Sell With a Story: Tourmaline Gemstones

Every design can benefit from a well-placed pop of color — and there’s perhaps no gemstone better suited for this than tourmaline. With its clean lines, elongated crystals, and range of colors, tourmaline gemstones are just what you need for eye-catching, vivid center stones.

A more contemporary design might use a tri-color (sometimes referred to as parti-colored) tourmaline. At the same time, a classic style can get a sweet makeover with a less traditional color, such as mint tourmaline. No matter the aesthetic you’re going for, tourmaline likely has what you need.

Colorful Tourmaline Gemstones

As tourmaline has one of the largest color ranges in the gemstone world, it is a great fallback for an alternative color option. Imagine these scenarios:

A customer says, “I want blue, but I don’t want a traditional sapphire.”

What can you offer? Blue tourmaline.

“I want yellow, but something more extraordinary than citrine.”

What now? Yellow tourmaline.

“I want something that is entirely unique that no one else will ever have.”

You got it — tourmaline!

You get where I’m going with this. Tourmaline has all the colors of the rainbow and offers some gorgeous colors. But they have so much more going on than just color alone.

Tourmaline gemstones are found on every continent of the world, although the most beautiful ones come from South America and Africa. Some would argue that stones found in the United States hold a particularly beautiful place and certainly lend to a Made in the USA theme. But no matter where it’s from, the quality of tourmaline is based on its overall appearance, and each color has a different expectation.

Paraíba Tourmaline

Paraiba should be bright and lively with a crisp patina of copper color. It can range anywhere from a turquoise blue to a radiant green and many shades in-between. If it’s the color of Windex, you are on the right path!

Perhaps most famous of all hues for tourmaline is pink — hello, October birthstone. From deep and broody to bright and cheerful, pink tourmaline offers the end consumer a plethora of colors that will fit even the pickiest of tastes. But remember it’s much harder to get with a clean crystal, so prep your customers ahead of time.

What About Inclusions?

Personally, I never avoid talking about inclusions in stones. They make the gem unique, and if they are not distracting or in a place that could make for easy damage, I celebrate them. A perfectly clean crystal in tourmaline is rare. And, as the industry knows, rarity directly affects the dollars.

Rubellite Tourmaline

Rubellite, the trade name for red tourmaline, includes purplish-red, orangey-red, and brownish-red shades. As their name (get it — ruby?) suggests, Rubellite tourmaline is the red variety.

It’s always best to clarify a gem’s modifying colors with your vendor, if they don’t offer it in the description. Some within the industry use Rubellite to refer to a pink stone. It doesn’t have to be perfectly red, but it needs to be more red and bubblegum pink to get the designation of Rubellite.

Indicolite Tourmaline

If pink is the most well-known color of tourmaline, blue is likely the least. Indicolite tourmaline comes in some pretty interesting shades, from true navy to intense teal. Generally seen with darker tones (although not always), Indicolite has recently become a trending sensation. It’s an affordable blue alternative, and many come with eye-clean crystals in amazing cuts and shapes.

For Something a Little Different…

Watermelon and bi-, tri-, and quad-color tourmaline are the oddballs of the tourmaline family, blending colors in striking and unusual ways.

Watermelon tourmaline is generally seen in slices that show the green outer rim with a spirited pink center.

Bi, tri, and quad colors are just that: stones that show multiple colors within a single stone and are often found in many shapes and cutting styles. I find the long, lean emerald cuts a particularly interesting way to showcase the subtle flow of colors. A new twist on the understated bar necklace? I think so!

From color range and crystal shapes to captivating juxtapositions and brilliant colors, there are stones I often revisit for inspiration. There are some things that are just endless pools of ideas. And I hope tourmaline gemstones will become your new inspiration, too.

Shop Stuller’s calibrated tourmaline, or check out the unique tourmaline available in Stuller Notable Gems™

5 Instagram-Worthy Fall Gemstones to Share this Season

Winter is coming. In fact, it’s already visiting much of the country. But autumn is lingering with harvest hues all around and Thanksgiving just around the corner. In nature, fashion, and even food, this time of year has its own special color palette, and Earth provides gemstones to match.

Warm Citrine Gemstones

Affordable and fashionable, Citrine’s warm honey-colored hues remind us of things we love about this time of year: a crackling fire, autumn leaves, pumpkin pie! These cozy images lend a cozy feeling to Citrine jewelry, making it a perfect color to wear with fall fashions.

Fans of the PBS series, Victoria, will be pleased to learn that Citrine grew in popularity due to Queen Victoria’s love for the native Scottish stone after she and her husband, Prince Albert, had their beloved summer home built near Balmoral Castle in the 1850s. Because Victoria loved Citrine’s golden hues, the stone became popular for Highland brooches, kilt pins, and sword handles. With the popularity of shows like Victoria, The Crown, and Outlander today, sunny Citrine is poised for a comeback. And who couldn’t use a little extra sunshine as winter approaches?

London Blue Topaz Gemstones

While we’re reveling in the sunny delights of autumn, let’s not forget the clear blue skies so frequent this time of year. A Blue Topaz colored sky is one of autumn’s greatest features, but this year-round color carries us through snowy winter and cheerful spring days to aquatic ocean blues in summer. This crisp blue gemstone is bright and energetic, bringing a breath of fresh air to contemporary jewelry designs all year long. Blue Topaz gems can easily fall into the bold or pastel category, making them perfect for pairing with just about any other gem. Rosy Garnet Gemstones

Another one of autumn’s classic colors, juicy reddish Rhodolite Garnet brings to mind this season’s grapes and wine, apples, and even cranberry sauce. And like a fine wine, Rhodolite’s moody cabernet color, with hints of purple or pink, pairs just as well with jeans and snuggly sweaters as formal holiday attire.

