A natural tourmaline of 2.10 carats, about 2.31 ratti, at Rs. 11,250 – roughly Rs. 5,357 per carat. Its colour is recorded as green.

Why this listing says green, and what we cannot show you

Green is what this stone's colour is recorded as on our system, and that record is the basis for the name on this listing. It is also the only evidence of its colour that we have, because the photograph above is a catalogue image shared across all six tourmaline listings on this site – we compared the six files cropped to the stone, and they are one photograph.

Several of the names we were given for this category claimed pink, blue, black, watermelon, bi-colour, rubellite and Paraiba. All were refused: nothing here records any of them. Ask us and we will send photographs and a video of the actual stone.

About the rate

At Rs. 5,357 per carat this is more than twice the rate of the other priced tourmaline we hold, at Rs. 2,516. In tourmaline a gap like that normally means a better colour – more saturated, a cleaner green rather than a grey or olive one – and that is exactly what the shared photograph cannot show you. At this price it is worth asking for a video in daylight before you order.

Green tourmaline, and the family it belongs to

Tourmaline is not a single mineral but a family, and the colour range runs the whole spectrum: green, pink, red, blue, black, colourless, and stones that are two colours at once. Green tourmaline is among the most common and most wearable of them.

The family also contains Paraiba, a copper-bearing variety whose electric blue-green sells for thousands of dollars a carat. It is worth knowing that name exists, and worth being suspicious of anyone offering it cheaply: it is the single most profitable misdescription in this material.

Tourmaline is also strongly pleochroic – it shows a different depth of colour down different directions in the crystal, usually much darker along the long axis. A cutter has to orient the rough to put the better colour face-up, and doing so throws weight away. That is part of why a well-coloured tourmaline costs what it does.

Treatment and testing

Tourmaline is sometimes heated or irradiated to adjust its colour – heating to lighten an over-dark stone, irradiation to deepen a pale one. Both are stable and both are normal in the trade. For this stone the treatment has not been tested and there is no laboratory report; one of the names we were given claimed certification and was refused for that reason.

Hard enough, and no cleavage

At 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale tourmaline is harder than household dust, so it keeps its polish. And unlike topaz or tanzanite it has no troublesome cleavage – no plane along which a knock will split it. For a ring worn daily that makes it one of the easier coloured stones to own.

It does object to sudden heat: have it set last, keep a torch away, and avoid the ultrasonic cleaner if there are visible inclusions. Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush are enough.

The ash-drawer

Warm a tourmaline or rub it and it builds a static charge at its ends. Eighteenth-century Dutch traders used the stones to draw ash from their pipes and called them aschentrekker. It is why a tourmaline ring collects dust faster than you would expect, and it is a real property of the family rather than a story.

Ordering

One stone, sold once. Message us on WhatsApp for photographs of the actual stone, and we deliver across Pakistan.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural tourmaline with a weight of 2.1 Carat. Its price is Rs. 11,250 — roughly Rs. 5,357 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000438 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

On the Mohs scale tourmaline rates 7 to 7.5. It handles daily wear, but a hard knock can still nick an exposed corner, so a protective setting is a sensible choice. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and keep it away from abrasive cleaners and high heat.

Whoever you buy tourmaline from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every tourmaline for those three points before it is listed, a certificate is available on request, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. Certificate available on request. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Tourmaline is sometimes heated or irradiated to adjust colour. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.