Properties of Gems
| Name | Rubellite／Red Tourmaline |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 紅碧璽／紅電氣石 |
| Japanese Name | 紅電氣石 |
| Color | magenta, red, pink |
| Family (species, varieties) | Tourmaline, black tourmaline, magnesia tourmaline, chromite, magnesia tourmaline, magnesia tourmaline, magnesia tourmaline, magnesia tourmaline, iron tourmaline, mafite, Maruyama Tourmaline |
| Moh’s Hardness | 7-7.5 |
| Polish Lustre | Vitreous |
| Chemical Composition | Na (Li, Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 |
| Crystallography | Trigonal |
| Birthstone | October ※Based on tourmaline |
The meaning of Gems
Broad-minded, chastity, and thoughtful
Symbol
Value chastity, thoughtfulness, and forgiveness
Country & Place of Origin
• Brazil: Minas Gerais
• Italy: Elba Island/Elba
• Myanmar: Mogok
• Nigeria: Ogbomosho
• Russia: Siberia, Ural
• Madagascar: Antananarivo
• Mozambique: the whole territory
• Afghanistan: the whole territory
• United States: the whole country
Features and characteristics
Rubellite is referred to as Tourmaline, and it has a lovely red sodium lithium tourmaline (Elbaite). As a result, “tourmaline” will be noted on the evaluation. The red tourmaline is rich in manganese and is mined in pegmatite mines, whereas the pink tourmaline has trace manganese.
Origin of the name
The word rubellite (Rubellite) is derived from the Latin word rubellite, which means “red,” and is also the basis of the word ruby, which belongs to the red tribe.
Is pink tourmaline rubellite?
Rubellite also goes by the name as rhodolite due to its color. Pink tourmaline of a similar hue is frequently included in this name. However, people in general believes that rubellite solely refers to the vivid red tourmaline species.” Pink tourmaline, like light pink, is not known to be rubellite, with the exception of dark magenta and other colors.
Rubellite had once been mistaken for ruby
The elegance of Rubellite differs from that of rubies. Before contemporary identification procedures were created, rubelite was mistaken for ruby. The “strawberry carving” was previously thought to be the largest ruby in the world, weighing more than 260 carats and collected by Russia’s Romanov royal dynasty. This is an example before it was proven in 1925 by former Soviet Union mineralogist Alexander Feisman. Before rubellites, strawberry carvings were mistaken for rubies.Value
Rubellite is the second most valuable tourmaline after Paraiba Tourmaline, and it ranks with blue-blue tourmaline (Indigolite), both of which are precious stones. Facet cutting ( 1) is commonly utilized, while egg noodle cutting ( 2) can also bring out the elegance of rubellite. 1 A “facet cut” is a cutting process that accentuates the brilliance of diamonds by removing several facets. 2″Cabochon cut” is a technique for grinding gemstones into a hemispherical form that is mostly utilized for opaque gemstones. Furthermore, if the gem has multiple scars or inclusions, facet cutting will lose the cat’s eye effect and other qualities, and egg surface cutting will be employed.Rubellite colour and quality
Rubellite almost always has inclusions, however if they do not interfere with the stone’s transparency, they are considered a feature. Furthermore, the higher the value, the more translucent and richer the red rubellite. Among them, iron is the cause of color change, and diamonds containing iron are reddish purple or brown. A high iron concentration, on the other hand, will cause a drab color, but it will depreciate. Rubellite is sometimes compared to cranberries and other times, like the most advanced ruby, it is portrayed as pigeon blood.
Origin of rubellite
Rubellite was discovered in Brazil in the nineteenth century, and the country has been a major producer of rubellite ever since. Minas Gerais is recognized for having many high-quality mines. A pigeon-blooded high-grade rubellite weighing more than 200 kg was discovered in the Jonas mine around 1978. The Cruzeiro mine produces approximately 8 tonnes of tourmaline each year, 20 percent of which is rubellite, making it one of the major mines in the world today. Although the Ouro Fino mine is closed, the rubellite produced there has the finest reputation. African countries, on the other hand (Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, and others) have a well-known feature: most African rubellites are brown. Among them, rubellite from Madagascar has a lower composition and higher clarity, making it easier to find high-quality rubellite. Bleaching sand deposits (*3) near Obomosho, Nigeria, also produce exceptionally transparent rubellite, which currently accounts for over half of Africa’s entire output. As previously said, most rubellite mines are quite transparent, but in comparison to other gems, there is less desire for the site of production to be labeled with the name of the mine, therefore most rubellite cut into jewels just designate the country of manufacture.3 ‘Floating sand deposits’ refers to ore aggregates (deposits) formed over the years due to the transport of wind or water, the mixing and deposition of minerals and sand.
