Tourmaline

Tourmaline has a beautiful range of color from deep pink to light green.  The rarest color of Tourmaline is a bluish green color.  The attractive color variation and delicate brilliance of Tourmaline are what makes this high-value gem so desirable.

Ancient Egyptian legend says that tourmaline can be found in all colors because it traveled along a rainbow on its way up from the center of the earth and collected all the rainbow's colors. 

Tourmaline was first discovered in the USA in 1822, in Maine. Then later in the 1900’s California became a large producer of tourmaline as well. The Maine deposits tend to produce crystals in raspberry pink-red as well as minty greens, while the California deposits are known for bright pinks, as well as bicolors. During the early 1900s, Maine and California were the world's largest producers of gem tourmalines.

Today, Tourmaline is mined chiefly in Brazil and many parts of Africa, however it is also found in parts of Asia, and still in the United States. 

Tourmaline has a hardness of 7.0-7.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Note: It is best to avoid storing this material in direct sunlight as prolonged exposure can lead to fading color over time.  Also: Beware of heavy impact as Tourmaline can break and splinter like glass.