Tourmaline and rubellite – gemstones with fire

Hardly any gemstone shows as many colours as tourmaline. It comes in green, blue, yellow, pink and red, two-coloured like a watermelon or in the blue-green known as lagoon. Among all these colours, one has been given a name of its own: rubellite, the red tourmaline. In this guide we explain what makes a tourmaline, when a red tourmaline may be called rubellite and what to look for when buying.

What is tourmaline?

Tourmaline is not a single mineral but a whole group of closely related borosilicates. Most gem-quality tourmalines belong to elbaite. The name goes back to the Sinhalese word “turamali”, used in Sri Lanka for coloured pebbles. With a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, tourmaline is hard enough for rings, pendants and earrings worn every day.

Tourmaline has a property that makes it special among gemstones: it is pyroelectric. When a crystal is warmed, it becomes electrically charged and attracts light particles. Dutch traders therefore called it “aschentrekker” – ash puller – because a warm tourmaline drew the ash out of a pipe. A stone connected with fire, quite literally.

When is a tourmaline called rubellite?

Rubellite is the name for red to intense pinkish-red tourmalines. What matters is not the hue alone but its stability: a rubellite keeps its red in daylight just as in warm artificial light. Stones that slip into brown or pale depending on the light are usually called pink or red tourmaline in the trade. The more saturated and even the red, the rarer and more sought-after the stone.

Tourmaline shows distinct pleochroism: depending on the viewing direction, the colour appears lighter or deeper. When cutting, we therefore orient the rough so that it shows its finest and richest colour from above. With dark rubellite in particular, the cut decides whether the red glows or sinks into the stone.

Where does rubellite come from?

Important sources lie in Brazil, above all in the state of Minas Gerais, as well as in Nigeria, Mozambique and Madagascar. Rubellites of pure, intense colour and sizes above ten carats are rare. Stones above twenty carats in glowing red reach the market only very occasionally.

What to look for when buying

• Colour: an intense, even red without a brown undertone that stays stable under artificial light.
• Cut: many small, cleanly polished facets bring light into the stone. Dark, “dead” zones suggest a cut that is not suited to the material.
• Treatment: some rubellites are irradiated to deepen their colour. Ask about it – we tell you openly what we know about a stone.
• Documentation: weight, dimensions and origin should be stated clearly.

Care

Tourmaline is best cleaned with lukewarm soapy water and a soft brush. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are not suitable for tourmaline, nor are sharp changes in temperature. Store it separately from other jewellery so that harder stones do not scratch its edges.

Ignis – our rubellite with a name of its own

Some stones surpass themselves on the lap. One of them is Ignis, a 21.16 carat rubellite from Brazil. Its centre glows in deep orange-red, while countless facets around it return the light as sparks. Ignis belongs to our Signatures, stones with their own name and story that we part with only on personal request.

More tourmalines, from rubellite and lagoon to watermelon tourmaline, can be found in our tourmaline collection. Do you own a tourmaline that should be recut or reworked? Find out more under Services – or write to us directly.