Tourmaline, the family of Paraiba, is the only gemstone and mineral that keeps a permanent electrical charge. The gem is believed to bring positive energy to the wearer because of its ability to generate an electrical current by simply absorbing sunlight. It is also the birthstone for October.
In the early 18th century, traders from Sri Lanka introduced tourmaline to the country and named it “tura mali”, which translates as “the stone of mixed colours”. Tourmalines are strongly dichroic - displaying different colours when exposed to light from different angles. The gemstone is commonly found in shades of black, green, blue, red, yellow and watermelon (green outer and pink centre). Among all, the Paraiba in vivid neon blue is the most coveted variety.
Standard colour: Neon blue
Paraiba took its name from the Brazilian state, where it was first unearthed in the 1980s. At the time, the gemstone was one of the most precious stones discovered in almost half a century and thrilled collectors with its striking neon blue hues. However, as the original mines in Paraiba have long been exhausted, Paraiba became exceptionally rare and thus rose to be one of the world’s most expensive gems comparable to unheated pigeons’ blood-red rubies from Myanmar.
Due to its unique crystal structure, most Paraiba exhibits fine cracks or liquid inclusions. Unfortunately, many unscrupulous dealers have tried to pass off aquamarines with high clarity as Paraiba. Therefore, consumers should be wary if offered clear or unheated Paraiba to avoid deception.
When evaluating Paraiba, consider the saturation of the gemstone’s neon colours - greenish blue and bluish green being the most valuable. Due to exceptional rarity, Paraiba above 2 carats is worth collecting.
Mohs hardness: 7
Origins: Brazil, Nigeria and Mozambique.
