October has arrived in its most beautiful colors and reminds us once again of the endless beauty of our planet. Gemstones are one of the most fascinating expressions of nature that come in an array of unimaginable colors. One of them is this month’s birthstone: the Tourmaline. Here are seven things to know about this popular and versatile gemstones:
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Tourmaline shares the month of October with Opal. Most months celebrate more than one gemstone. The list of birthstones was established by the Jewelers of America in 1912 and has since grown to celebrate the most popular gemstones in the world.
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Paraiba Tourmaline is the rarest variety of the Tourmaline and one of the most sought-after gemstones in the world. It is famous for its electric blue-turquoise color which it owes to the element copper. The Paraiba Tourmaline was first discovered in the state of Pariba in Brazil in the 1980s.
- Tourmaline is one of the few gemstones that comes in all colors of the rainbow and sometimes even in several colors in one stone. One common color combination is green and pink, which is known as Watermelon Tourmaline.
- In 1926 the New York Times reported that the imposing Ruby in the Russian crown jewel is actually a red “ordinary” Tourmaline. This Tourmaline weighed an unbelievable 255 (!!) carat, which was anything but ordinary. However, back in the day the Tourmaline was not considered as valuable as the big four: Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and Diamond.
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Raw Tourmaline comes in oblong shapes, which offers more faceting varieties. You will discover Tourmaline more often than other gemstones in teardrop and octagon shapes.
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Celebrities that were spotted wearing pink Tourmaline jewelry in the past are among others Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez and Gwyneth Paltrow.
- In ancient Egypt people believed that Tourmaline broke through a rainbow on its journey to earth and thus absorbed all the colors that make it so fascinating.