Judging quality
The color appears to emit rather than reflect light. Origin determination requires a laboratory; for stones of any size, ask for a report.
Tourmaline
Paraíba Tourmaline
Copper-bearing tourmaline with a neon blue-green glow unlike any other gem. Brazilian material from the original 1980s Paraíba workings commands a substantial premium over the chemically identical African stones.
Care
Durable but valuable — protect settings, avoid ultrasonics.
History & lore
Heitor Dimas Barbosa dug the São José da Batalha hill for years on a hunch before hitting the deposit in 1989.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Paraíba Tourmaline
- What is Paraíba Tourmaline?
- Copper-bearing tourmaline with a neon blue-green glow unlike any other gem. Brazilian material from the original 1980s Paraíba workings commands a substantial premium over the chemically identical African stones.
- How hard is Paraíba Tourmaline and what is it made of?
- Paraíba Tourmaline is a Tourmaline-family mineral with the composition Cu-bearing elbaite. It crystallizes in the trigonal system and rates 7-7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in cyan, turquoise, electric blue.
- Where does Paraíba Tourmaline come from?
- Notable localities for Paraíba Tourmaline include Paraíba & Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, Mozambique, Nigeria.
- How do you tell good Paraíba Tourmaline from filler?
- The color appears to emit rather than reflect light. Origin determination requires a laboratory; for stones of any size, ask for a report.
- How do you care for Paraíba Tourmaline?
- Durable but valuable — protect settings, avoid ultrasonics.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.