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Paraiba Tourmaline Ring
Specimen | Catalog Number | Locality | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Elbaite | NMNH G11627 | Brazil, Paraiba | 3.40 ct |
These copper-bearing tourmalines from Mina da Batalha in the Federal Brazilian State of Paraiba are typically small in size and beyond rare and precious. Their intense blue to green colors are unlike those of any other gem material. The exclusiveness of this legendary find from the 1980s makes these tourmalines some of the most sought-after and most expensive colored gemstones in the market today. Coveted by gem connoisseurs around the world, the prices have sky rocketed in recent years. Finding a Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline over a few carats is extremely rare, especially with the extraordinary vividness seen in the “windex” blue or “neon or electric” greenish-blue varieties. The original mines have been depleted, and even though there is speculation that more deposits in the area have been found and will produce new material, it has not happened to date. This pear shaped gem exhibits a natural intense bluish-green color, set in a platinum ring with diamond accents, a couture design by Coffin & Trout in 2001.