

The Paraiba tourmaline immediately caught my attention when I first saw this stone in 2015. A trader from Germany had them with him. I had never seen tourmaline in this color before, my interest was immediately aroused. Especially the neon-colored Paraiba tourmaline reminded me of the color that only the sea in tropical areas has. The story behind this special form of tourmaline made me even more interested, as it turned out to be one of the most sought-after stones in the world. This form of gemstone is estimated to be about 10,000 times rarer than diamond.

The discovery of the Paraiba tourmaline

In the 1990s, this form of tourmaline was first found in the Paraiba area in Brazil and it still owes its name to this. Because these tourmalines contain copper, they have a more intense green-blue or purple color in contrast to the ferruginous tourmalines. The striking color of this tourmaline was so special and beautiful that the demand for it immediately increased. As a result, the price of the Paraiba tourmaline rose rapidly. Especially when it turned out that the mines were empty a few years later, amounts of 80,000 euros per CT for the best quality were no exception. The search for this copper-containing tourmaline continued unabated. It quickly became one of the most coveted and sought after gemstones ever.

Between 2001 & 2004 there were reports from Nigeria & Mozambique that copper-containing tourmalines had been found. New sources for Paraiba tourmaline had been found. Thanks to these new mines, the price of copper-containing tourmalines has become somewhat more accessible.

Hanco Zwaan, one of the most famous gemologists in the Netherlands, has done a major study in collaboration with GIA (a global player in the field of gemstone certification) and others, looking for the differences between the Brazilian & Mozambique copper-containing tourmalines. You can find this research here