Is there a blue tourmaline
Robert Spencer
Published Mar 12, 2026
Though tourmaline occurs in virtually every color, blue is in fact the rarest tourmaline color. The blue tourmaline that has attracted the most attention is the rare paraiba variety that was first discovered in Brazil in 1989, and then later in Nigeria and Mozambique.
What color is tourmaline blue?
Blue tourmaline can range in tone from light to dark. The hue is often modified by green so you can have a blue color with just a little bit of green modifying color or a color that is very greenish but still blue. Some tourmalines have an even amount of green and blue to the color.
Is blue tourmaline expensive?
Only when you get into large sizes or extremely rare or fine colors do prices go over a few hundred dollars per carat. Most colors are fairly common, but pure blue, red, orange, yellow, and purple stones are rare. Such stones usually command higher prices. Color-change tourmalines are also exceptionally rare.
Is blue tourmaline natural?
It has purplish color at its base then golden-green hues and finally blue-green colors near the naturally terminated tip. These are all 100% natural colors – it is unheated and untreated. This tourmaline crystal has a relatively thin flat shape.What does blue Tourmaline look like?
Blue Tourmaline evokes the tranquility of deep blue water and gliding well beneath its surface. … It is also known as Indicolite, a variation of the original Indigolite, and refers to its deep blue color. Rarer than other Tourmalines, it forms in shades of light to dark blue, some with a tint of turquoise.
What colors can tourmaline be?
They can be green, blue, or yellow, pink to red, colorless or color-zoned. Even slight changes in the composition can cause completely different colors. – Pink tourmaline is colored by the trace element manganese.
How can you tell if blue Tourmaline is real?
If it leaves a mark, then what you’re holding probably isn’t tourmaline. If the stone scratches or dulls the knife, however, it may just be the real deal. Tourmaline is an extremely hard mineral that rates between 7 and 7.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, a testing system used to measure the hardness of minerals.
Is tourmaline blue or green?
OriginAfghanistan, Brazil, East Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Madagascar, U.S.A.ColorAll shades of Blue and Blue-Green TourmalineWhat is blue tourmaline stone?
Blue Tourmaline or Indicolite is a brilliant indigo-blue colored gem variety of the natural Tourmaline gemstone. … In alternative healing therapies, Indicolite is regarded as a strong healing gemstone which can also be worn as October birthstone.
Which Tourmaline color is best?Bright, pure tones of red, blue and green are generally the most valued, but the electric vivid green to blue shades of copper-bearing tourmaline are so exceptional that they are in a class by themselves.
Article first time published onWhat are blue crystals?
Blue gemstones and crystals include apatite, aquamarine, azurite, kyanite, lapis lazuli, larimar, sapphire, sodalite, and turquoise. Blue represents the throat chakra, communication, truth, vision, self-expression, learning, focus, insight, and clarity. #
What Colour is Tourmaline stone?
Tourmaline has a variety of colors. Iron-rich tourmalines are usually black to bluish-black to deep brown, while magnesium-rich varieties are brown to yellow, and lithium-rich tourmalines are almost any color: blue, green, red, yellow, pink, etc. Rarely, it is colorless.
What is the rarest tourmaline color?
The rarest and most expensive tourmaline is the paraiba variety — a neon-like blue or green that is colored by traces of copper. It was first discovered in the Brazilian state of Paraiba in 1989.
How can you tell if tourmaline is real?
So, if a stone has scratches on it, it cannot be a tourmaline. However, tourmalines area rarely free form inclusions. Hence, if your stone looks crystal clear, it probably isn’t a tourmaline. Natural tourmalines also change colour when viewed under artificial light.
Is tourmaline more expensive than sapphire?
Affordability. Pink Sapphire: Heirloom-quality stones are quite expensive. Pink Tourmaline: Fairly large-sized stones of pink tourmaline are comparatively very affordable.
Is indicolite the same as blue Tourmaline?
