Rubellite Tourmaline Stones

Rubellite Tourmaline Stones, A Gem of a Gemstone

Rubellite tourmaline stones, with a MOHS hardness of 7-7.5, make excellent and beautiful jewelry.  Tourmaline is very easily confused with other gemstones because of their vast array of colors.  Rubellite tourmaline is the dark reddish pink variety and can easily be mistaken for ruby, hence its name.

History

Tourmalines have been around for centuries, but they were often confused with  other precious stones. In Brazil, during the 1500's green tourmaline was mistakenly referred to  to as emerald. It wasn't until modern technology evolved, that  it was determined to be a completely different stone.

Rubellite tourmaline mines were found in California around 1890.  Many of the rough gems were shipped to China where it they were beloved by the empress because of its gorgeous color. Due to the California and Maine deposits, tourmaline became well known as an American gem.

In the early 1900's, Brazil found some large deposits. Later, in the 1950's, more deposits were found in other areas of the world, which considerably expanded production 

Composition  

Manganese and natural radiation is thought to produce the pink to red color of the rubellite. Silicon, aluminum and boron are the major components in addition to the manganese.

Jewelry

Rubellite tourmaline makes absolutely beautiful jewelry. With a MOHS hardness of 7-7.5, it can be used for anything from rings to cufflinks.

Ralph Mueller and Associates has a beautiful selection of Rubellite Tourmaline, which can be made into an exquisite customized piece.