Tourmalines may well claim to be the most colorful group of gemstones. They come in any color variation, from green, red, blue to yellow, colorless and even black or multi-colored. They are thus second to no other gemstone group concerning their wide range of colors, however, not all these colors are equally frequent or even equally known. The best known specimen from the Tourmaline group are the green Tourmaline and the pink or red Rubellite or Rubelith. True blue Tourmalines are scarce indeed, since most of the blue specimen show a more or less clearly pronounced shade of green.
Tourmalines in pure blue color are much coveted due to their beauty and rarity. In fine qualities, blue Tourmalines will almost always be individual pieces, which are considered as rare and desirable items by collectors. Most valuable are such stones showing a dark and brilliant blue reminding of an Aquamarine or a beautiful Sapphire. A purely blue Tourmaline will emanate a high degree of harmony. Perhaps this is the reason why according to gemstone legends blue Tourmalines are reported to bring about openness and tolerance.
The rare blue gemstones usually come from the classical Tourmaline country of Brazil, to be exact, from the North of that country, where also the spectacular Paraiba Tourmalines have been discovered. However, these rarities are also found in the gemstone mines of Namibia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and, lately, also in Nigeria.
Gemstone experts sometimes name blue Tourmaline "Indicolite”. This means simply "blue stone". But generally we talk about "blue Tourmaline”.
Information on gemstones provided in part by: The International Colored Gemstone Association
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