Rubellite Tourmaline

Item Description

Tourmalines are beloved by both mineral and gem collectors for the fact that they are incredibly colorful. Tourmalines have some of the most vivid greens, blues and pinks/reds that you'll find in the mineral/gem world. Although, Tourmaline has been known for centuries, it actually wasn't fully identified until the 1800s. This is due to the fact that Spanish explorers in the 1500s mistook green Tourmaline found in Brazil for Emerald, and it remained misidentified for a few hundred years. The irony is that black Tourmaline (Schorl) had been well-known in Europe at the time, but it took mineralogists many years to realize that the colorful gemmy crystals were part of the same mineral group as the opaque black crystals. This stone is a wonderful "Oval" cut Rubellite Tourmaline with very slight inclusions, and a lovely intense pink color. Keep in mind that Tourmaline is classified as a "Type-3" gemstone, which means that inclusions are almost always present, and accepted by dealers and collectors, so when you find a stone like this, with minor inclusions, it's perfectly acceptable. This gem was priced at $772.50 retail.