Pink Tourmaline is the name used for pink to redish crystals and gemstones belonging to the cyclosilicate tourmaline family. Tourmaline is a group of closely related minerals rather than a single species. Pink Tourmaline colors have a wide range, from light to darker pink, purplish-pink to peachy-pink color tones. Rubellite is a special variety of Pink Tourmaline that has a deep saturated pinkish-red to violet-red color. Rubellite almost always has inclusions and it is much easier to find a flawless light colored Pink Tourmaline than a Rubellite. Besides Ruby and Red Spinel, Rubellite is the only other saturated pink colored gemstone.

Nearly all Pink Tourmaline’s belong to the Elbaite species, the most varied in color and variety of all gem quality minerals.The red and pink color tones are caused by trace amounts of Manganese in their atomic structure. Elbaite often forms in bi or tricolored crystals. Pink with green and Pink with blue combinations are not uncommon. Pink Tourmalines, especially Rubellite are often strongly pleochroic. This means, there is a play of color which shifts depending on what angle you view the stone. Pink Tourmaline belongs to the trigonal crystal system and usually forms in prismatic crystals with a trigonal cross section. Tourmaline is  one of few gem quality minerals that forms in the trigonal crystal system. Like other varieties, Pink Tourmaline has pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties. Simply by heating, or rubbing the stone it produces an electric polarization within the crystal. Pink Tourmaline have a hardness ranging from 7 to 7.5 Mohs, a vitreous luster and range from perfectly transparent to opaque.

Rubellite and Pink Tourmaline saw a huge surge in popularity when important new deposits were discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil in the later 80’s and early 90’s.  The most famous localities for Rubellite. In the late 90’s incredible new rough also starting emerging from Nigeria. Other important localities for Pink Tourmaline include Madagascar, and Shimoyo, Mozambique. The huge popularity of Pink Tourmaline does not look like it will subside and the value of  quality Rubellite gemstones is likely to rise.

The family of closely related mineral species called Tourmaline is the most dynamic of all gemstones. From solid black crystals like Schorl, to incredibly transparent crystals, Tourmaline literally forms in every color shade one could imagine. Not only does it dynamically form in every possible color shade, it also often forms in bicolor, tricolor crystals as well in mosaic crystal patterns which are best exhibited after slicing the crystals into cross-section plates.  This dynamic gemstone family has a long legacy throughout many ancient cultures, and because of its myriad of color shades, it has also been confused with other gems in the past. Stunning Green Tourmalines were mistakenly identified as Emerald, Rubellite Pink Tourmalines were thought to be Rubies, and the list goes on. The modern name for the mineral group Tourmaline, comes from the Sinhalese words ‘tura’ and ‘mali’, meaning stone of many colors.

According to the ancient Egyptians Tourmaline passed through a rainbow on its journey from the sun, taking on all the colors of the rainbow before finding its resting place deep within the earth.

For many centuries, the piezoelectric properties of Tourmaline was well recognized. In the 1700’s Dutch sailors were the first tradesmen to bring Tourmalines to Europe’s shores from Sri Lanka and the called the stone ‘Aschetrekker’, meaning ‘ash pullers. The electric polarization within Tourmaline crystals made them a perfect tool to pull the ash from their tobacco pipes when cleaning them. Tourmaline rose to popularity in China, due to the last empress Tzu Hsi love of the stone. She had a huge collection of fine jewelry made with Tourmaline gemstones.

It wasn’t until the late 20th century that Tourmaline began to see a huge rise in popularity within the gem world. New discoveries of Rubellite, Green Tourmaline and Indicolite specimens in Brazil led to a new found obsession with this dynamic gem family. Later, important deposits of Tourmaline were discovered in Namibia, Madagascar and older localities such as those in Maine and California found larger demand in the market place. Today, Tourmaline is incredibly popular and the value of quality gemstones continues to rise.