Discover the Blue Gem Paraiba Tourmaline
KNOW YOUR STONES
Discover the Blue Gem Paraiba Tourmaline
A Brief History
Paraiba, a state in Brazil, was the place where this rare and gorgeous neon-colored blue or green gemstone was first discovered in 1989.
The moment these paraiba stones were discovered, they caused a frenzy on the gem market.
Jewelry enthusiasts, primarily in the West and in Japan, fell for this incredible vivd blue tourmaline, which seems to glow from within, the moment they first saw it causing a surge in demand. This was further intensified by the fact that the mine was exhausted quite soon after...
So, that was short but sweet.
Luckily for us, very similar material has been discovered in Mozambique and Nigeria around 2000 🥳 And this is where most paraiba tourmalines still come from today.
Did You Know This about the Paraiba Tourmaline?
- Color stones in general, and this paraiba gem in particular, remain a very rare thing. To give you an idea of their uniqueness: for every 10,000 diamonds that are mined, they find 1 gem-quality paraiba tourmaline! For this reason, the stone can easily fetch five figures per carat.
- When similar gemstone material was found in Mozambique and Nigeria, a discussion arose in the gemology world as to whether these stones could even be called "paraiba tourmalines" since they were not coming from Brazil. It was decided that labs around the world could still issue a certificate stating "paraiba tourmaline" even if the stone hasn't been mined in Paraiba, Brazil, as long as the following 2 conditions are fulfilled:
- The lab's gemologists regard the color of the stone as 'electric' or 'vivid blue or green';
- The stone contains the chemical elements of both copper and manganese which cause its incredible neon color.
- Exquisite paraiba tourmaline gems can be spotted in some of the most jaw-dropping jewelry pieces created by the world's high jewellery houses, such as Louis Vuitton, Chopard, Chanel, Christian Dior and Cartier.
A Note of Extra Care for the Paraiba Tourmaline
A paraiba stone is a good 'hard' stone that doesn't scratch easily. However, it commonly can be included inside the stone which makes it more fragile. Because of this, a paraiba tourmaline is best worn as a cocktail ring on special occasions rather than wearing it in a ring every day.
Another option is to have your paraiba centre stone set in a ring with other gemstones around it or in a protective 'bezel' setting (a sort of golden band around the gemstone) instead of a 'prong' setting. This will protect the paraiba more.
The stone can easily be worn every day when set into a pair of earrings or in a necklace as they tend to absorb less blows than a ring or bracelet.
Why You'll Love Paraiba Tourmaline:
- A blue, green or violet color with an out-of-this-world electric, neon shade to it. Some people may even think its colour isn't real, it's that intense.
- This gem is a relatively young and rare discovery, so you can be sure to be one of the very few on earth wearing it...
- Paraiba tourmaline is often considered more special than any other blue or green tourmaline because of its exquisite colour saturation, generally more attractive colour and greater rarity.
