Natural Loose Tourmaline Gemstones

Explore the unique colors and unique personality of loose tourmaline gemstones at Gemstones Island. Known for their colorful nature, the tourmaline gemstones are available in a range of colors such as green, pink, blue, red, yellow, and even multi-colored.

If you wish to create a ring as per your own preferences or create a pendant, or wish to add a new stone to your collection, then loose tourmaline gemstones offer you the flexibility to choose the color, shape, and carat weight as per your requirements.

What Is Loose Tourmaline?

Loose tourmaline stone refers to a single stone that is not yet set in any piece of jewelry. Rather than purchasing already made jewelry, you can select the stone and make jewelry around it.

This makes loose tourmaline a popular choice for:

• Custom rings

• Pendants

• Earrings

• Necklaces

• Statement jewelry

• Gemstone collections

• Jewelry design projects

Tourmaline is especially interesting because it occurs in an unusually broad range of colors, from vibrant blues and greens to pink, red, yellow and multicolored varieties.

Explore Loose Tourmaline Gemstones for Sale

Looking for loose tourmaline gemstones for sale? Explore individual stones in different colors, shapes, cuts and carat weights.

Each tourmaline is an individual gemstone, so appearance can vary considerably even between stones of the same variety. When comparing gemstones, consider:

• Color and saturation

• Clarity

• Cut quality

• Shape

• Carat weight

• Dimensions

• Origin, when documented

• Treatment information

When looking at the appearance of colored gems like tourmaline, the color plays a vital role in evaluating the gemstone. The GIA states that tourmaline comes in many different colors, tone, and saturation.

Tourmaline Colors & Varieties

One of the best things about tourmaline is the amazing variety of colors available. There are gems available in just one color, two or more colors.

Green Tourmaline

Green tourmalines are found from pale green to deep green varieties. Some gemstones may possess blue-green coloration and high transparency.

Pink Tourmaline

Pink Tourmaline comes in different hues ranging from light to dark pink and even reddish pink. Inclusions in pink and red tourmaline are extremely common; therefore, the relationship between color, clarity, and appearance is extremely important.

Blue Tourmaline

Tourmaline in blue color, which is also known as indicolite, is appreciated for its beautiful blue and blue-green colors. The colors can differ greatly from one gem to another.

Watermelon Tourmaline

Watermelon Tourmaline is characterized by its unique coloration, consisting of shades of both pink and green colors. The color zoning may make one imagine the fruit for which the mineral was named.

Paraíba Tourmaline

Paraíba type tourmaline is best known for its vivid blue, green, and blue-green hues, which are caused by copper bearing material. As quality and source may differ, certification from a reputable lab may become necessary for the Paraíba tourmaline specimen.

Rubellite Tourmaline

Rubellite usually means beautiful red to pinkish red tourmaline. Color is one of the essential factors to consider when selecting a rubellite gemstone.

Bicolor & Multicolor Tourmaline

It should be noted that some tourmaline gemstones have several colors in one crystal. They can form unique jewelry pieces and look impressive if cut according to the color zoning of the crystals.

Why Choose Loose Tourmaline?

There are many reasons gemstone enthusiasts and jewelry designers choose tourmaline.

A Remarkable Range of Colors

Very few gems have so many color options available. If you love pink, green, blue, red, yellow or even multi-colored stone, tourmaline is your best choice.

Unique Individual Character

Tourmaline in its natural form might have inclusions, color zoning and pleochroism, which means that it may vary in appearance according to the direction from which it is viewed.

Flexible for Custom Jewelry

Buying the gemstone separately allows you to select the setting, metal and design after finding the stone you love.

Suitable for Many Jewelry Styles

Tourmaline is an ideal choice for use in jewelry because of its hardness of about 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale, but it must be shielded from shock and drastic changes in temperature.

How to Choose the Right Loose Tourmaline

Choosing a loose tourmaline stone should involve more than simply selecting your favorite color.

1. Consider the Color

Color is one of the most important factors when choosing tourmaline. Look at hue, tone and saturation, and consider how the color appears under different lighting conditions.

2. Examine Clarity

Tourmaline commonly contains natural inclusions. The importance of clarity depends on the color and variety of the stone. For some pink and red tourmalines, visible inclusions can occur without necessarily preventing the stone from being attractive.

3. Examine the Cut

The cut of the stone can play an important role in how tourmaline reacts with light. The cutters also take into account pleochroism and the crystal orientation of tourmaline when cutting a stone.

4. Evaluate the Carat Weight and Dimensions

Carat weight is employed to calculate the weight of the gemstone, while dimensions represent the actual size of the stone. When purchasing a loose tourmaline to be set in a ring, it is important to ensure that your measurements are accurate.

