The Tourmaline

For thousands of years, tourmaline has taken us on a journey with its torrent of rainbow-like colours. Related to many gemstones due to the range of its colours, it remains nevertheless somewhat unique. This gemstone often allows us to see some quite unexpected shades and colours, all concentrated in a single crystal which is often quite magical, even in the form of a cat’s eye ! Tourmaline encapsulates a group of minerals which are chocked full of surprised, and which share the same crystal structure but are distinctive due to their chemical and physical properties. Once more, it can be observed that nature is a true treasure trove : a single gemstone can come with a thousand faces, depending on the elements which it comprises.

Technical summary of a large family rich in colours

Tourmalines are silicates : this means that they are composites, primarily of silicate and various metal oxides. The diversity of these elements grants these rather atypical gemstones the originality of showcasing a whole range of colours. Entirely monochrome tourmalines are very rare indeed !
Crystal structure : a tourmaline crystal is a prism across its entire length, and the rounded ends take on a triangular shape. Tourmalines in their purest form additionally bear vertical streaks across their surface.
Hardness : on the Mohs Hardness Scale of 1 to 10 (1 for talc and 10 for diamond), tourmaline wavers between 7 and 7.5, which grants this high resistance to scratches.
Care : a soft cloth, dipped in tepid soapy water should be used for cleaning.
Treatment : Like many gemstones, it is commonplace for tourmalines to be heated or undergo radiation, with neither of these processes changing the natural character of the stone. Heating allows to over-pronounced or ill-distributed colours to be attenuated. In this manner, a very dark green can become much more luminous, for instance.
Radiation treatment also exists, which can transform an overly pale gemstone into a gemstone with vibrant and intense colours. In this manner, a faded pink colour can be transformed into a flourishing rose-red.
Heating and radiation constitute the most common forms of treatment for tourmalines, often undertaken by nature itself. These are common and unobservable processes, which give tourmaline the chance to be seen under an entirely new light, carrying us away into its many spirals of increasingly vibrant colours !

The various spirals of a colourful torrent

Many terms exist to describe the various different types of tourmaline, depending upon their dominant colour, the intensity, distribution or number of shades, or even the phenomenon created by their inclusions. The five most widely used and coveted varieties available on the jewellery market are as follows :

- The rubellite :

This tourmaline is an intense rose-red colour due to the presence of a chemical element named manganese. There does not appear to be a consensus between professionals as to the exact definition of the characteristic colour of rubellites. It is, however, clear that a tourmaline may not be considered as such if its rose colour is too faint or its red colour too dark : rubellites are a gemstone with a vibrant red colour, the most coveted shade being that which is similar to a vibrant fuchsia ruby. Sometimes cut as a tail piece just as on the Gourmandise pendant created by Philippe Tournaire, they are often coveted and highly sought after. The colour is reminiscent of a sweet, they are in fact almost good enough to eat ! Here is a lovely anecdote concerning this sweet-like tourmaline : in 1978, an unprecedented discovery would forever mark the history of rubellites. It was in the State of Minas Gerais, in Brazil, or more precisely in Jonas’ Mine, that a team of miners first discovered an unrivalled treasure of rubellites : hundreds of kilos of jeweller standard rubellites buried in the rocks ! News of this event travelled the globe and was known as "bamburrio", which means jackpot. Before discovering this buried treasure, the miners were somewhat discouraged by their unsuccessful searches which had lasted for some 6 months and they had given up all hope of a miracle ! This was another lesson in perseverance in achieving that which seems impossible !

- The Paraiba tourmaline :

Discovered in 1989 in the Brazilian State of Paraiba, its colour varies from electric blue, sometimes called "neon blue", to luminous green. This range owes in large part its vibrant colour to the combination of copper and manganese. This rather uncommon association of chemical elements is inherent and unique to this stone and allows scientists to identify it, in addition to its unequalled colour. It is the most coveted of all tourmalines and that which manages to sell for the highest prices. Its intense colour and rarity are enough for many. Fans of Paraiba tourmalines place more attention on the colour than the weight. It is uncommon to find a tourmaline worthy of the name exceeding 2 carats ! Since this discovery in Brazil, other mines sprung up in Nigeria, Africa, in 2001, with colours resembling those of the Paraiba tourmalines, also containing copper and manganese. As this tourmaline is the eponymous gemstone of the State of Paraiba, it is rather sensitive to speak of "Paraiba" tourmalines when they do not originate from this region of Brazil. It is, moreover, complicated to confirm the origin of this gemstone because in Brazil, just as in Africa, it has the same chemical properties.

- Chrome tourmaline :

Known since the 1960s, it colour ranges from green with an intense hint of blue to intense green with a mild hint of yellow. Just like Brazilian emeralds, the majority of chrome tourmalines owe their colour in large part to the chemical element known as vanadium. This type of tourmaline primarily originates from Tanzania and Kenya. Green tourmaline with a slightly less intense colour is generally called verdelite and encompasses all nuances of green due to the presence of iron.

- Indicolite or indigolite :

This term is used to describe blue tourmalines, which additionally contain large quantities of iron.
The majority of these green and blue tourmalines must be a certain calibre in order to display such an intense colour, which is not the case for chrome tourmalines and Paraiba tourmalines, which themselves are able to combine both a small calibre and a vibrant colour.
Blue and green tourmalines originate primarily from Brazil, the USA, Afghanistan and Africa.

- Multi-coloured and watermelon tourmalines :

It is commonplace for several colours to be apparent along the length of a tourmaline. This phenomenon can be explained by the changing concentrations of chemical elements, during formation of the gemstone. A quite remarkable example is that of the "watermelon" tourmaline, commonly cut into slices, like a watermelon : the heart of the crystal is rose-red, and the outer layer white-yellow and the outer rim green... Exactly like the fruit !
In addition to these five well reputed varieties, it is also important to mention the Schorl or the cat’s eye, which are rather atypical tourmalines, one due to its intense black colour, and the other being a rather enigmatic gemstone...
Schorl tourmalines are those which are entirely black in colour. Used for a long time as mourning jewellery, this gemstone, rich in iron, is present in many countries across the world. There is little need to look far, it is available in the Forez Mountains, the region where the creator Philippe Tournaire originated !
A rather intriguing phenomenon exists additionally, that of the sparkling tourmaline. A cat’s eye tourmaline is the term used to describe a tourmaline used as a tail piece. This is due to a large grouping of inclusions in the shape of tubes, each parallel to the others, which once put under a light by the stone cutter leads to this phenomenon. The cat’s eye of a tourmaline is often larger and more enchanting than that of other enigmatic gemstones such as the sparkling chrysoberyl, for instance.

Origins of this infinitely coloured gemstone...

Whether without colour, black, blue, green, or yellow, tourmalines sparkle around us throughout the world.
Just as Australia is the birthplace of opal, Brazil is that of tourmaline. Notably, the State of Minas Gerais which is considered as the largest producer of tourmalines of all colours, and internationally. Africa, Asia and the USA follow behind. There are, of course, other mines, with those indicated above being the primary mines which exist.
Tourmaline is one of the families of gemstones which offers the greatest and widest variety in colours. There are so many combinations, nuances, and tones which all reflect the richness and wealth which nature conceals ! A sole and unique gemstone can unveil an endlessly surprising harmony of colours ! When tourmalines are vibrant and their lustre is brilliant, Philippe Tournaire likes to use them for his creations, by coveting them and combining them with other marvels such as sapphires, diamonds, etc. And the magic of such disorder begins to operate. The tourmaline sparkle carries all of the colours of the world in its wake and gives us the passion to travel !