Tourmaline History
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we enjoy learning about the history of why various precious and semi-precious gemstones are so highly sought after, and the tourmaline history is just as unique as many other gemstones.
Tourmaline History – The Origins
In terms of gemstone history, tourmalines are actually relatively new. It wasn’t until the mid-1500’s when Spanish conquistador, Francisco Spinoza, declared discovering the “Brazilian emerald” (which happened to be a green tourmaline). It wasn’t until the 1800’s, when gemologists discovered the unique chemical and physical structure of tourmaline gemstones. Jewelers and treasure hunters often confused tourmaline with emeralds, rubies and sapphires for centuries prior.
The 19th Century
However, one of the first correct reports of tourmaline being discovered occurred just prior to the 20th century in California by George F. Kunz, who became a Tiffany gemologist. He recognized that there were large deposits in California and Maine. China (Empress Tz’u Hsi) quickly became the biggest importer of U.S. tourmaline which eventually collapsed when the Chinese government succumbed in 1912, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty’s 2000-year rule.
Since the 1950’s, Madagascar and Afghanistan have been consistent producers of a fine red variant of tourmaline.
Furthermore, miners discover bright, and uniquely colored tourmaline gemstones in the Brazilian state of Paraíba in 1989. Gemologist say that the presence of copper in tourmaline creates this beautiful color, thus fetching high prices. Miners discover the world’s largest Paraíba tourmaline (191.87 carats) in 2009.
Katharina Mint Ring (courtesy of GIA)
Miners have found tourmaline from the following regions: Myanmar, Pakistan, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia and Tanzania. Since then, gemologist have uncover a myriad of tourmaline colors.
Tourmaline Colors
- Rubellite: Pink, purplish red, orange-red, and red
- Indicolite: are dark violet, blue or greenish blue
- Paraíba: Vivid neon blues and greens.
- Chrome refers to an intense green
- Gemologist call tourmaline gemstones that display multiple colors parti-colored tourmaline.
- A watermelon tourmaline is pink in the center and green around the outsides.
Schwanke-Kasten Promise
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we can promise that our gemstones are always ethically sourced from conflict-free regions. Stop by our store to see our beautiful selection of tourmaline jewelry! They make perfect gifts for those celebrating an October birthday or an 8th wedding anniversary. Tourmaline is a fairly dense mineral (7 – 7.5 on Mohs hardness scale) making it the ideal stone choice for October birthday and anniversary jewelry. What determines these color qualities often depends on the chemical composition as tourmalines refer to a group of closely related mineral species versus a singular chemical composition (GIA). For example, traces of iron and titanium can induce green and blue colors and manganese, reds and pinks.
