Paraiba Tourmaline Gemstones

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Paraiba Tourmaline Gemstones

Paraiba tourmaline is one of the most amazing gemstones. The color is a fantastic electric blue or green that separates it from all other gems. Although tourmaline is generally not a highly expensive stone in the same range as diamonds or ruby's, the same cannot be said of the Paraiba. Top quality stones can go for $10,000 to $20,000 per carat. Paraiba are named for the province in Brazil where they were first discovered.

David Sherman of Paraiba.com, the company that developed the original Paraiba mines, sued a number of gem labs to stop them from assigning the Paraiba designation to similar stones mined in Africa and Madascar. Brazilian gemstones dealers believed this was hurting the value of their business and was suing for $120 million.

Here are a few Paraiba from my collection:

Paraiba is a rare stone and is collected by gem and jewelry connoisseurs. Email me if you would like me to design a ring, or a pendant for you using one of these Paraiba stones.

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About Sophia Zail

Sophia Zail is a master goldsmith and custom jewelry designer. She makes high-end jewelry through her company, Sozai. Sophia has a passion for creating jewelry that accentuates the beauty and form of gemstones and precious metals. Her pieces emphasize color and detail, and are distinctive, delicate and fine.

"When I design," Sophia says, "I always remember that jewelry must connect with its wearer on both an emotional and physical basis. To achieve this, the jewelry must be exquisite, unique and perfect down to the tiniest detail. If the owner is proud to wear my designs, and the pieces at once make them feel better about themselves while letting them stand out in a crowd, then I have done my job. My pieces are custom designed, often in a collaborative effort with the buyer."

Sophia has learnt her craft through master Japanese jeweler, Chie Teratani.