Tourmaline

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Physical & Optical Properties

Mohs Hardness 7.0 – 7.5
Specific Gravity 2.85 – 3.35
Refractive Index 1.614 – 1.666
Crystal System Trigonal
Luster Vitreous
Cleavage Poor
Fracture Sub-Conchoidal
Color various
Birefringence 0.014
Dispersion 0.017
Pleochroism Pink tourmaline - distinct: colorless-pink - pinkish-red; Orange/brown tourmaline - strong: yellowish-brown - dark(greenish)-brown; Yellow tourmaline - distinct: pale yellow - dark yellow; Violet/purple tourmaline - strong: light purple - purple; Blue - strong: light blue - dark blue; Green - strong: yellow-green - dark green

Mohs Hardness

Mohs Hardness: 7.0 – 7.5
1 Soft10 Hard

Crystal System

a a a Trigonal (Rhombohedral) a = b = c, α = β = γ ≠ 90°

Value & Market

Price Tier Moderate ($50-500/ct)

Cultural Significance

Birthstone Month 10 (traditional)

Treatments

Synthetic tourmalines are used only for research purposes. The stones, offered as synthetic tourmaline, are rarely tourmaline-colored synthetic spinels. - Gemstones of the world, Walter Schumann, 2001, p 112 7 to 7.5Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references 2.85 to 3.35Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references BrittleMichael O?Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) PoorMichael O?Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) Very poorMore from other references Sub-ConchoidalArthur Thomas, Gemstones (2009) 1.614 to 1.666Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references Uniaxial/-Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references 0.014 to 0.040Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references Pink tourmaline - distinct: colorless-pink - pinkish-red; Orange/brown tourmaline - strong: yellowish-brown - dark(greenish)-brown; Yellow tourmaline - distinct: pale yellow - dark yellow; Violet/purple tourmaline - strong: light purple - purple; Blue - strong: light blue - dark blue; Green - strong: yellow-green - dark greenHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references 0.017Arthur Thomas, Gemstones (2009) Tourmaline cat's eyes exist in various colors, but only in the green and pink varieties. Chatoyancy is usually strong, caused by thin tube-like inclusions. Some tourmalines show a slight change of color in artificial light. They have a vitreous sheen ob crystal surfaces, a greasy sheen on fractured surfaces.Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the world (2001) More from other references Multi-colored crystals are commonHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references Transparent,Translucent,OpaqueUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references VitreousArthur Thomas, Gemstones (2009) Mostly inertHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) TrigonalHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references Prismatic to acicular crystalsMichael O?Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references Tourmaline information at mindat.org Afghanistan&nbsp; Glas (2002) Garnier, V., Giuliani, G., Ohnenstetter, D., Fallick, A.E., Dubessy, J., Banks, D., Vinh, H.Q., Lhomme, T., Maluski, H., Pêcher, A., Bakhsh, K.A., Long, P.V., Trinh, P.T., and Schwarz, D. (2008): Ore Geology Reviews 34, 169-191. [var: Achroite] Bowersox and Chamberlin (1995) [var: Indicolite] Bowersox and Chamberlin (1995) Bowersox and Chamberlin (1995) [var: Indicolite] Glas (2002) E.Ya. Kievlenko, Geology of gems, 2003, p. 110 Glas (2002) Glas (2002) Glas (2002) Bowersox and Chamberlin (1995) Glas (2002) [var: Indicolite] Glas (2002) Bowersox and Chamberlin (1995) Brazil&nbsp; Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) [var: Elbaite] Kievlenko E.Ya., Geology of gems, 2003, p. 113 Menezes (2009) Steger (1999) [var: Rubellite] Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) [var: Rubellite] Steger (1999) [var: Indicolite] Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) Steger (1999) [var: Elbaite] [var: Indicolite] Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) [var: Indicolite] Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) [var: Rubellite] Bastos (2002) [var: Verdelite] Menezes (2009) Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) [var: Rubellite] Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) [var: Indicolite] Menezes (2009) Cassedanne and Roditi (1996) Kievlenko E.Ya., Geology of gems, 2003, p. 113 [Copper-bearing Elbaite var: Paraíba Tourmaline] Wilson, W. E. (2002): Cuprian elbaite from the Batalha Mine, Paraíba, Brazil. Mineralogical Record, 33: 127-137 Johnson et al. (2000) Johnson et al. (2000) China&nbsp; Tang et