GEMSTONES

Tourmaline comes in a wide range of colors including: pink, red, green, blue and even yellow. Within each of these specific colors there are almost infinite variations. For example, there are dark blue shades of tourmaline known as indicolite but there are also very light pale blues containing trace amounts of copper that are known as Paraiba.

Tourmalines come in different colors due to trace amounts of elements that were present when the crystals formed. Green tourmalines are sometimes colored by chromium. These can range from deep forest greens to light green.

The value of tourmalines can vary widely based on color, clarity and rarity. Beautiful light blue Pariaba tourmalines can run as much as $1,000/ct or more. Deep red (rubelite) tourmalines are highly sought after and can easily cost as much as $500/ct. Chrome tourmalines with pleasing color that are clean and bright can run $400-$600/ct.