Paraiba Tourmaline is famous for its broad blue-green spectrum and surprisingly, it's more expensive than many gems on the market. It can fetch up to $100,000 per carat. The equally famous "neon blue" and other colors are apparent even in the raw stones.This color range is one of the reasons for Paraiba Tourmaline's popularity. In jewelry design, color is a critical major asset. The unique spectrum of Paraiba Tourmaline makes it...

Those born in October enjoy two spectacular birthstones to commemorate their birthdays – opal and tourmaline. Both October birthstones have endless color combinations and beautiful coloring characteristics. Learn more about these two October birthstones and discover the perfect gift for those born in the tenth month. OPAL BIRTHSTONE MEANING & HISTORY The name of this, the traditional October birthstone, is believed to have originated in India (the source of the...

October also has two birthstones; Tourmaline and Opal. Tourmaline is a favorite gemstone for many because it’s available in a rainbow of beautiful colors. Opal gemstones are truly unique because each individual gem is adorned with a one-of-a-kind color combination.

Tourmaline ranks 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.   Hardness and toughnessGem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The numbers are based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral can be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but it’s many times harder...