The quick answer
Tourmaline occurs in a wider range of colours than any other gemstone, which is both its appeal and the reason it confuses buyers. There is no single tourmaline look.
Value is driven almost entirely by colour, and the varieties worth knowing by name are rubellite for red and deep pink, paraiba for electric blue-green, watermelon for the pink and green banded stones, and indicolite for blue. Here is how to tell them apart and what to look for.
What tourmaline actually is
Tourmaline is not one mineral but a family of related boron silicate minerals sharing a crystal structure while varying in chemistry. The colour depends on which elements are present as the crystal forms, and because the structure tolerates a wide range of substitutions, the colour range is extraordinary.
A single crystal can change colour along its length, and it can show different colours depending on the viewing angle, a property called pleochroism. Cutters have to orient the stone deliberately to get the best colour face-up, which is one reason cutting quality matters more in tourmaline than in most stones.
### Key properties for fine jewellery
- Hardness: 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, which is durable enough for everyday rings with sensible care
- Refractive index: moderate, giving a soft glow rather than the fire of a diamond
- Treatments: heat treatment is common and accepted to improve colour; irradiation is used on some material
- Availability: good in most colours, genuinely scarce in paraiba and top rubellite
The varieties worth knowing
### Rubellite
Red through to deep purplish pink, and the variety most often set as a serious centre stone. The name is reserved for stones that hold their colour under different lighting rather than shifting brown, which is the distinction between rubellite and an ordinary pink tourmaline.
The finest rubellite reaches a saturated red that sits close to ruby territory, and stones described as pigeon blood colour are referencing that comparison. Rubellite frequently contains visible inclusions, and in this variety that is normal and tolerated rather than a defect, because clean material in strong colour is rare.
Our current tourmaline rings are largely rubellite, including cabochon cut and faceted stones from around 2.85 to 5.56 carats.
### Pink tourmaline
Lighter and cooler than rubellite, ranging from pale blush to bright pink. It is the most accessible tourmaline for everyday jewellery, and it is where the colour and the price meet most comfortably. Pink tourmaline studs and small pendants are a common entry point into coloured stones.
### Paraiba
The one that changed the market. Discovered in Paraíba state in Brazil in the late 1980s, and coloured by copper, which produces an electric neon blue to blue-green unlike anything else in gemmology. Material has since been found in parts of Africa.
Paraiba is genuinely scarce and priced accordingly. It is also the variety most often misdescribed, since the name is sometimes applied loosely to any bright blue-green tourmaline. For anything sold as paraiba at a serious price, laboratory documentation confirming copper content is the standard.
### Watermelon
Stones showing pink at the centre and green at the rim, from crystals that changed chemistry as they grew. Usually cut in slices to show the banding rather than faceted, which makes them a design feature more than a traditional gemstone.
### Indicolite
Blue tourmaline, from teal through to deep blue. Less common than green or pink and, in strong saturation, quite rare.
### Green tourmaline
The most abundant colour, running from olive through to a vivid grass green. Well-saturated green tourmaline offers a good deal of colour for the money, and mint green material has become popular for its softness. Our current bracelet selection includes a mint green tourmaline piece.
### Chrome tourmaline
Green coloured by chromium and vanadium rather than iron, which gives a noticeably richer, more emerald-like green. Scarce, and priced well above ordinary green.
What drives tourmaline value
Colour first, and by a wide margin.
### Hue and saturation
The most valuable stones have pure, strongly saturated colour without brown or grey undertones. A bright pink is worth considerably more than a muted one of the same size. Paraiba's neon quality is the extreme example of saturation carrying value.
### Tone
Very dark tourmaline, particularly in green and blue, loses life and reads almost black in poor light. Mid tones show colour best. This is worth checking in person or under different lighting, because photographs are often taken under conditions that flatter dark stones.
### Cut
More consequential in tourmaline than in most gems, because of pleochroism. A well oriented stone shows its best colour face-up. A poorly oriented one can look markedly darker or duller from the top than the rough deserved. Window effects, where you can see straight through the middle of the stone, indicate a shallow cut prioritising weight over beauty.
### Clarity
Expectations vary by variety. Blue and green tourmaline is often close to eye clean. Rubellite and paraiba routinely contain inclusions, and demanding a flawless stone in those varieties means giving up colour.
### Size
Tourmaline forms in long crystals and is available in larger sizes than many coloured stones, so a substantial centre stone is achievable without moving into rarity pricing, except in paraiba and top rubellite.
Settings that suit tourmaline
### Diamond halo
Small white diamonds around a coloured centre give the eye a colourless reference, which makes the tourmaline read as more saturated. It works particularly well with pink and rubellite.
