About this object

The tourmaline family consists of 14 distinct minerals, but only one, elbaite, accounts for nearly all of the tourmaline gemstones.  Tourmaline gems cover the complete range of the color spectrum.  Moreover, single crystals of elbaite can show several colors, either along their lengths or from the inside out, making it possible to cut unique multi-colored gems.  Although tourmaline is best known in shades of green and red/pink, it can also be blue, purple, yellow, brown, and colorless. Varieties of elbaite are sometimes referred to by names, such as rubellite (red), indicolite (blue), and achroite (colorless), as well as the rare and highly prized Brazilian Paraiba (neon blue). Today Brazil is the largest producer of gem tourmaline; other important sources include the U.S., Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Russia and Nigeria.  The 17 tourmalines pictured here are from Brazil, Madagascar, Afghanistan and the U.S.