Few minerals can match tourmaline’s extraordinary range of colours and forms. This complex borosilicate, enriched by varying amounts of lithium, iron, magnesium, and other trace elements, occurs in pegmatites, metamorphic rocks, and even alluvial deposits. Its beauty and diversity make it a favourite of both mineral collectors and gem dealers. Across the globe, certain regions stand out for their remarkable specimens – by virtue of their colour intensity, crystal perfection, or historical importance.
Here are twenty of the world’s most renowned tourmaline localities, each with its own distinctive specimens, mineralogy and story.
1. Minas Gerais, Brazil – The epicentre of world tourmaline production, home to famous pegmatite mines such as Cruzeiro, Pederneira, and Jonas. These have yielded stunning elbaite crystals in vivid pinks, greens, and blues, often transparent and of gem quality. “Watermelon” colour zoning – pink cores with green edges – is especially prized.
2. Paraíba, Brazil – Discovered only in the late 20th century, this locality revolutionised the gem world with its copper-bearing tourmaline. The stones’ electric blue-green colour, caused by trace copper and manganese, makes Paraíba tourmaline one of the most valuable gemstones on earth.
3. San Diego County, California, USA - Historic mines such as the Himalaya and Stewart have produced large, intensely coloured elbaite crystals – particularly deep pink, blue, and bicoloured varieties. The Himalaya Mine alone has yielded tonnes of gem material since the 1890s.
4. Oxford County, Maine, USA – Mount Mica quarry was the first place in the U.S. where gem tourmaline was discovered in 1821, and the Newry and Dunton quarries are classic sources of fine elbaite. Known for their transparent green, pink, and pastel “mint” shades, Maine tourmalines are staples of North American collections.
5. Laghman, Afghanistan – High-altitude pegmatites in the Hindu Kush yield spectacular multicoloured elbaite and other tourmaline crystals, frequently showing striking pink-to-green zoning. Many are associated with white albite var. cleavelandite and lepidolite and rival Brazil’s best for clarity and brilliance.
6. Skardu & Gilgit, Pakistan – Pegmatites in northern Pakistan produce lustrous black schorl crystals and other pink, green, and blue elbaite crystals, often gem-clear and sharply terminated. The contrast of these tourmaline colours with milky quartz matrix and lepidolite makes these specimens highly aesthetic.
7. Haute Matsiatra & Vakinankaratra, Madagascar – Several pegmatite sources of nearly every tourmaline species, including elbaite, liddicoatite, and schorl. The Sahatany region yields large, complexly zoned crystals, while liddicoatite from Anjanabonoina is noted for its striking triangular cross-sections.
8. Alto Ligonha & Mavuco, Mozambique – These East African pegmatites produce vivid pink rubellites and copper-bearing tourmalines similar in chemistry to those from Paraíba. Exceptional transparency and size make Mozambique one of the world’s premier modern sources.
9. Oyo, Nigeria – Gem-rich pegmatites yield beautiful pink, blue, and green elbaite. Nigerian stones are often exceptionally clean and well-suited for cutting and, in recent decades, have become important on the gem market.
10. Erongo Mountains, Namibia – Famous for black schorl and blue-green elbaite crystals with superb lustre. The contrasting matrix of smoky quartz and feldspar, often with aquamarine or fluorite, makes Erongo pieces striking display specimens.
11. Umba Valley & Morogoro, Tanzania – Known for chrome-bearing dravite and dark green, almost black, elbaite. The rich greens and reds from these localities are much sought after by gem cutters and collectors alike.
12. Malkhan Pegmatite Field, Transbaikalia, Russia – Produces museum-quality elbaite crystals with strong pink-to-green zoning and exceptional transparency. Some of the world’s finest tourmaline specimens, now in major museums, originated here.
13. Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka – Ancient gem gravels of Ratnapura and Elahera yield water-worn elbaite and dravite crystals in pastel blues, greens, and yellows. The island’s deposits have been worked for over two thousand years.
14. Pierrepont, New York, USA – The famous dravite and uvite crystals from the metamorphic rocks at Pierrepont and Bleecker are superb examples of these species, typically black, deep reddish-brown to green, highly lustrous, and well-formed.
15. Elba Island, Italy – The type locality for elbaite, first described in the late 1700s. The island’s pegmatites produced multicoloured crystals, which gave this tourmaline species its name. Historically significant and prized by collectors. Some crystals have remarkable black caps associated with pink beryl on albite and quartz.
16. Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo – Pegmatites from the area yield both black schorl and richly coloured red, green and orange gem elbaite crystals. The region’s political instability has limited production, adding to the rarity of good specimens.
17. Paprok, Nuristan, Afghanistan – One of the world’s most celebrated pegmatites, producing large, lustrous pink, green, blue, orange, purple, bicoloured and tricoloured crystals of elbaite often associated with lepidolite and quartz. “Watermelon” specimens from Paprok are among the finest known.
18. Pala and Mesa Grande Districts, California, USA – Distinct from other San Diego County deposits, these areas have produced gemmy pink rubellite and clear green elbaite since the early 1900s. The Pala Chief and Tourmaline Queen mines are particularly notable.
19. Mwami, Karoi, Zimbabwe – These pegmatites produce excellent schorl and elbaite crystals, black, deep green to brown, commonly sharp and lustrous. Collectors value them for their textbook trigonal form and rich colour.
20. Mogok Region, Myanmar (Burma) – Although much better known for rubies and spinels, Mogok also yields fine elbaite and schorl crystals, often embedded in white feldspar and quartz. Some rubellite from this region shows beautiful internal transparency. Many have been faceted as gems.
The Assay House—Mineral Dealers of quality Mineral Specimens
Image Credits - CC Géry PARENT