Or Neon Tourmaline. First called "Electric" then "NEON." This gemstone was discovered in 1989. It's brilliant blues and greens are the most vivid ever seen. It is the only Tourmaline in the world that contains Copper. A recent study by the German Foundation for Gemstone Research also discovered a surprisingly high gold content, 8.6 parts per million. The term "NEON" defiantly describes the colors of this gem. It's only location is near the village Sao Jose de Batalha. In the state of Paraiba, Brazil. The mine shafts are deep, hand-excavated tunnels, with very thin veins. This means the supply will always be limited, rare and expensive.
Rarity of Paraiba Tourmaline
The tourmalines are mined near a village called Sao Jose de Batalha in the state of Paraiba, Brazil. The area produced tourmaline for almost ten years but the crystals were too fractured and broken to be cut into gemstones. Then the miners discovered a new vein of gem-quality stones with the extraordinarily bright shades of blue and green. The blues come in sizes up to eight carats and the greens up to twenty carats.
The tourmalines are found in a small hill near the village which is being mined laboriously by hand. The hand-excavated shafts and interconnected tunnels are up to 60 meters deep and tourmaline is found only in small pencil-thin veins. Because of the difficulty in mining, the supply will always be limited and the tourmalines will always be rare and expensive.
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