Paraiba Tourmaline, 20.06ct

About Paraiba Tourmalines

Although tourmalines are relatively uncommon, this is a variety of tourmalines which is extremely rare and can be even more expensive than diamonds.

Paraibas or Cuprian Blue Tourmaline is the copper bearing variety of Elbaite Tourmalines. The copper imparts a distinct blue color which is extremely eye-catching. The most sought-after color, however, is the "Neon-Blue" or "Electric-Blue" color, which is only seen in these gemstones.

It was only recently discovered in 1989 and is a gemstone as otherworldly and alien as any connoisseur might dream up. With saturation that dares to break the boundaries of intensity and vividness, Paraiba tourmaline's blues, greens, and violets can appear to glow with a neon-like quality.

It ranks a 7.0 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, making it a lovely gem for use in jewelry. It has an R.I. of the range 1.624 - 1.644.

Due to the extreme rarity, Paraibas are only found from Brazil, Mozambique, and Madagascar with some deposits from Nigeria and East Africa. They are a very popular choice for enagement rings, because of their rarity and beautiful look when set in white gold and Platinum.