The polished black Tourmaline in strips becomes even more hypnotic when, close to its little green or yellow sisters, it stands out chromatically on a set of multicolored Heishi beads. As for the pink Tourmaline , it will reveal itself to be most romantic in the form of a heart pendant, a charm for a bracelet or in a mix of Tourmaline stone on a rosary chain!

Note that each Tourmaline stone has its own unique characteristics. A charm used in costume jewelry and fine jewelry that can generate differences from one pearl to another.

Where does Tourmaline Stone come from?

Another natural gemstone of category IX from the Silicate and Cyclosilicate family . And for good reason: Silicates represent more than 90% of the weight of the Earth's crust. You will therefore better understand why many gemstones for jewelry are subtle variations of them.

A mineral category found absolutely everywhere in the world. However, the largest tourmaline stone mines today are once again located in countries like Brazil.

Why this name?

Well, this stone was so unique because of its colors that the Singhalese (the ethnic majority of Sri Lanka) called it "thoramalli." That is to say: " stone of mixed colors " or " stone of a thousand colors ."

Are there different types of Tourmaline?

There are, in fact, several varieties of Tourmaline, more or less rare , depending on their origin and their color. But especially depending on their chemical composition. Nevertheless, the shades of Tourmaline give rise to several commercial names for gems, such as indicolite (blue in color).

For example, if we dig a little deeper into the subject of Elbaite Tourmaline , we see that there are pink to red Elbaites , orange and yellow Elbaites; mauve to blue-mauve and purplish-blue Elbaites; blue to light blue and dark blue Elbaites; green, apple green or bottle green Elbaites.

Black, pink or green tourmaline stone | The different colors

Their names have funny sounds, like Rubellite or more figuratively: Watermelon. But, they are in fact different kinds of Tourmaline. Each of these varieties of Tourmaline stone: colorless, blue, green, pink, black or yellow Tourmaline , conceals infinite details that will make your jewelry unique objects .

Black Tourmaline

It is one of the most common (with pink Tourmaline), but also one of the most popular for creating modern or timeless jewelry . In particular the Schorl variety, opaque and black because it is very rich in iron. But, even a so-called "black" Tourmaline is not strictly "black" and contains treasures of nuances . Shiny or opaque, beads and charms in black Tourmaline can present nuances of brown (Dravite or brown tourmaline rich in sidic magnesium), green (green chrome Dravite) or blue.

Pink Tourmaline

Pink Tourmaline stone for jewelry is a fairly common color. Appreciated by jewelry lovers, the gem offers a beautiful and close resemblance to Pink Sapphire , but at much more affordable prices. In a faceted pearl necklace , the shades of pink are almost similar to garnet red seeds .

Red Tourmaline

Much darker than pink, you can find the red Tourmaline variety under the name Rubellite , which means "reddish" in Latin. A bright and deep red like ruby, imported since Roman times and which turns out to be one of the most precious specimens of the Tourmaline group . Otherwise called Aphrite , Apyrite or Rubylite : a formidable weapon to melt the heart of the person who will receive it as a gift.

Green Tourmaline

Ranging from soft green to bottle green , you can find it under the trade name Verdélite . The pale green of the gem can contain micro-inclusions making it unique, there is also a variety called "Afghan" coming from the Kunar valley presenting a peach color mixed with soft green. A surprising and particularly luminous stone.

Amazing Tourmaline Gems

The Watermelon variety

Like a watermelon, this Tourmaline gemstone has pink in its center and shades of green around the edges. This is why the tourmaline stone has been named Watermelon Tourmaline, but also Watermelon Tourmaline . This also explains why it is among the most sought-after in the category of Tourmalines for jewelry.

Brazilian Tourmaline

The gemstone is characterized by a luminescent blue-green , even "electric" due to the presence of copper in the Cyclosilicate. A unique color, highly sought after and very expensive. This variety was discovered in the Brazilian province of Paraiba in 1987. The vein was unfortunately very quickly exhausted of its most beautiful gems. However, the name Paraiba Tourmaline (or Brazilian Tourmaline ) has remained with it ever since. Even though a ^second deposit was found in Nigeria and a ^third in Mozambique.

Good to know

There are currently 10,000 times more diamonds in the world than Paraiba Tourmalines . This explains why its price can easily exceed many other precious stones such as diamonds or rubies! That's why you won't find it here.

Indicolite Tourmaline

Here too, the Tourmaline stone has a blue color, but it is a deeper blue . Because, the name Indicolite comes from a bluish green tending towards " indigo " blue.

How to recognize Tourmaline?

As you will have understood, Tourmaline is THE gem with multiple colors . Except in the exceptional case of black Tourmaline, it is therefore very difficult for a layperson to recognize a Tourmaline with the naked eye. Because, with these 38 listed minerals , this group of mineral stones is one of the most complex there is, all Silicates combined. A fact noted by the AMI : the International Mineralogical Association .

To go further

And, if you are wondering how to distinguish a fine stone from a precious stone or a semi-precious gem: go to the i-Perles Blog to consult our article on the subject .

Tourmaline Stone Beads | Ideal for your Jewelry

Sometimes transparent, translucent or opaque, their rhombohedral crystal system (derived from a deformation of a cubic network on a diagonal) offers very beautiful jewelry crystals . But what makes them original are the changing colors of the gemstone. Indeed, depending on the light and the angle of observation, Tourmaline has many surprises in store for you .

In addition, the hardness of Tourmaline (which is between 7 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale) makes it a particularly resistant and interesting gem to work with in jewelry .

Examples of unique Tourmaline jewelry

High Jewelry has also taken hold of this exceptional multi-colored stone to bring to life great jewels, such as:

• An Art Deco style ring in Watermelon Tourmaline and Diamonds , signed by Maison Oscar Heyman & Frères;
• A Rubellite Tourmaline brooch in the shape of a Camellia for Mademoiselle Chanel;
• A necklace from the Kauffmann house in Switzerland, featuring the largest cut Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil with its 191.87 carats;
• A pendant named "Rubis Caesar" , which is none other than a 52-carat Rubellite Tourmaline, treasure of the Romanovs and a gift from King Gustav III of Sweden in 1777 to Catherine the Great of Russia;
• A brooch made of Madagascar tourmalines around a cultured pearl, offered to Sovereign Elizabeth II in 2013;
• A ring with real “eternal” petals around an Indicolite Tourmaline created by Maison Boucheron…

Tourmaline Charms and Beads: to make your own jewelry!

Even if you're not a jeweler, it's easy to make beautiful Tourmaline jewelry. At i-Perles, we believe that everyone deserves to treat themselves . That's why we've put together this collection of quality Tourmaline stones so you can make your own Tourmaline jewelry .

Professional quality tourmaline beads and pendants at low prices

Round beads, multi-colored square beads , chip beads, pink heishi beads or nuggets: our Tourmaline beads, charms and pendants are made for you. Magnificent colors for artisanal or DIY creations, in your image or in the image of your establishment, if you are a jewelry professional.

In addition, all our designs are available for wholesale and we regularly travel the world to enrich our collections of beads and pendants.

So, keep an eye out on your i-perles.fr website: you might well see new Tourmaline stone beads appear in the collection of the same name or in our “new products” section .

We wish you all to make wonderful Tourmaline jewelry !

All our pendants and beads are available for wholesale. Feel free to contact us by email to customize your tourmaline bead quotes according to your needs.