Color of Emerald:

Although most tourmalines are not worth collecting, in the 1970s two mines were discovered by African miner Ali Giowatta in Tanzania. These gems do not look the like the somewhat ugly green tourmaline from Brazil. The reason is due to the fact they possess chromium (the same mineral that makes Emeralds green). In its top colors, chromes resemble gem emeralds. The former owner was poisoned in 1980 by his mistress, and his three former wives have been fighting over the mines ever since. This feud causes production to be sporadic. There is just enough production to keep the aficionados loyal, and the prices the highest paid for any tourmaline. Like emeralds, top chrome greens are rich, bright, and clean green Some fine chromes tend to possess a greenish/yellow cast. Others are definitely greenish/blue. Which color is the best is strictly personal preference. These gems should be considered as sleepers. Many dealers and collectors are obtaining these gems as soon as they reach the market. Buying or collecting these stones can be extremely frustrating. Except for large chromes, they can be purchased for hundreds of dollars per carat. Many experts believe these stones will follow the path of tsavorite, and will soon be trading in the thousands of dollars per carat range.

Historical Figures & Interesting Facts:

Tourmaline's name comes from the Sinhalese word "turmali," which means "mixed." Bright rainbow collections of gemstone varieties were called "turmali" parcels

The Empress Dowager Tz'u Hsi, the last Empress of China, loved tourmaline and bought almost a ton of it from the new Himalaya Mine, located a long way from the Middle Country in California. The Himalaya Mine is still producing tourmaline today, but the Dowager went to rest eternally on a carved tourmaline pillow.

Tourmaline is also of interest to scientists because it changes its electrical charge when heated. It becomes a polarized crystalline magnet and can attract light objects. This property was noticed long ago before science could explain it: in the Netherlands, tourmalines were called "aschentrekkers" because they attracted ashes and could be used to clean pipes

Specifications:

The tourmaline family is a group of closely related minerals with complex chemical formulas containing aluminum borosilicates and varying quantities of sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, chromium, manganese, potassium, etc..

• Refractive Index: 1.63-1.64, varying with the composition. Prominent pleochroism and pencil-shaped crystal often dictate cutting tourmaline in long step cuts with steep pavilion ends to minimize black C axis effect.
• Hardness 7.0-7.5.
• Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
• Density: 3.0-3.25, varying with the composition.

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