### Cabochon
Polished as a smooth dome rather than faceted. This suits rubellite with visible inclusions, since a cabochon shows colour and glow rather than internal detail, and it gives a softer, more antique character. Several of our rubellite pieces are cut this way.
### 18K rose and yellow gold
Warm metals amplify pink and red stones. White metals give a cooler, truer reading and suit green and blue tourmaline better.
### Bezel
A full metal rim protects the girdle, which matters on a stone of 7 to 7.5 hardness worn daily, and gives a clean contemporary line.
### Mixed stone designs
Tourmaline pairs well with other materials because its colour range gives so many options. Our current necklaces and pendants include a piece combining jade, pink tourmaline and freshwater pearl.
Beyond rings
### Earrings
Pink tourmaline studs are the most practical way to wear colour daily. Because the stones are small and matching is easier in lighter tones, pairs are readily available. Current stud listings run from around half a carat to one and a half carats total.
### Pendants
A pendant shows colour against skin in good light, and it is where a stone with visible inclusions is most forgiving.
### Bracelets
Tourmaline bracelets distribute colour along the wrist and catch changing light as you move, which suits a stone whose colour shifts with angle.
What tourmaline jewellery costs in Australia
Price tracks colour quality far more than carat weight, so comparisons need the variety attached.
As a reference from current stock: pink tourmaline stud earrings sit around A$600 to A$760, mixed stone necklaces and pendants from roughly A$1,600 to A$1,900, bracelets around A$2,000 to A$2,200, and rubellite rings from about A$2,300 for a cabochon up to around A$6,400 for a large pigeon blood coloured stone. All are set in 18K gold with accompanying diamonds.
Paraiba sits well outside this range and is priced as a rarity rather than as a tourmaline.
Current pricing is always on the listings themselves, since availability changes. Browse the tourmaline collection for what is in stock now.
Tourmaline compared with the alternatives
| Tourmaline | Ruby | Emerald | Spinel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 7 to 7.5 | 9 | 7.5 to 8 | 8 |
| Colour range | Widest of any gem | Red only | Green only | Wide |
| Typical clarity | Varies by variety | Usually included | Almost always included | Often clean |
| Treatment norms | Heat common | Heat very common | Oiling standard | Often untreated |
| Value driver | Colour saturation | Colour and origin | Colour and clarity | Colour |
Rubellite is often the stone people consider when a fine ruby is out of reach, in the same way spinel is. The difference is that rubellite is not trying to be a ruby: it has its own slightly purplish character, and it comes in larger sizes for the money.
Caring for tourmaline
At 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, tourmaline is durable enough for regular wear but softer than sapphire or diamond, so it needs a little more thought.
- Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners, which can damage included stones such as rubellite.
- Remove rings before manual work, gardening and sport. Knocks damage the stone more readily than daily wear does.
- Keep away from prolonged heat and sudden temperature changes, which can stress included material.
- Store separately from harder stones, since diamond, sapphire and ruby will scratch tourmaline.
- Have claw settings checked periodically on pieces worn daily.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable type of tourmaline?
Paraiba, coloured by copper and showing a neon blue to blue-green, is the most valuable by a wide margin. Fine rubellite and chrome tourmaline follow.
Is tourmaline durable enough for an engagement ring?
At 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale it can be worn daily with care, and a protective setting such as a bezel or a lower profile helps. It is softer than sapphire or diamond, so it is worth being deliberate about removing it for manual work.
What is the difference between rubellite and pink tourmaline?
Rubellite holds its red or deep pink colour under different lighting, while lighter pink tourmaline is exactly that: a lighter, cooler pink. The distinction is about colour strength and stability rather than a separate mineral.
Are inclusions in tourmaline a problem?
It depends on the variety. Blue and green tourmaline is often close to eye clean, while rubellite and paraiba routinely contain inclusions and are valued for colour instead. In those varieties, insisting on a flawless stone means accepting weaker colour.
Is tourmaline usually treated?
Heat treatment to improve colour is common and accepted across the trade. It should be disclosed, and it does not make a stone less genuine.
What colour tourmaline should I choose?
There is no correct answer, which is the appeal. Pink and rubellite suit warm metals and warmer skin tones, green and blue suit white metals. Choose the colour you will actually want to wear, then compare saturation within it.
Browse the collection
See what is currently available in tourmaline jewellery, or narrow it to rings, necklaces and pendants or bracelets. The wider Jiaxy&K fine jewellery collection covers the other coloured stones alongside it.
Availability changes as pieces sell, so current listings are the most reliable guide to what is in stock.