Paraiba Tourmalines are some of the rarest and most coveted gemstones, known for their neon, blue-lagoon colors. Because of their rarity, you as a consumer want to insure you are best prepared in understanding the different qualities and what to look out for before purchasing because they will often fetch similar if not higher prices then diamonds. We will cover everything you need to know in this blog so you can be best prepared!
If you are looking to purchase a Paraiba Tourmaline or jewelry, send us an email at info@fineandflux.com as we specialize in custom design and sourcing high quality gemstones. You can also view our latest custom pieces here.
Paraiba colors; the most desired
The most desired color of Paraiba are stones that have a very pure blue color, often refered to as Windex blue for it's striking resemblance to the color of windex. However most people when buying Paraiba are looking for that neon blue-green color. Paraiba Tourmalines can be found in green and blue tones. Overall the more blue the stone, the more the value will increse and as the stone moves into greener tones, the value will decrease.
Other then the color, you want your stone to have a strong saturation. Paraiba in comparison to other mines are known for producing higher quality material and stronger staurations.
Understanding how Paraibas are graded
Paraiba tourmalines favour the color of their stones above all else. This is different from other gemstones because even if a Paraiba has a poor quality clarity (you can see visible inclusions by eye) and even if the cut is not perfect or symmetrical, your stone can still fetch significantly high prices if it has excellent color & saturation.
We will often see this phenomenon with other collectors stones such as Alexandrite, Padparadscha sapphires and pigeon blood rubies. The cost of the material is so high they will often be cut in order to minimize the amount of waste. This is why they will often be cut unevenly or "wonky" because they will follow the shape of the original crystal instead of correcting it. Clients should expect this as the norm when buying these stones and understand that they're not evaluating there stones on the cut.
Purple and Pink Paraiba Tourmaline
Purple and pink Paraiba tourmaline also exist but are not well known on the market. These tourmalines will have copper but also manganese which changes their color from the more commonly known blue-lagoon colors to pink and purples. They do not have their own name even though they are a different color. They are still copper bearing, hold a high color saturation and are from the Paraiba mine.
What is the difference between mint tourmaline and Paraiba?
Paraiba Tourmaline will fetch significantly higher prices then the standard tourmaline. Clients will often ask as to why this is, especially in seeing mint tourmalines of similar colors that don't hit these price points. So what is the difference?
What makes Paraiba unique and how we can identify it, is they are the only copper bearing tourmalines. They have such a high saturation of copper that under the microscope you can sometimes see small deposits of copper throughout the stone. No other Tourmaline has copper.
The second is that Tourmalines coming from Paraiban mines in Brazil have a higher color of saturation. This saturation is required to be considered a true Paraiba.
Prices for Paraiba Tourmaline
If the stones are from the Brazilian mine in Paraiba and are of good quality (good color and saturation) you can be looking at a price per carat of 20-30K in the 2-3ct range and 10-20K in the 1ct range.
In comparison to regions like Mozambique or Nigeria, you will be looking at 8-10K a carat.
Buying stones from coveted mines hold higher prices because they are held at a higher prestige due to the higher quality of raw material and their reputation.
The importance of origin for Paraiba Tourmaline
Paraiba is a relatively new stone on the market. It was only discovered in the late 1987 in Brazil. Since then, we have also found deposits in Nigeria & Mozambic. All specimens found outside of Paraiba are technically called "copper bearing tourmaline" however they are often sold under the coined name "Paraiba". That is the name commonly known by the public and as a result, used to sell these specific shades of neon blue-green.
You need to know that when buying these stones, even if they are called Paraiba, this may not be the true origin of the stone. This is very important because stones coming from the original mine are said to have on average higher quality material (nicer stones) and fetch significantly higher prices. We also see this trend when buying sapphire stones from Kashmir or Alexandrite's from Russia.
How to know the true origin of your Paraiba
Most high quality Paraiba's will come with a lab report. If it does not come with a lab report, the vendor will often know the origin and it will say on the invoice. The other option is to have it appraised and tested by a gemologist. We always recommend having a report made for stones of a certain value. There are appraisers in every city, we generally recommend ones that have FGA and/or GIA diploma's. It is important to have your appraisals done by a third party and not the jeweler from whom you are buying your jewelry to avoid bias.
In order to test the origin, a gemologist will compare the stone under the microscope to see if the formation of the stone is the same as the reference specimen from the Paraiba mine. If it comes back positive, then it is for sure from that mine however, if they aren't sure it will say undetermined. Just because it is not exactly the same as that specific sample, does not rule it out as a possible origin.
Are Paraiba Tourmalines a good engagement ring option?
Paraiba are an excellent option for an engagement ring. They have a hardness of 7.5/10, so they have a good enough hardness overall, but we would still recommend setting them in a way that they are more protected from everyday wear and tear. Bezel or semi bezel style rings are great options to consider.
Looking for a Paraiba gemstone or engagement ring?
We specialize in sourcing specialty gemstones, sapphires, alexandrites, emeralds and Paraiba. You can simply send us an email at info@fineandflux.com with what you are looking for (shape, prefered color and size) as well as your budget and we will be able to help source the stone for you.
You can choose between only buying the stone or creating the custom jewel with us as well.
Paraiba Treatments
Most Paraiba are heat treated, similar to sapphires. These are common practices and accepted treatments. By a default you can almost always expect your stone to be heated. This does not affect the value or quality of your stone, however if it is not heated and the color is naturally occurring that is when it will fetch a higher price. Heated treatments are performed to enhance the color of a stone. For example purple paraiba are not in demand, so they will often heat them to turn them blue. These stone will sell at a higher value and more easily then had they kept it purple.
Synthetics & Imitations:
For imitations, you can find synthetic garnets of similar neon colors. There will also be colored glass options. For now, there are no synthetics of Paraiba found on the market.
We always recommend buying stones that come with a lab report or an appraisal to insure it's authenticity.