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- List of facts about tourmaline, an opinion
- No Paraiba in top ten list of most valuable/rarest or beautiful gemstones??
- #261 and a bright red cuprian smile
- Included bright sparkling red round. #261
- Getting threw the winter, 1/3 carat of fire
- The amount of lead in tourmaline.
- Color my world of tourmaline.
- Copper’s limited roll in coloring Paraiba/cuprian tourmaline.
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Recent Comments
- Romeo48065 on Laurellite a reverse color change tourmaline is unique.
- toadandspur on Outstanding Achroite with a Mystery
- Bruce Fry on Welcome to a World of Color in Tourmaline
- David Walsh on Paraiba/paraiba type tourmaline and treatments.
- rexguo on Laurellite a reverse color change tourmaline is unique.
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The world's premier gallery of tourmaline gemstones from around the world
Hi Bruce – glad to see you’re getting to showcase your collection of stellar tourmaline gems to the world!
-Allan
Pingback: The long and winding road of testing “Laurellite” | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Hey Bruce – glad you’re getting to cut something! Love to see some photos of the process and of the stone during/after…
Keep up the good work!
-Allan
Pingback: A straight beige that could have been wheat round | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: A Gemstone of Tea Please | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Bruce, how is Nambian tourmaline identified? I bought a piece in the late 1980s but
lost the index card from the source. I believe it was from Nambia, but it was so long ago I can’t remember now. It has a purple base, a blue body, and a green tip with tiny
particles of mica(?) on the termination. The termination also has strange “etchings”
on it, and it looks like a step-pyramid.
(The pics are available at Gemology Online. I am paraibaesque there as well. Or just
google “26 gram tourmaline” and you will see a fantastic blue crystal with a green tip)
Bruce, Your collection is amazing ,thank you for sharing this with everyone. Howard
Great site Bruce! With your deep knowledge of tourmaline and your wonderful collection you should have done it years ago.
Congratulations.
Noel
Pingback: A fine transparent pink oval | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: A golden droplet of color. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Beautiful stones, as always Dad!
Pingback: Rich pink with orange tones oval. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Hi Bruce – your commentary about when is red, red strikes home.
I’ve struggled with the definition of rubellite vs. pink tourmaline, because much of the deep/hot pink tourmaline I’ve purchased has been sold to me as rubellite. Clearly, when comparing with your stones I only have one true rubellite (a stunning one at that) but the rest are varying shades of pink.
I’d like to hear your comments about the color-shifting pink tourmalines that come out of Nigeria – those that are bright hot bubble-gum pink in flourescent, but turn a golden peach in tungsten. Your collection contains quite a few of them so it would be nice if you could write an article specifically about them.
Thanks for posting your stones and comments – a truly stunning collection of tourmaline!
-Allan
Pingback: Big brother of the outstanding sea foam Barion Cut #190 from Afghanistan | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: One of a pair of outstanding sea foam Barion Cusions, Afghanistan. #190 | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: Walking the stone, a rite of passage. A Laurellite moment of a lifetime. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: A special pink from Mozambique, cuprian. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: Included, long ratio, bright blue green, medium toned, oval. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: Included medium toned pastel blue green oval. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: Included medium toned pastel blue green oval. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
Pingback: Included, medium light toned, blue green oval. | The Bruce Fry Tourmaline Collection
This website is a real gem.
Hello Bo-Bo
Hi Tom, hope life is OK.
Hi Bruce, I am Joanna’s mother (she works at the Yarn store in Sewickley) and I’ve met you and seen some of your stones there. I am thinking about buying a real tourmaline to replace the lab grown one in my ring. The one I have looks a bit like this beautiful green one above, and is about 25 mm long. I wonder if you have such a thing and how much that would be. I would also possibly be interested in a pink one, preferably oval, a deep pink. So what do you think?
Thanks. Carol Nix
I recently purchased a relatively large and reversed color change pendant off of Ebay being sold as lab created alexandrite,. This stone is so large and clear that I wonder if rather than being laurellite it might be a synthetic with reversed alexandrite-like color change. Here is the Ebay listing
Any ideas anyone
I think you may be confused. Laurellite is a reverse colour-change Tourmaline. You state you bought a lab-created Alexandrite – a completely different mineral. Given the rarity of Laurellite there is a zero possibility you have Laurellite tourmaline instead of synthetic Alexandrite.
