Paraiba tourmaline is booming, why is this blue tourmaline a gem upstart?

As the group of Asian jewelry collectors matures, their collecting tastes also change: On the basis of traditional red, blue, emerald and diamond, collectors are beginning to dabble in newer gemstone fields. Among them, Paraiba tourmaline, known as the "King of Tourmaline", has become a newcomer in the jewelry market in recent years with its unique neon blue light. At the Bonhams "Hong Kong Jewelry and Jadeite" auction held on June 22, a huge 5.09-carat natural Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline and diamond ring, which is hard to find in the market, sold for a high price of HKD 2.964 million, which is almost comparable to the same price. Field Sapphire Chambers rivalry.

At the Bonhams "Hong Kong Jewelry and Jadeite" auction held on June 22, a huge 5.09-carat natural Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline and diamond ring that is hard to find in the market fetched a high price of HK$2.964 million.

Rare Tourmalines with Origin Labeled
In the long history of gemstones, Paraiba tourmaline was not known until the 1980s, only forty years ago. At that time, gem hunter Heitor Dimas Barbosa was excavating in Brazil, which is rich in multi-colored high-quality tourmalines, and encountered a neon blue light that had never been seen before. This major discovery immediately caused a huge echo in the gemstone world, and the gemstone was named "Paraiba Tourmaline" after the place where it was found. It is said that there is only one Paraiba tourmaline for every 10,000 diamonds found, and its rarity can be imagined.
The color range of Paraiba tourmaline covers neon blue, green blue, blue-green, green, mint green, etc. Among them, Paraiba with high content of copper and manganese is the most special, with bright and dazzling color and high saturation. The neon blue to electric blue is the most popular among collectors.

Paraiba tourmaline ranges in shades of neon blue, green-blue, turquoise, green, mint green and more.

Traditionally, Paraiba tourmalines were only produced in Brazil, but copper-bearing tourmalines were later found in Mozambique and Nigeria in Africa. Although the two are similar, only the ones mined in Brazil can be defined as the real "Paraiba tourmaline" and have a more ardent market demand. It is worth noting that there are very few examples of more than three carats and high quality. In addition, the resources of the Paraíba lode are increasingly depleted, and the shortage of supply is becoming more and more serious. It is for this reason that the 5.09 carat Paraiba diamond ring auctioned at Bonhams can fetch millions at auction.
From clear water to deep sky
The color of Paraiba tourmaline is unique and clear, with a wide range of blue tones, from clear sea water to deep sky, and it has also become the inspiration gemstone for major jewelry brands to express the beauty of nature. In recent years, traditional jewellery brands such as Bulgari, Cartier and Harry Winston have also incorporated Paraiba tourmaline into their high jewellery designs.
For example, in the Bulgari Magnifica high-end jewelry series, a "Mediterranean Queen" necklace closely links the sea and Paraiba tourmaline. The design of this necklace is inspired by a Bulgari necklace that was born in 1969. This classic necklace uses gold and diamonds to create an intricate structure that resembles a rippling ocean wave. Five oval cushion-cut Paraiba tourmalines totaling approximately 500 carats are united with emeralds and diamonds, with bright blue-green hues and sinuous lines reminiscent of the world that surrounds Sardinia, Italy The clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Bulgari Magnifica High Jewelry Collection Mediterranean Queen Mediterranean Queen Necklace

Paraiba tourmalines have also been the inspiration for Chopard, adding a new necklace in diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines to the Precious Lace collection. Created with intricate and fluid openwork lines, this piece resembles a richly woven jewelry lace. The shimmer seeps through the looming skin, as if surrounded by pools of clear water, showing the ingenious fusion of rare minerals and unique designs.

Chopard Precious Lace series Paraiba tourmaline necklace, the center stone weighs 34.63 carats.

The master craftsmen set a delicate and gorgeous Paraiba tourmaline weighing 34.63 carats in the center of the jewelry. In order to control the weight of the whole necklace, the new necklace is made of raw gold and titanium, and the pear-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds complement each other, making the Paraiba tourmalines dazzling.

ANNA HU Skylight series yellow diamond ring 5.92 carats, Paraiba tourmaline 6.30 carats.

ANNA HU, the Chinese jewelry designer's eponymous brand, also has a soft spot for Paraiba tourmalines. In the Skylight series, the designer incorporates the scene of staring at the skylight in the Rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum in New York into the ring - and Paraiba tourmaline has become the representative stone of the sky. The 6.30-carat pear-shaped Paraiba tourmaline was created by the Paris Haute Couture Jewellery workshop using traditional and complex academic craftsmanship.

Buccellati Art High Jewelry Collection

The blue Paraiba tourmaline can not only express the brilliance of the sea, but also the crystal clearness of the waves. Under the performance of Buccellati jewelry craftsmen, the blue Paraiba tourmaline is no longer so outstanding and dazzling, but is hidden in the art-level craftsmanship, becoming a moving brushstroke of an artistic painting. Claude Monet's painting, the inspiration for the Buccellati Art High Jewelry collection, the white gold earrings have a honeycomb surface that forms a hollow structure, Paraiba tourmalines represent the blue of the waves, and diamonds embellish the white of the waves. The complex design reflects the most traditional and charming Buccellati style, vividly depicting the power of the sea, the magnificence of simple tones and the beauty of nature.

GUCCI Garden of Pleasure High Jewelry Collection Stars Falls Paraiba Tourmaline Necklace

In the new work of the GUCCI Garden of Pleasure High Jewelry series, the pure color of Paraiba tourmaline is also used to express the beauty of the waterfall. In the chapter "WATERFALL STARS", the majestic waterfall pouring down, Lin Tao rippling gently in the breeze, these immortal scenery are like miniature picture scrolls integrated into the romantic jewelry design. Layers of diamonds interpret sparkling waterfalls, delicate stars and flowing tassels combined with trembling inlay technology, bringing the vivid visual effect of meteor showers shining in the night sky, echoing the delicate and harmonious poetic nature - while the lagoon-like Paraíba Tourmaline is comparable to the thousands of blue waves rippling in the ocean.