What does Paraiba tourmaline look like?

Look for a turquoise color with flashes of green. Paraiba tourmalines get their brilliant aqua color from copper, which also creates greenish flashes within a faceted stone when it is exposed to bright light. This is one of the best ways for a non-expert to identify the possibility that a stone is a Paraiba tourmaline.

How can you tell a real Paraiba tourmaline?

When identifying a paraiba tourmaline stone, you'll want to look for green hues within the faceted gemstone; these green flashes, often found within a lighter, blue body, are evidence of the gemstone's copper content.

What is the best color of Paraiba tourmaline?

Paraiba Tourmaline Color

Paraiba tourmaline stand out because of their bright vivid blue color. The stone can be found in a range of hues, from neon blue, greenish blue, to mint green and sometimes violet and purple. The most highly sought-after and the best-known Paraiba tourmaline color is neon blue.

Is Paraiba tourmaline expensive?

Quality Paraiba tourmalines range from $2,000 to $50,000 per carat. Because of the value and rarity of this stone, purchasing a larger number of small stones is often more feasible than finding a multi-carat, genuine Paraiba on the market.

Why is Paraiba tourmaline so expensive?

The rarity of Paraiba Tourmalines - Paraiba Tourmalines are rare because they have, thus far, only been found in copper rich areas such as Brazil, Nigeria and Mozambique. Paraiba tourmalines from Brazil are among the rarest gems in the world.

WHAT IS PARAIBA TOURMALINE?!

What is the rarest gem on earth?

Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades. By the year 2004, there were less than 2 dozens known gemstones.

What is the rarest color of tourmaline?

The rarest and most expensive tourmaline is the paraiba variety -- a neon-like blue or green that is colored by traces of copper. It was first discovered in the Brazilian state of Paraiba in 1989.

Does Paraiba tourmaline glow in the dark?

A product of the trace element copper, colours range from startling turquoise to majestic blue-green, but it is the incandescent glow that appears to light up the stone from within that makes Paraiba tourmalines incomparable to any other gem.

Is Paraiba a good investment?

The Brazilian paraiba is still the most valuable, but color and clarity are more important than origin for these rare gems. Clean paraiba tourmalines with exceptionally vivid color are the most valuable. These are not the only investment grade gem varieties, by any means.

Is Paraiba tourmaline still being mined?

Since the initial discovery of this copper-bearing tourmaline in 1982, production has been sporadic and has not kept up with the strong market demand. Mining currently takes place at the original discovery—the Mina da Batalha—and at adjacent workings near São José da Batalha in Paraíba State.

Is tourmaline more expensive than emerald?

Emerald is, carat-for-carat, much more expensive than tourmaline when both are of the same grade. What is this? And the truth is that lower grade tourmaline is most often sold as specimens to collectors, while even opaque emerald is usually cut to increase its value.

Are all Paraiba tourmalines heated?

Paraiba tourmalines are commonly heat treated.

Is Paraiba tourmaline more expensive than diamond?

Far rarer than diamonds, Paraiba tourmaline, discovered only in the 1980s, is treasured as much for its extraordinary color as its scarcity, both of which contribute to its high value. While diamonds generally sell for about $6,000 per carat, a carat of Paraiba tourmaline is likely to fetch about $16,000.

What is the most valuable tourmaline?

Tourmaline Prices

The most expensive variety of Tourmaline – the beautiful, rare Paraiba Tourmaline can fetch $10,000 per carat and upwards depending on size and color saturation whilst smaller yellows may only command $50 per carat. The spectrum of prices is as wide as the color range in this amazing gem type.

Where are Paraiba tourmalines found?

ABSTRACT. Vivid blue to green copper-bearing tourmalines, known as Paraíba tourmalines, are recovered from deposits in Brazil, Nigeria, and Mozambique. These tourmalines are sought after for their intense colors.

What makes Paraiba tourmaline glow?

Found only in Brazil, Nigeria and Mozambique, the gems are mined manually and are considered to be rarer than diamonds, which determines their high price. The unique “neon” and “electric” glow of the Paraiba Tourmalines is attributed to the small amounts of copper and manganese in the gemstone's chemical composition.

Is Paraiba a pyramid scheme?

A brief look at its presentation reveals that it is a typical pyramid scheme. It lives on new deposits coming in, it needs new members to be recruited and it has a correspondent structure. People will get rewarded for introducing new investors to Paraiba, you can get a percentage of what people below you deposit.

What is the best precious stone to invest in?

The most popular gemstone for investors is definitely the diamond. Other gemstones like the ruby and the emerald (also the tanzanite, the alexandrite and other particularly rare varieties) can also be considered an excellent investment and can increase their value in time, even more than the diamond.

Is tanzanite or diamond rarer?

According to a Tanzanian geologist, the circumstances that led to its formation 585 million years ago were so exceptional that the likelihood of finding tanzanite anywhere else on earth is one in a million, making it a thousand times rarer than diamonds.

How rare is a Paraiba tourmaline?

To put their rarity into perspective, there is only one Paraiba tourmaline mined for every 10,000 diamonds, and a good quality Paraiba from Brazil weighing over three carats is virtually unheard of. So rare are authentic Brazilian Paraiba tourmalines that it is not unusual for them to achieve five figures per carat.

What are tourmalines worth?

Most expensive are the Paraíba tourmalines, which may reach tens of thousands of dollars per carat. Chrome tourmalines, rubellites and fine indicolites and bi-colors may sell for as much as $1000/ct. or more. Other varieties are available for prices between $50–750/ct., depending on the richness of the color.

What does Paraiba tourmaline symbolize?

To begin, it's worth mentioning that the Paraíba tourmaline is a birthstone for those born in October. Symbolically speaking, this precious gem represents wisdom, voice, insight, and creativity.

Is tourmaline precious or semiprecious?

A tourmaline is a semi-precious gemstone that comes in more colors and color combination than any other gemstone, staying true to its name, which comes from the Sinhalese word “turmali,” meaning “mixed.” Due to the wide range of colors, tourmalines are often mistaken for many other gemstones.

Where is tourmaline most commonly found?

Localities. Gem and specimen tourmaline is mined chiefly in Brazil and many parts of Africa, including Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, and Namibia.

Is purple tourmaline real?

Most colors are fairly common, but pure blue, red, orange, yellow, and purple stones are rare. Such stones usually command higher prices. Color-change tourmalines are also exceptionally rare. Neon-blue paraíba tourmalines, raspberry-red rubellites, and emerald-green chrome tourmalines are especially prized.