What does this mean for jewellers?

Since Paraiba tourmaline of Brazilian origin commands a high price, some sellers are likely to want to extend the reach of the word as far as possible, although most stones now available are in the .10- to .50-carat range. In general, Brazilian Paraiba can cost anywhere from five to 10 times more than the African variety.

Gemstone dealer Joe Menzie of Joe Menzie Inc., says larger Paraiba tourmalines are in short supply. “A five-carat Brazilian Paraiba could cost $50,000 per carat, while African material of a similar quality and size would not cost more than $10,000 per carat. The same African neon tourmaline would have cost a maximum of $3000 per carat just three years ago, but prices have increased as supplies of Brazilian material have dried up.” This is partly why he suggests that for larger stones, it makes sense to use Gübelin Gem Lab, the Swiss Foundation for the Research of Gemstones (SSEF), or AGL lab reports that clearly state the country of origin.

Ultimately, it is quality that gives tourmaline its value. If you are considering buying Paraiba tourmaline, it would be a good idea to consult an appraiser who regularly deals in this stone, is aware of the inconsistency regarding nomenclature, and is qualified to describe the colours appropriately, as well as judge values accurately.

In preparing this column, I consulted with colleagues for their opinion. Given the choice of buying neon tourmaline from Africa or Brazil, they all said that if the quality is the same, they would opt for the better-priced stones. They also said they did not understand why African neon tourmaline would still be referred to as paraiba on some lab reports, rather than paraiba-type. Perhaps for some people, copper content is important for green-blue tourmaline, but for true connoisseurs, the actual appearance and quality are what matter the most.

I believe the Paraiba tourmaline issue is fundamentally different than the question of provenance for, say, a Burmese ruby. All rubies mined in Burma are Burmese rubies (although Mogok mine has a better provenance), but not all tourmalines mined in Paraiba are Paraiba tourmalines. It is critical to understand that origin is important to the value of some gemstones, and that if you are going to pay a premium for origin, be sure to insist on proper testing and documentation.

The objective of labs and jewellers should be to ensure consumer confidence by using proper wording and disclosure of origin at point of sale. In other words, the end user should know what they are getting and that paraiba-type and Paraiba tourmaline are not the same thing.

The author would like to thank Alex Barcados of C.D. Barcados, Brian Cook of Nature’s Geometry, Joe Menzie of Joe Menzie Inc., Adolf Peretti of Gem Research Swisslab, Walter and Tiago Leite of Real Gems, Lisa Elser of Custom Cut Gems, authors Renee Newman and Richard Wise, and Bill Vermeulen of the Canadian Gemological Laboratory (CGL) for their contribution to this article.

Branko Deljanin, B.Sc., GG, FGA, DUG is head gemmologist and president of Canadian Gemological Laboratory (CGL) in Vancouver. He is a regular contributor to trade and gemmological magazines and has presented reports at a number of research conferences. Deljanin is an instructor of standard and advanced gemmology programs on diamonds and coloured stones in Canada and internationally. He can be reached at info@cglworld.ca.