Behind the Stones: Tourmaline, October’s kaleidoscopic birthstone
For the elusive combination of vibrancy, variety and value, October’s birthstone is an ideal place. Because unlike some of its better known counterparts, tourmaline offers powerful colour payoff without the corresponding price tag of sapphire, ruby and emerald.
Don’t be distracted by the allure of bigger names – because for those in the know, tourmaline is a beloved stone with a storied history. And well worth learning more about.
What is a tourmaline?
Often confused for rubies, sapphires and emeralds, tourmaline is in fact a gemstone species all its own – though it wasn’t recognised as such until the 1800s, when modern gemmological testing could clearly differentiate it from its equally vibrant cousins.
Tourmaline takes its name from the Sinhalese word ‘tormali’, which means ‘mixed gems’, and was used to describe the rainbow of water-worn pebbles traders from the Dutch East India company exported from Sri Lanka by the crate in the 1600s.
But it’s actually the USA that became the most famous producer of tourmaline, particularly around the turn of the century. San Diego, in California, produced such beautiful red tourmaline that the Chinese dowager empress Tz’u Hsi became obsessed. And when her government collapsed – and her regular orders for Californian tourmaline along with it – the mines were forced to close.
Modern tourmaline is mined around the world, with Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique and Namibia playing key roles in the global supply chain.
What colours does tourmaline come in? In short? Every colour.
Colour is tourmaline’s super power; this stone can be found in a huge array of shades. From the lightest mint greens to the deep khaki; vivid blue to ocean-black; soft pink and shocking red, there’s a tourmaline for everyone.
Tourmalines are allochromatic, which means they take their colour from the elements surrounding the crystal as it forms. This allows for the wide range of tourmaline colours, and also one particularly charming effect: particoloured tourmaline, which has more than one colour in a single stone.
The most famous variety of particoloured tourmaline is Watermelon Tourmaline, which is a green stone with a pretty pink core. But many other tourmaline varieties are named for their colour, and can vary widely in value. While dreary dravite and almost opaque schore are very cheap, rich red rubellite and electric blue paraiba can command stunning prices per carat.
Most tourmalines are identified by their colour, and descriptive names like the recently popular lagoon tourmaline, are encouraged.
Can I wear my tourmaline every day?
Yes and no. With a vitreous lustre, very good stability and a respectable Mohs hardness of 7 to 7.5 – for reference, amethyst is a 7, sapphire is a 9 and diamond is 10 – tourmaline is suitable for everyday wear in a necklace or earrings.
But more caution should be taken with pieces in so-called ‘high traffic’ areas like rings and bracelets. These pieces are exposed to more knocks and blows than pendants and earrings, and so have a higher likelihood damage. While tourmaline is a durable stone, it’s more likely than sapphires, rubies and diamonds (but less likely than emeralds) to chip or fracture with daily wear.
With its tremendous colour payoff, huge array of shades and reasonable price per carat (which means even modest budgets can score big stones), tourmaline shines most as the centrepiece of chunky cocktail rings and statement pendants. Which is how Sophie, our creative director, has put them to use in our vibrant range of tourmaline pieces.
