Tourmalines are a large group of minerals found in many places on earth. However, only a few varieties are suitable for creating high-class jewelry, and even less can be used as collectors specimens. We have access to some of the best tourmaline specimens in the world. These specimens are mostly from the provinces of Kunar and Nuristan in North East Afghanistan and the North of Pakistan, Shigar District and Skardu District. Tourmaline varieties are strictly dependent on their location and appropriate environmental conditions during growth.<br /><br />Rubellite Tourmaline is a special type of Tourmaline that has an incredible bright red to pinkish red color. It is also known as the Red Tourmaline. Most Tourmaline is simply named after the color that is appears. However the shocking pinks and reds that can be called Rubellite Tourmaline are so bright that have been designated their own name.<br />Tourmalines are plechroic to varying degrees. Different colors/shades can be seen from different angles of the stone and clever cutters can optimise a gem’s pleochroism. Paraiba Tourmaline, originally from Brazil is the most famous Tourmaline, with a hue of neon light blue to green hue. This is followed by the bright pinks of Rubellite, the blues of Indicolote (but much is sallied by dark modifiers) and the mixed colors of Watermelon Tourmaline with pink and green resembling a Watermelon. Also very popular are neon greens and oranges. ((Mineralogical names exist for different color groups of tourmaline, but the commercial names mean far more in terms of identification and value. (But, one specifically to note is the term ‘cuprian’ meaning a copper bearing tourmaline*))<br />Tourmaline is famous for its wide range of colors, but some tourmaline colors are so special that they've acquired their own trade names. They include:<br /><br /> Rubellite Tourmaline: vivid purplish-red to red<br /> Paraiba Tourmaline: rare neon green or blue, colored by copper<br /> Bi-Color Tourmaline: displaying two colors in well-defined regions<br /> Chrome Tourmaline: vivid green, colored by chromium and vanadium<br /> Indicolite Tourmaline: blue or greenish-blue<br /><br />Though tourmaline occurs in virtually every color, blue is in fact the rarest tourmaline color. The blue tourmaline that has attracted the most attention is the rare paraiba variety that was first discovered in Brazil in 1989, and then later in Nigeria and Mozambique. These gems, colored by copper, have an unusual neon-like quality that is coveted by collectors.<br /><br />But all blue tourmaline is rare, even the non-copper-bearing specimens. The so-called Indicolite tourmaline, colored by iron, can vary from a light to a deep blue. Like most tourmaline, it is strongly pleochroic, meaning it shows different hues when viewed from different directions. An Indicolite will appear significant darker when viewed down the C-axis of the crystal and this must be taken into account when cutting the material. Poor cutting can result in a loss of transparency and brilliance, especially in darker specimens.