Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Tips for Buying Jewelry

Diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds are undoubtedly some of the rarest and most cherished gems money can buy, but strangely enough, their hyper-popularity has made these otherwise brilliant stones seem dull in recent years. One of the still-precious yet increasingly competitive alternatives is tourmaline – and in particular, green tourmaline gemstone. Requests for jewelry with green tourmaline gemstone have jumped in the last decade, with large rings and pendants becoming top sellers. If you’re thinking about shopping for green tourmaline gemstone jewelry, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Jewelry Tip #1
While tourmaline comes in many colors, some even displaying chatoyant properties, the blue, green, and pink tourmalines are the most sought after. Green tourmalines are often considered desirable because of the diverse hues available within the framework of one color. There are light greens with yellowish tones, pure emerald-style greens, and dark greens that only display color under bright light – with every possible step in between them. Be aware of the diversity of greens available before committing.

Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Jewelry Tip #2
Of the colors of tourmaline,green tends to appeal most uniformly to both men and women. In fact, some younger couples are choosing to use green tourmaline gemstones in wedding jewelry. A jeweler acquaintance of mine said that, although the trend is fresh, she has seen a handful of women looking for green tourmaline rings to buy for a fiance.

Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Jewelry Tip #3
As a mineral, green tourmaline is not that rare. However, many of the specimens large and untainted enough to be useful for rings and pendants are quite uncommon. As a result, the price jump between smaller green tourmalines and large green tourmalines can be more dramatic than with other gems. That said, one of the attractions of tourmaline is that you can still buy a gigantic precious stone to be used in, say, a thumb ring or brooch for far less than you’d pay for a similarly chunky emerald or sapphire.

Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Jewelry Tip #4
As always, the cut of a stone is important. Green tourmalines (like all tourmalines) tend to have color variations running deep into the gemstone, so the cut must be precise in order for jewelry to appear consistent. How the table of the cut gem is oriented toward the axis of the mineral’s growth usually depends on how dark the green color is. Ask an experienced jeweler to explain how a lighter green tourmaline may be cut differently so it that looks more robust.

Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Jewelry Tip #5
One lovely aspect of tourmaline is that it can change color dramatically based on the type and degree of lighting. When purchasing a green tourmaline, it’s especially important to look at the stone with incandescent light, fluorescent light, and natural light. Note the subtle (or even dramatic) responses by the gem.

Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Jewelry Tip #6
Crafters of jewelry often prefer to pair tourmaline with silver or white gold. These combinations are generally deemed the most aesthetically pleasing, though you can certainly buy green tourmalines set in standard gold.

Green Tourmaline Gemstone: Jewelry Tip #7
Because square and emerald cuts of green tourmaline often result in a large, flat tables on “top” of the gems, scratches or chips can be more problematic. Tourmaline is hard, but not indestructible. If you do damage the jewel, you may be able to mollify the blemish by polishing with special oils sold for that purpose.