Helpful Information: Tourmaline is one of those gem materials that a dealer could specialize in and still have a large variety of colors, shapes, and sizes to offer. It is hard, durable and reasonable in price; in short a gem that should be more known and appreciated by the gem buying public. Tourmaline has been known for centuries and has been used as substitutes for more expensive gems such as emerald, ruby, and sapphire. It is found in elongated crystals that are most economically cut in the long rectangular shape that tourmaline, especially green tourmaline, is cut in today. Other colors, such as red, pink, yellow, and blue, can be found cut in ovals, round, emerald cut, and occasionally trillion shapes. Tourmaline is a gem that is strongly pleochroic which means that it shows two colors depending on the direction of the crystal. In green tourmaline, one end will look black and the broad surface will show the green color. That is why so many green tourmalines are cut in an emerald cut rectangular shape with steep sides. If the ends were cut in a normal fashion like other gem materials, it would cast the black end color into the stone and darken it too much. This makes green tourmaline a gem that requires the jeweler's skill in setting because the sides of the gem are almost straight and not angled in toward the culet. Other tourmaline colors are not as affected by this characteristic and are often found in other shapes.

Tourmaline is also found in cat's eyes in the pink and green colors and is quite attractive. The most desirable colors are intense red and intense green and bright and lively pink. Tourmaline from Africa has been found that has chromium in its cellular make up and this material is called chrome tourmaline. It has a crisp, emerald like green color and is valued higher than the regular green material from Brazil and other places. Combinations of colors can be found in the same crystal and it is called multi colored tourmaline. The colors can be pink and green (bi color) or pink, green, and yellow (tri color) or other similar combinations. The jeweler has to be careful when setting these gems since the line between the two colors represent a change in the growing conditions and is often a weakened area where the atomic bond is weak. It can break along this plane if too much pressure is applied. Another type of tourmaline that has multiple colors is watermelon tourmaline. This is a crystal that has an outer skin that is one color, usually green, and an internal core that is pink or red, thus the watermelon look. These crystals are sliced and polished to show the color pattern. They can vary in width from 1/4 inch to an inch on more and in thickness from 1/10 to 1/4 inch.

Although tourmaline is found in many different locations, there is one location, Paraiba, that has produced tourmaline with a turquoise like vibrant color. This area in Brazil is not producing tourmaline currently which is a great shame. Paraiba tourmalines are world famous and command extremely high prices because of the rarity and beauty of their color. The unusual color is due to trace elements of copper in the tourmaline atomic structure. Other colors come from this area (green, blue) but the turquoise-like color is considered the finest.