Tourmaline demands a lower per carat price than other gemstones with equally impressive color ranges such as emerald or ruby and often sapphire. Multicolor tourmaline is less common than solid color varieties. The term watermelon tourmaline refers to a gem that truly resembles the fruit a pink center with a green rind surrounding it. Benjamin wilson experimented with the electrical properties of tourmaline. Chrome tourmaline is a rich green color due to the presence of chromium atoms in the crystal.
Traditional tourmaline gemstone variety names include rubellite the red or pink variety indicolite the blue variety and watermelon tourmaline a multicolored tourmaline of green and red. The semi precious stone tourmaline grows in a number of colors ranging from black to blue to pink. But three or more colors are possible. Tourmaline s colors have many different causes. The closer the colors match those of a real watermelon the more people enjoy them and the higher the price.
Manganese produces reds and pinks and possibly yellows. In addition tourmaline cuts are as varied as their colors ovals pear shaped rectangles and even octagons make tourmalines perhaps the most versatile of gemstones. Some stones have two colors often either a mix of pink and green or blue and green. Tourmaline has a variety of colors. It s generally agreed that traces of iron and possibly titanium induce green and blue colors.
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Blue tourmaline tourmaline silicate cut gem de agostini photo 1 getty images. It occurs in all colors but pink red green blue and multicolored are its most well known gem colors. Scientifically tourmaline is not a single mineral but a group of minerals related in their physical and chemical properties. Although the differences in colors can be explained by the stone s mineral compositions some believe that tourmaline meaning and uses of the different colors can vary from hue to hue. Some pink and yellow tourmalines might owe their hues to color centers caused by radiation which can be natural or laboratory induced.A 3 carat brilliant green tourmaline will be a fraction of the cost of similar sized emerald and for the price the tourmaline will usually have a fraction of the inclusions seen in emeralds. Of the standard elbaite colors blue indicolite gems are typically the most valuable followed by green verdelite and pink to red rubellite. The most popular bicolor tourmaline is watermelon tourmaline it has a pink interior and a green rind just like a slice of watermelon. Tourmaline crystals are also faceted to produce bicolor gems. A 3 carat brilliant green tourmaline will be a fraction of the cost of similar sized emerald and for the price the tourmaline will usually have a fraction of the inclusions seen in emeralds.
Tourmaline crystals are also faceted to produce bicolor gems. Blue tourmaline tourmaline silicate cut gem de agostini photo 1 getty images. Manganese produces reds and pinks and possibly yellows. Traditional tourmaline gemstone variety names include rubellite the red or pink variety indicolite the blue variety and watermelon tourmaline a multicolored tourmaline of green and red. Tourmaline demands a lower per carat price than other gemstones with equally impressive color ranges such as emerald or ruby and often sapphire.