Indicolite, also known as Blue Tourmaline, is a very rare complex magnesium iron boro-aluminium silicate hydroxide mineral. This Tourmaline variety gets its color from tiny iron impurities and has only a few known localities throughout the world.
Is blue Tourmaline a birthstone?
Tourmaline Birthstone Meaning & History Tourmaline is the newer October birthstone. The name comes from the Sinhalese word toramalli, which means “stone with mixed colors,” because it often has multiple colors in one crystal.
What is green Tourmaline?
Green Tourmaline or Verdelite is a natural, semi-precious, green colored Tourmaline gemstone. According to vedic astrology, this gemstone can be worn as a substitute of emerald to gain better intellectual ability, refined oratory skills and good health.
Where is blue tourmaline found?
Blue Tourmaline is usually found in the USA, Kenya, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Brazil. Its color comes in different shades, which include a clear blue color. This crystal is rare compared to other kinds of Tourmaline crystals.
Is green tourmaline rare?
They are rare and much sought-after. Green tourmalines are very popular as precious stones among women, but many men like wearing them too.
What does the color indicolite look like?
Indicolite is a rare light blue to bluish green color variety of tourmaline group. It s name comes from the indigo color.
Can you heat tourmaline?
Tourmaline is generally stable to light and isn’t affected by exposure to chemicals, but heat can damage a tourmaline. High heat can alter the color, and sudden temperature change (thermal shock) can cause fracturing. Some tourmalines might have been treated to improve their color.
Is tourmaline more expensive than emerald?
Can it be expensive? Green tourmaline is most expensive when it has some blue in it or appears more like emerald as in the Chrome Tourmaline.
What should I look for when buying tourmaline?
- Well, simply put, as with all gemstones; “The 4 C’s” are the main factors which guide quality in Tourmaline : COLOR | CLARITY | CUT | CARAT WEIGHT We will look at these in detail one by one.
- Judging Tourmaline Color.
- Understanding Hue in Tourmaline.
What is blue Aventurine?
Blue Aventurine is a gentle stone that resonates from the mind to the heart, working calmly, rationally, and steadily. It enhances the masculine energy, and is a stone of self-discipline and inner strength. … Blue Aventurine can be used to help overcome selfishness, childishness, and passive-aggression.
What power does Tourmaline have?
Tourmaline helps to create a shield around a person or room to prevent negative or unwelcome energies from entering. It is also grounding and helpful to balancing all of the chakras. The stone can even dissolve challenging energy and negative thought patterns, transmuting them into more beneficial energy and beliefs.
What gemstone is blue and green?
Aquamarine. Aquamarines are known for their beautiful watery blue and green hues that remind us of the depths of the ocean. These stones never reach darker tones, as they lack the high saturation that stones like sapphires and tourmalines have.
How much is a tourmaline worth?
Most expensive are the Paraíba tourmalines, which may reach tens of thousands of dollars per carat. Chrome tourmalines, rubellites and fine indicolites and bi-colors may sell for as much as $1000/ct. or more. Other varieties are available for prices between $50–750/ct., depending on the richness of the color.
How can you tell if Chrome has tourmaline?
Chrome tourmaline can be easily distinguished from other varieties of green tourmaline by the presence of chromium. Testing for chromium content is typically done using a specialized filter, known as a ‘Chelsea filter’. A Chelsea filter will show flashes of red or orangey red when viewing chromium-rich stones.
How can you tell pink tourmaline?
Observe your pink tourmaline under a bright artificial light. Genuine tourmalines change color under artificial light, displaying a brownish undertone. If your stone is billed as a pink tourmaline and it does not display this undertone when exposed to artificial light, then you are likely looking at a fake gemstone.
What is a light blue crystal?
Light blue crystals like Blue Quartz, Blue Lace Agate, and Aquamarine are associated with your creativity and communication with other people. … Dark Blue Crystals like Sodalite and Lapis Lazuli signify your ability to communicate with yourself.