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Paraiba tourmaline, known
in the gem market as ‘Paraiba’ only,
ranks among the rarest and most
sought after gemstones today.
When discussing Paraiba
tourmaline, the word ‘neon’ is often
used to characterize the intensity of
colour. People say the gemstone ‘glows,’ and has an ‘inner fire.’ The
finest Paraiba tourmalines exhibit
an exceptional brilliance and
extraordinarily vivid colours
ranging between intense neon blue
to green and greenish blue.
These extraordinary colours
of Paraiba tourmaline are due to
traces of copper found in its crystal
structure. No other tourmalines carry
copper nor show the Paraiba’s
exclusive colour.
Paraiba tourmaline was an
instant sensation when it first
emerged in the world gem market in late 1980s and early 1990s. There
has never been enough Paraiba
tourmaline to meet the market
demand, so in accordance with
market forces, prices have climbed
consistently. In the 20 years of
mining Paraiba tourmaline, the cost
of mining has risen and the
production outcome has decreased.
The mines now have to dig deeper,
an important factor contributing to
continual upward pressure on prices. to the levels of copper. High levels
of copper found mostly in Brazillian
Paraiba, and sometimes in the
Nigerian Paraiba as well, contributes
to the intensity of its exclusive vivid
colors. |
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| Left to right : 1. Mineracao terra branca LtdA Julho de 2003 |
Paraiba tourmaline is one of
the rarest stones; therefore its prices
are constantly appreciating. For
example, a 2 carat Paraiba
tourmaline which sold at US$5000
per carat ten years ago, is selling for
US$30,000 per carat today. In ten
years, retail prices have escalated
from US$12,000 per carat to
US$85,000 per carat.
Further contributing to the
tight market for Paraiba tourmaline
has been the Japanese demand.
Industry experts estimate that 70-
80% of all Paraiba tourmaline traded
went to Japan, where consumers
are enchanted by the exceptional
brilliance of these beautiful
gemstones. Now, the rest of gem
markets in other parts of the world
appreciate this exotic stone and the
demand has risen even further.
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Left to right : 1. The miner displays a trove of Paraiba
tourmalines found in the mine of Mineracao
Terra Branch Ltda in Brazil in 2003.
3 & 4 Mineracao terra branca LtdA Julho de 2003 |
With such a rare and valuable
stone, consumer education is vital
in maintaining a realistic market.
The gemmological laboratories and
gemmological schools around the
world are to be commended for
their ongoing work in researching,
classifying, and teaching about
Paraiba tourmaline. Nevertheless,
the identification and recognition
of the origin of Paraiba tourmalines
vary from one lab to another, and
sometimes even mistaken due to
lack of information and on-site
research.
What is the outlook for Paraiba
tourmaline? As of this writing,
based on 20 years history, fine
Paraiba tourmaline could be
considered as an investment grade
gemstone. It remains rare, and
demand remains strong. Today
many of the best Paraibas are going
into brand-name jewellery,
museums, and in the hands of
collectors. The commercial gems
and jewellery market sees only small
quantities of Paraiba tourmaline.
Consequently, this beautiful
gemstone, with its dynamic colours,
continues to be rare, exotic and
expensive. |
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