Paraíba tourmaline: why it is so expensive and how to identify it

Paraíba is the most expensive tourmaline — a small clean stone can cost as much as a car.

What it is An elbaite tourmaline coloured by copper and manganese. Copper gives the neon glow — turquoise, electric blue, blue-green — that seems lit from within. First found in the 1980s in Paraíba, Brazil; later in Mozambique and Nigeria.

Why so expensive Rarity (Brazilian deposits nearly exhausted), a colour no other stone in the class matches, and collector demand. Per-carat prices rival unheated rubies and Kashmir sapphires.

Origin All copper-bearing tourmalines of the right hue are called "Paraíba" by colour, but Brazilian stones carry an origin premium confirmed by a lab.

Telling it apart From ordinary tourmaline — only a lab (copper and manganese analysis). From glass, synthetics, apatite and "Paraíba topaz" — under the microscope. Never buy without an independent report stating copper.

In jewelry Usually a small centre stone or accent — studs, a thin ring with a 0.2–0.5 ct stone, a diamond halo around a tiny Paraíba. The glow makes even a small stone stand out.