Pink Tourmaline

Gemologists use a tourmaline’s properties and chemical composition to define its species. The major tourmaline species are elbaite, liddicoatite, dravite, uvite, and schorl.  Tourmaline gemstones come in almost every color of the rainbow. Not surprisingly, this gemstone’s name is derived from the Sinhalese word “toromalli,” which means mixed gems. The most popular tourmaline varieties range from rich reds, pinks, and peach colors to emerald greens and yellows to blues and violets. Black and brown tourmalines are also used in jewelry.

“Parti-colored” tourmalines exhibit two or more colors in a single gem, such as watermelon and liddicoatite tourmaline. “Bicolor” tourmaline displays two distinct color zones. Paraíba tourmaline, named after the place where it was first found in Brazil, is a trade term for vividly saturated green to blue or violet copper-bearing elbaite tourmaline. Tourmaline is a fairly durable gemstone with a hardness of 7.0-7.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.