Tourmaline has one of the largest colour ranges of any gem material, however the most desirable colours are pink, blue and green. Tourmalines often grow in a banded colour pattern. One of the most popular variations of this is the ‘watermelon tourmaline,’ comprising a pink body colour with dark green surround. This colour variation is what tourmaline was named after: ‘toramalli’ is Sinhalese (a Sri Lankan language) for ‘mixed gems.’
Tourmaline is one of the birthstones for October and is gifted for thirty-eight year wedding anniversaries. Tourmaline has been found in Brazil, Afghanistan, Burma, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Zambia, Sri Lanka and the USA.