5. Consider Information on Treatments

Sometimes a tourmaline stone may be subjected to various treatments that affect its color. According to GIA, some common treatments of tourmaline include heat and irradiation.

6. Consider Origin When Relevant

Origin can be an important part of a gemstone's documentation and market context, particularly for certain varieties. However, a geographic origin alone does not determine the quality of an individual tourmaline.

Loose Tourmaline for Jewelry

A loose gemstone gives you the opportunity to build your jewelry design around the stone.

Loose tourmaline can be used for:

• Engagement and statement rings

• Pendants

• Earrings

• Necklaces

• Bracelets

• Custom jewelry

• Birthstone jewelry

• Collector pieces

When dealing with rings to be worn often, take into consideration the cut, setting, and purpose of the ring. Even though tourmaline has good hardness as a gemstone, it only has fair toughness, and extreme heat may harm some stones.

Loose Tourmaline for Rings

Choosing loose tourmaline for rings allows you to select the exact stone before deciding on the final setting.

When choosing a tourmaline for a ring, consider:

• Stone dimensions

• Shape

• Color

• Cut

• Durability

• Setting style

• Daily or occasional wear

An oval, cushion or emerald-cut tourmaline can create very different looks, so the shape should complement your overall ring design.

Buy Loose Tourmaline Online

When you buy loose tourmaline online, look beyond the product title and carat weight. Before purchasing, check:

• Actual gemstone photographs

• Exact dimensions

• Carat weight

• Color

• Cut and shape

• Clarity

• Treatment information

• Origin, where available

• Return and shipping policies

If you're purchasing an expensive or particularly important stone, an independent laboratory report can provide additional information about characteristics such as whether the gemstone is natural or laboratory-grown, detectable treatments and, where possible, geographic origin. GIA reports can assess loose tourmaline for these characteristics.

Loose Tourmaline for Collectors

Tourmaline is an especially interesting gemstone for collectors because of its wide range of colors and varieties.

A collection might include:

• Green tourmaline

• Pink tourmaline

• Blue tourmaline

• Watermelon tourmaline

• Bicolor tourmaline

• Rubellite

• Paraíba-type tourmaline

• Unusual color combinations

Collectors may also compare stones based on color zoning, clarity, cutting style, size, origin and other documented characteristics.

Tourmaline Care & Cleaning

Caution is advised when handling tourmaline. Despite its Mohs hardness of 7-7.5, according to GIA, it is wise to avoid subjecting the gem to high heat as it might damage the gemstone.

To clean the gemstone, it is advisable to use soapy water at room temperature. According to GIA, tourmaline should not be subjected to ultrasonic and steam cleaning. If you have a treated tourmaline, observe the care requirements for that specific gemstone.

Why Buy Loose Tourmaline from Gemstones Island?

It will be easier for you to look at individual gemstones when designing custom jewelry pieces using Gemstones Island. The collection of loose tourmaline is a mixture of different colors of gemstones in terms of shape, cut, and carat; this will make it easy for you to select the appropriate gemstone for your design.

If you are looking for a colored center stone or a rare gemstone for your custom ring, or even if you simply wish to complete your collection with something special, then have a look at our loose tourmaline gemstones.

Frequently Asked Questions About Loose Tourmaline

What does loose tourmaline mean?

Loose tourmaline means a single stone that is not yet mounted into jewelry. This type of tourmaline stone may be bought separately and then set into any type of ring, pendant, earrings or other type of custom jewelry.

Is tourmaline a good gemstone for jewelry?

Tourmaline has a hardness of about 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale and can be used in a variety of jewelry. But its toughness is described as fair, so special care must be taken.

What color of tourmaline is the most valuable?

Not all colors are the same in value and price. The GIA states that bright red, blue and green hues of tourmaline are typically very valuable and popular, and vivid copper-containing blue-green tourmalines, like Paraiba-type, are particularly important in the jewelry trade.

Is watermelon tourmaline natural?

Watermelon tourmaline means that there is pink and green color zoning in tourmaline. It is a natural coloring in the stone, although one needs to consider all the details about the particular gemstone.

Can I buy loose tourmaline online?

Yes. When you are going to buy tourmaline loose on the Internet, look at the pictures, measurements, carat weight, color, cut, clarity, and treatment.

Is tourmaline suitable for an engagement ring?

It is possible to use tourmaline in engagement rings, but there are some factors that you need to consider.

Does tourmaline need special care?

Tourmaline needs to be kept away from excessive heat and extreme changes in temperature. Warm soap and water should be used for cleaning, but ultrasonic and steam cleaners are not suggested by GIA.