Paraiba Tourmaline
Paraiba tourmaline belongs to the mineral class silicates. The trace element copper and manganese were detected here as color-forming elements. It is named after the state of Paraíba in Brazil, where it was found in the 1980s.
Paraiba tourmaline, Brazil (4.14 ct)
Class: Silicates
Genesis: pegmatitic (magmatic, tourmalines form relatively late in “miarolitic”, partly hydrothermally influenced cavities of pegmatitic bodies)
Colors: turquoise blue, neon blue, green
Hardness: 7
Optical effects: Cat eye effect
Most important occurrences: Mozambique, Brazil, Nigeria
Paraiba tourmaline is a variety of elbaite, which in turn belongs to the tourmaline group. Decisive for the differentiation from other tourmalines is the chemical composition of the mineral.
The Paraiba tourmaline in the beautiful blue color (“Swimming Pool Blue”) is hardly found in blue color since years. Increasingly, the green varieties are also in demand. Moreover, hardly any blue Paraiba tourmalines more than 2 grams have been found in Brazil. The original main mine has closed, only individual farmers are still searching for material. The main place of discovery is Mozambique.
It is therefore often necessary to fall back on old bearings. Therefore, it is one of the really rare gemstones, the prices of which have recently increased sharply, according to the market report.