al. (2004) Wu (2004) India&nbsp; [var: Schorl] Kenya&nbsp; Simonet (2000, 2006) Collection of NHM, Vienna Simonet (2000) MadagascarE.Ya. Kievlenko, Geology of gems, 2003, p. 110 Pezzotta (2006) [var: Schorl] Madagascar, extraLapis English No.1, 2001, p. 46 [var: Schorl] Madagascar, extraLapis English No.1, 2001, p. 46 Pezzotta (1999) Madagascar - extraLapis English No.1, 2001, p. 64 Pezzotta (2006) Pezzotta (2006) Danet (2006) Milisenda et al. (2001) Madagascar - extraLapis English No.1, p. 92 E.Ya. Kievlenko, Geology of gems, 2003, p. 111 Dirlam at al. (2002) E.Ya. Kievlenko, Geology of gems, 2003, p. 110 Laurs (2000) Danet (2007) [var: Rubellite] Lacroix, A. (1912): Sur quelques minéraux des pegmatites du Vakinankaratra (Madagascar). Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie, Paris 35 , 76-84 Dirlam at al. (2002) [var: Schorl] E.Ya. Kievlenko, Geology of gems, 2003, p. 112 Mozambique&nbsp; mindat.org [var: Elbaite] [var: Indicolite] Henn and Bank (1997) [var: Indicolite] Henn and Bank (1997) [var: Indicolite] Schafer and Arlt (2000) Myanmar&nbsp; [var: Rubellite] [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Dravite] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Elbaite] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Dravite] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Elbaite] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Dravite] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Elbaite] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Schorl] Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok [var: Rubellite] Kyi et al. (2005) Glas (2002) Namibia&nbsp; Mossman (2002) [var: Indicolite] Schneider and Seeger (1992) [var: Indicolite] Mossman (2002) [var: Indicolite] Schneider and Seeger (1992) Beard (1999) Nepal&nbsp; Bassett (1987) Koivula et al. (1994) Bassett (1987) Nigeria&nbsp; Henn (2001) Pakistan&nbsp; Laurs et al. (1998) E.Ya.Kievlenko, Geology of gems, 2003, p. 110 Laurs et al. (1998) Glas (2002) [var: Indicolite] Laurs et al. (1998) Glas (2002) Russia&nbsp; Smith and Smith (1995) [var: Rubellite] Godovikov and Bulgak (1993) [var: Rubellite] Godovikov and Bulgak (1993) [var: Rubellite] Godovikov and Bulgak (1993) Sri Lanka&nbsp; Milisenda and Henn (1999) Milisenda and Henn (1999) [var: Achroite] Tajikistan&nbsp; Skrigitil (1996) Skrigitil (1996) Tanzania&nbsp; http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/tanzania-mines.htm [var: Chrome-Tourmaline] Dirlam at al. (1992) gemexplorer.org USA&nbsp; [var: Elbaite] Min.Rec.:20(5):399. / Foord, E.E. (1977): Famous mineral localities. The Himalaya Dike System. Mineralogical Record 8, 461-475 Morgan and London (1999) [var: Indicolite] Fisher et al. (1999) [var: Elbaite] Fisher, J. 2002. Gem and rare-element pegmatites of southern California. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 33: pages 378-381. Morgan and London (1999) [var: Achroite] Laurs (2001, 2002, 2004) [var: Achroite] Freeman (2005) [var: Achroite] Freeman (2005) Vietnam&nbsp; Pham et al. (2004) Pham et al. (2004) Pham et al. (2004) Zambia&nbsp; Milisenda et al. (2000) Zimbabwe&nbsp; Glas (2002)

About Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a complex borosilicate mineral group renowned for displaying the widest range of colors of any gem species—from colorless and black to every hue of the spectrum—often with multiple colors within a single crystal, as in the green-capped pink Watermelon Tourmaline. Major sources include Brazil, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Madagascar, and the United States, each producing distinct and prized color varieties. As October's birthstone alongside opal, tourmaline is one of the world's most popular and versatile gemstones.

Jewelry Use

Durability 7/10

Suitable for daily wear

Science FYI Family

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tourmaline?
Tourmaline is a complex borosilicate mineral group renowned for displaying the widest range of colors of any gem species—from colorless and black to every hue of the spectrum—often with multiple colors within a single crystal, as in the green-capped pink Watermelon Tourmaline. Major sources include
What is the hardness of Tourmaline?
Tourmaline has a Mohs hardness of 7.0 to 7.5, making it excellent for use in jewelry.
What color is Tourmaline?
Tourmaline is primarily Various.
Where is Tourmaline found?
Tourmaline is found in Jegdalek (Afghanistan), Minas Gerais (Brazil), Sri Lanka (Ceylon) (Sri Lanka).
How much does Tourmaline cost?
Tourmaline falls into the Moderate ($50-500/ct) price range. Prices vary based on color, clarity, cut, and origin.

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