Ever since paraiba touramline was first discovered in Brazil in 1989, gem buyers have coveted gemstones with a vivid aqua blue color. Though the copper-bearing paraiba was eventually found in Nigeria and Mozambique as well as Brazil, the desposits were all very limited and it remains an exceedingly rare (and expensive) stone.
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| Blue Apatite, Madagascar |
There were very few alternatives to paraiba tourmaline in the market. Though there are non-copper-bearing blue-green tourmalines from Afghanistan and Mozambique, blue is one of the rarest colors in tourmaline and very few of these stones approach the bright windex-like blue that made the paraiba tourmaline so unique and valuable.
There are two gem varieties that we suggest to buyers looking for this distinctive color. The first is apatite, a phosphate mineral that is sometimes found in gem quality. Transparent apatite is typically green, but low temperature heating of some specimens can produce a vivid blue or greenish-blue that can rival the best paraiba tourmaline color.
The best apatite in the market is currently coming from Madagascar. Clean gems with a vivid blue have risen significantly in price due to market demand, but the cost is still a small fraction of that for paraiba tourmaline, making blue apatite an attractive buy.
The main limitation with apatite is that it is not a particularly hard material, with a rating of 5 on the Mohs scale (compared to 7.5 for touramline). So apatite is mainly used for pendants, earrings and occasional wear rings.
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| Gem Silica, Arizona |
The other vivid greenish-blue gem we recommend is a type of quartz chalcedony known in the trade as gem silica. Like paraiba tourmaline, it derives its intense color from traces of copper.
High quality gem silica is a translucent gem which is usually cut as cabochons rather than faceted. One of the attractions of gem silica is that it is quite hard, with a rating of 7 on the Mohs scale. Gem silica is a rare gem -- much rarer than apatite -- and has become popular with collectors and jewelry designers.
See our collection of Fine Blue Apatite