If you have any question of the nature of your stone, I recommend taking it to a qualified Gemmologist for positive identification. It is impossible to identify a stone like you describe through casual inspection or a photo.
Good luck
-Allan
By the way, I am looking for a source – wholesale or retail – for faceted lithium niobate loose gems. Thanks, emlong
This site Rocks.
Then my second question is what synthetic exhibits the reverse color change – ruby/amethyst in daylight and green in fluorescent light?
Never mind. I see now that the color change characteristic is more common in both natural and synthetics than I had thought. When you were calling the variation of elbaite ‘laurellite” I had thought you meant that laurellite was itself a synthetic tourmaline or a variation of synthetic tourmalines to begin with. My interest is primarily in the energetic properties of gems, so anything unusual always interests me as that often predicts an unusual energy profile as well. I happen to like the energy of elbaite, so if there is a reverse color change variation I would love to get my hands on one and see how it “feels.”
As I haven’t had the fortune to see what Laurellite looks like in person, I can’t help with any suggestions of where to find it. From what Bruce writes, it’s a very rare variety of cuprian tourmaline that he purchased and discovered by chance.
I too would very much love to get my hands on a piece for my own collection!
Some other colour-shift/colour-changing stones you might want to check out are garnets – there are (again rare but not so rare as Laurellite) garnets that change from blue to purple/red and I have some that change from gold to pink. Do a search for “blue garnet” and “imperial garnet” for some examples.
Good luck!
-Allan
Sorry to hear of the passing of your friend.
Hi Bruce,
I have read many articles and blogs you have posted, and I have learned so much from you. I am a fan of your hard work, and your beautiful cutting abilities.
My name is Sher O’Leary, and I am an avid collector of cuprian elbaite from Africa. I have hundreds of GIA certified and non-certified “Paraiba” tourmalines. I am writing to you because I just received a GIA cert a few days ago on a 10 carat “Laurellite”, a cuprian elbaite that is a pure purple in daylight, and turns a green-blue in incandescent light. This is the first “reverse color change” Paraiba tourmaline I have ever had. It is really quite lovely in person. I wanted to share photos (and the GIA certificate) for this gemstone, with you. I have not been able to find your contact information, so I thought this would be the best way to chat with you. If you would like to see some photos and discuss this stone, you can reach me at 714-747-7437, or my email at; sheroleary@msn.com. I very much look forward to chatting with you. Sher
Hi Bruce,
Great Looking Website
Well, for those who were fortunate enough to meet Bruce and view his spectacular collection in person, it was a great day. We spent several hours talking and marvelling over the range of colours as well as the sheer size of some of his tourmaline gemstones.
There were several examples of those fabled neon-blue Paraiba-type cuprian tourmalines, as well as many examples of unheated cuprians in several different colours and shades.
If you think the galleries and posts of Bruce’s stones are spectacular, you’ll be left breathless when you see the sheer number of stones in the collection in person. It was an amazing experience, one that I won’t soon forget.
Thanks Bruce for making the effort to cross the continent to visit us – and you’re welcome back anytime!
-Allan
Hi Bruce. I just purchased 4.79 carat reverse color changing cuprian elbaite ring. I understand the stone was saved from heating because it was so beautiful. It’s amazing how it can be a medium sapphire blue under artificial lights with a hint of green. In natural light it becomes an iolite violet color. Could it be a laurelite? I am happy to send photos. I’d love to know if it can included in the laurelite family!
Hi Rob,
Sounds like you have a winner and a beautiful Laurellite. It is about the same size as the discovery stone that I sent to the GIA. There are no pictures on my certification, but GIA does attach pictures now.
I will say again, what you already know. Your stone is very rare and is growing rarer every day, because it can be heated to the perferred cyan blue. It’s color change is unique to gemstones and deserves to be protected as a great addition to the world of tourmaline and gemstones in general.
Thanks for the comment.
