Natural Tourmaline Gemstones, Various Shapes and Sizes, 8 Pieces, Brazil.

Natural Tourmaline Gemstones, Various Shapes and Sizes, Asscher and Emerald Cut, Parcel Of 8 Pieces, Greenish Brown, Pinkish Brown To Brownish Green, Eye Clean, Brazil.

Somewhere in Brazil in the 1500s, a Spanish conquistador washed the dirt from a green tourmaline crystal, confused the vibrant gem was emerald. His confusion lived on until scientists recognized tourmaline as a distinct mineral species in the 1800s. The confusion about the stone’s identity is even reflected in its name, which comes from toramalli, which means “mixed gems” in Sinhalese (a language of Sri Lanka). It’s a term Dutch merchants applied to the multicoloured, water-worn pebbles that miners found in the gem gravels of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

It’s easy to understand why people so easily confuse tourmaline with other gems. Very few gems match tourmaline’s dazzling range of colours. From rich reds to pastel pinks and peach colours, intense emerald greens to vivid yellows and deep blues, the breadth of this gem’s colour range is unrivalled. Brazilian discoveries in the 1980s and 1990s heightened tourmaline’s appeal by bringing intense new hues to the marketplace.

People have probably used tourmaline as a gem for centuries, but until the development of modern mineralogy, they identified it as some other stone (ruby, sapphire, emerald, and so forth) based on its colouring.

Item Code - GEM11C1213586GVA

Carats: 10  Weight: 34 g