Rhodolite Garnet gets its name from the pink blooms of the mountain rhododendron, which grows in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, where it was first discovered.

Smoky Quartz Gemstones How can you not think of a cozy fire when you think of Smoky Quartz? The word “smoke” is right there in the name, after all. Both its color and its name bring to mind all sorts of other fall favorites, like toasting marshmallows, firewood, and even chestnuts roasting you-know-where.

The less adventurous way of describing a Smoky Quartz gem is simply “brown.” But there’s so much richness and elegance in these stones, brown just doesn’t suffice. Smoky Quartz is beautiful paired with pink, blue, or yellow gemstones. How gorgeous would a big Smoky Quartz center stone be flanked by peachy-pink Morganite this time of year? Or any time of year, really.

Green Tourmaline Gemstones

Not all leaves turn into fall colors this time of year, and one glance across a mountain or field will undoubtedly show you a patch of evergreens. They’re the same throughout every day of every year, and their constant, steady color has become synonymous with things that last. This timeless color is perfectly displayed in a gemstone like Green Tourmaline. This timeless green is as popular with male buyers as women, arguably doubling its value in your display case.

Especially since green is commonly affiliated with eco- friendly products, we see green gems such as Green Tourmaline being used by designers and sought after by fashion-forward consumers. Its rich olive-green hue provides a stunning year- round fashion accessory.

Sell With a Story: Pink Tourmaline Gemstones

Make no mistake. Pink Tourmaline gemstones are honored to be October’s birthstone. But in all her beauty, grace, and style, she has far greater ambitions. No, she doesn’t want to rule the world. She does want to find her way into every woman’s jewelry chest.

And her savvy plan begins by playing to her strength — incredible colors ranging from light purplish or peachy pink to richer fuchsia and magenta. She offers a tempting range of feminine shades that capture subtlety, sophistication, and high fashion with broad appeal to many women’s styles. Her bold ambition requires your cooperation.

So create a special place for her in your case and introduce her by name. One look and your customers will fall in love with Pink Tourmaline gemstones.

Identity Crisis

Tourmaline wasn’t identified as a separate mineral species until the 1800s. Prior to that, it was used as a gemstone for centuries but was known by many other names. Green Tourmaline was thought to be Emerald; Blue Tourmaline was Sapphire; Pink and Red Tourmaline were Ruby. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that its name comes from a Singhalese word meaning “mixed or many colored stones.” 86280 • Rose Gold Multi-Gemstone & Diamond Earrings

Only In America

It is the American dream: Two young miners walk into a thriving jewelry business that sold only precious stones. They brought fine Green Tourmaline found at the Mount Mica Mine in Maine. The year was 1875 and the business is Tiffany’s. This particular day, the stars aligned in their favor. They met directly with Charles Tiffany and Tiffany’s resident gem expert, 20-year-old George F. Kunz (he was a Vice President by age 23). Kuntz fell in love with the Tourmaline and, true to American style, convinced Charles Tiffany to buy them. Thus began Tourmaline’s journey to worldwide appreciation and popularity, and Tiffany’s rise to world leader in introducing new colored gemstones.

The Pink Tourmaline Pillow

In the 1890s, Tourmaline was discovered in the Mesa Grande area of San Diego County, California. The stones were particularly fine Pink and Red Tourmalines. They could surely have sold widely at home or abroad but most flowed to China and in particular, the Chinese Dowager Empress, Tz’u His, who placed her orders through Tiffany’s. Her passion for Pink Tourmaline knew no bounds and the finest of these Pink and Red Tourmaline were carved or faceted to her liking by her highly skilled stonecutters. Tz’u Hsi died in 1908 and was laid to rest on a Pink Tourmaline pillow.

72122 • Pink Tourmaline & Diamond Negative Space Ring

All Was Lost — Then Found!

Between 1902 and 1910, Imperial China purchased 120 tons of gem-quality Pink Tourmaline. Then in 1912, the Chinese dynasty collapsed following the Xinhai Revolution. San Diego miners had grown so dependent on China’s huge demand, their businesses collapsed as well. And that would seem to be the sad ending of a great triumph. After decades, new miners acquired some of the mines believing fine quality stones could be found. Their faith paid off. One mine, Tourmaline Queen, produced stunning world-class “Blue Cap” Tourmaline that combines brilliant Blue Tourmaline over rich Pink Tourmaline. The American Museum of Natural History called these gems “the find of the century.” They are extremely rare and hold legendary appeal for collectors. R42377 • Pink Tourmaline Gemstones Cross Pendant

Far Flung

Today, Pink Tourmaline is mined in many locations worldwide: Brazil, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Burma, and a host of African nations including Mozambique, Nigeria, and Botswana. Fortunately you can find them easily in our selection of Calibrated Stuller Gemstones.

Pink Purpose. Pink Promise.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Jewelry set with Pink Tourmaline makes a beautiful tribute for all who support a patient, have survived, or are in a fight for their lives.

Powered By Pink Tourmaline Gemstones

However good your life is, with Pink Tourmaline it’s going to be a lot better. Just wear it and enjoy—

A strong stabilizing influence on friendship and love. Amplified psychic abilities. Increased energy. Greater self-confidence and understanding. Calmer nerves and more tranquil sleep. Improved concentration and creativity.

You receive all these powers and Pink Tourmaline’s incredible beauty. Wow! Sounds like a deal to me.

How do pink tourmaline gemstones sell in your store? Are they a hit? Let us know in the comments section below.