Bruce
Thanks Bruce, they have a Laurellite for sale on the gem shopping network. It turns green to violet. The stone is about 6 carats and its set in a ring and is GIA certified. It was just on last night. They are asking 32k for the ring!
Wow! I wonder if it is included and has been clarity enhanced. Inclusions would make the gemstone a much greater risk of breakage if it was heated to the preferred cyan blue. I have been talking to a dealer that buys paraiba type material and much of it has been treated with resins after being heated. The original emerald cut that I sent the GIA is almost flawless under 10 power and completely eye clean. This makes it prime material to heat if the dealer had known it contained copper. The other pieces of Laurellite that I have show more of an average amount of inclusions and veils for cuprian tourmaline from Moazambique. I have never used resins nor had any of my gemstones heated. Natural is what I strive for.
Thanks a lot for the input.
Bruce
Interesting thought. My stone has a few feathers under 10x loupe buts its pretty clean. I I hope the GIA cert would show any clarity enhancement they call it natural cuprian elbaite. Your passion for tourmaline is really wonderful. You should gather all the pictures you can of laurellites you know of. I can’t seem to photograph the violet in my stone. I clearly see it but my camera with or without flash sees blue.
Hi Bruce, I purchased a neon pool water blue cuprian tourmaline with nice saturation about five years ago. The issue with the stone is that although it is beautiful, it has a number of inclusions including ones that had an almost rainbow effect. The stone appears “spangled.” Could this be natural or more likely the result of heating to make the stone the color it ended up as?
Hey Bruce, you don’t mention the colour of this piece. How did it turn out?
Hi Al,
Thanks for the inquirery. It is amazing to me that I did not mention the color of probably the last significant piece of cuprian tourmaline I will ever purchase. It is a fine purple with a reddish cast that is not a Rubellite color in my opinion. The other unusual fact is that I have not cut the rough yet. There was some question in my mind about cutting a tear drop or oval out of the rather thin rough, but I have decided to cut an oval. The principle reason for the lack of progress is I have been fighting an orange tourmaline that I will post about. The battle with the orange has been long and filled with breaks to get other work done around my house. It needed to get it won before I went forward with cutting such an expensive piece of cuprian rough.
Bruce
I inherited over 275 gemstones from my uncle a couple of years ago. This included 13 various colors,sizes and cuts of tourmaline. Over the course of his life he completed 6 world wide “gem
Safari’s”. Three of those trips included a stop in India where he purchased a very large 48 ct plus color change tourmaline from a trusted source. It changes from purple on cloudy dark days to orange redish on bright sunny days. It’s highly dichroic and its specific gravity is 2.99.
After reading Bruce’s article on the topic, my hope is to gain additional info from all of you. Since I am not a gem collector I have begun to wholesale out some of my uncles collection. Pls let me know what info and questions you have. Ultimately I would like to sell it but have now idea how or where to do so.
I would be happy to share pictures of it but can’t figure out how to to it via this post site.
Pls help
Cbass
Bruce,
I just a post to an old post site 2012. I did not know there is also a recent post page.
Anyway my uncle left me many gemstones when he passed. Since I am not a gem collector I would like to get some info on a 48 ct color change tourmaline. It turns purple on cloudy days to orange redish on bright sunny days. My uncle purchased it while on one of his six world wide gem ” safari’s” from a trusted source. It’s highly
dichroic and its SG is 2.99.
Since I am not a gem collector I would like to know more about it and eventually sell it at wholesale but do not now how or where to do so.
Anyone that’s part of the Bruce Fry World Wide Nation that can help me would be most appreciated. I am happy to send pictures but don’t see a way to do it via this post site.
Cbass
Hi Bruce, I’m new to collecting gems and came across your amazing website while researching colour change material. Do you sell any Laurellite or know where I can acquire a piece? I find it to be the most fascinating. If you’re willing to part with one, please email me at my username at gmail. Thanks!
Hi Bruce!
