Tourmaline
Wholesale tourmaline — buying guide for the trade
A whole colour wheel in a single mineral family. Paraiba is the headline; rubellite, chrome and indicolite all have serious followings.
Key properties
- Mineral
- Tourmaline group
- Hardness
- 7–7.5 (Mohs)
- Key origins
- Brazil, Mozambique, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Madagascar, USA
- Typical treatments
- Heat (common, disclosed), irradiation (some pinks)
What to look for when buying wholesale
- Distinguish Paraiba (copper-bearing) from neon-blue but copper-free tourmaline — labs verify with chemistry.
- Brazilian Paraiba carries the highest origin premium; Mozambican is the modern supply.
- Chrome tourmaline from Tanzania is rare and strong-green.
Certification guidance
For Paraiba claims, always insist on GIA, SSEF or Gübelin chemistry-verified origin reports.
Treatment disclosure
Most tourmaline is sold untreated; heated and irradiated material exists and must be disclosed.
Typical wholesale price tiers
| Tier | Wholesale | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial | $100–$500 / ct | Most colours, included |
| Fine | $500–$3,000 / ct | Vivid colour, eye-clean |
| Paraiba | $3,000–$30,000+ / ct | Copper-bearing, neon blue-green |
Prices are indicative wholesale-to-trade ranges. Actual offers depend on origin, certification and supply at the time of enquiry.
Cuts and shapes
Tourmaline is faceted into the same core shapes seen across coloured stones and diamonds — round, oval, cushion, emerald-cut, pear, radiant, princess, asscher, marquise and heart — plus antique cuts such as old mine and old European, most associated with period diamond jewellery. See the full Cut Library →
Looking for a specific tourmaline?
Tourmaline isn't heavily stocked on Chaos's live marketplace right now. Post a sourcing request instead — Chaos's dealer network is alerted directly and can quote against what you actually need, rather than what happens to be listed today.