I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through your Tourmaline Gallery over the past year or so and have read through quite a few of your posts. I am a lover a Tourmaline as well. Most of my emphasis has been on collecting fine quality gems that have a blue color component. I have recently acquired a couple of parcels of what I believe to be copper-bearing rough from a reported new source in Nigeria. Me and my partner have already cut several beautiful, but smaller stones from the rough. I am writing today, because we are looking for advice in the testing/identification and heating arenas. On the heating side, we have begun with some preliminary testing of some small highly included pieces and have observed no real change. I have some photos of our rough and finished gems as well as additional details that I can email over to you. Our first parcel had a mix of color saturation. From a strong medium to a medium light and the material is clearly more blue than green. Most of the material in the first parcel was moderately to heavily included. Today we took delivery of a second parcel, including two larger, cleaner gems. One of the two seems like it would cut and excellent, large stone, except it is dark. On the heating side we are stuck. If you get a chance to chat with me via phone or email, it would be greatly appreciated! All the best, Dave … email: therareearthco@gmail.com … phone (757) 650-5720 … Thank you!
Please follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/brucefrytourmaline.
You do beautiful work.
Hello Bruce,
You appear to me to be the world’s authority on tourmaline. I’ve used every bit of search engine skill I have and haven’t approached even 10% of the information you have here in your archives specifically concerning high quality achroite. High praise to you sir!
I have an achroite mystery of my own on my hands. I’ve done as much research as I can on this, and have no answer. My only hope was to find someone knowledgeable enough to help out first hand via web. I contacted a few people on Instagram I know to be knowledgeable, and only 2 of them had any achroite experience to speak of. One of them instantly said he has never seen a near perfect UNCUT achroite of this size and quality. It has minimal striations. Under 80x, very near impossible to see any air bubbles. Mere hints. *Zero* color. 1.3 percent copper via spectrometry at CCU this morning. It weighs 13.5grams. Single Terminated, cut out of unknown matrix. An acquaintance recently came back from Tanzania with a few “quartz crystals”.. I’m a decently experienced jewelry maker(I wrap stones daily in copper, gold and silver wires; raw/faceted/cabbed); I can pretty easily distinguish quartz from tourmaline! I didn’t even try to trick him in any way; immediately I informed him that two of the pieces of his handful (the rest were a mixture of what did in fact look like good loose points around the same size (ish) as the two I had picked out. I tried giving him a close-up and pointed out the faint but obvious tourmaline striations present in both stones..he didnt care and wasn’t convinced. I traded him a little Ethiopian opal(raw) that he liked from my collection for it, and left happy. I enjoy tourmaline, and I’d never seen such a pure one before and assumed immediately that it had to be either lab grown or heat treated. I had only in passing heard the term achroite before I began looking into this stone. It now appears to me, in rising excitement, from various tests done by myself and asking around a bit, that I may have in my possession something of potentially extraordinary value..I can only find 2 picture examples on the internet of a 65+ carat raw near flawless achroite. My example is 67.5 – According to the internet they don’t exist yet I have one.
You have the knowledge here though. Is there any other information I can provide you that would help you determine value? I generally prefer uncut stones be prominent in my pieces, accented by much smaller .2-1.5 carat stones. This particular piece is centrally mounted, below a double terminated reticulated quartz, a 2mm diamond cut clear topaz, and above a heat treated single term quartz. I wanted to make a piece to exhibit different occuring examples of clear crystal, and the differences their in, to laymen. It may be surprising but the vast majority of people can tell no difference in any of the stones in this piece! They most frequently misidentify them all as quartz, and then notice the little “diamond” that they skeptically nod at when you inform them it’s a pretty decent little topaz…
Much appreciated is any info on pricing for this stone and I will post pictures as soon as I can figure out how. Thank you!
-toad
good day, Happy Sunday. I picked up years ago a gem i thought was alexandrite but the color change was in reverse. pinkish in day light, and bluish purple in artificial light. after searching every now and again over the last few years i cam across your site and now think i may have a Laurellite. about 3.25 ct, 10mm round cut, by 6.15mm are these being graded as such if we send them to GIA or other groups to grading. I am not a collector, if you know anyone looking to buy the gem. i’m open to moving it. i obtained it years ago and cant recall the exact way, i do allot in gold and silver, etc… so i might have pulled it from a setting or might have obtained it in one of my many finds after it feel from someone’s setting while i was overseas.