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Tourmaline gems are included in the crown jewels of most European and Asian countries.

Tourmaline, like ruby/sapphire, comes in all colors. And, tourmaline is a brilliant and beautiful gem.

Prior to the nineteenth century, people didn't have the ability to test the chemistry of most gems.

Gems were identified primarily by appearance, that is… color and brilliance.

It's easy to see why tourmaline gems were often identified as rubies and sapphires.

So, many of the fine precious gems that were collected and coveted by royalty are actually tourmalines.

These gems are still among the crown jewels of those same countries today… and they are still beautiful.

The name tourmaline comes from an ancient word from Ceylon meaning "mixed precious stones."

When measured by sheer beauty, tourmalines were judged to be precious gems.

Tourmalines possess the breathtaking appearance to be coveted by the rich and powerful.

Are tourmalines precious stones? You get to decide for yourself.

By price, some "neon colored" Paraiba tourmaline today command prices in excess of $10,000 per carat. That's precious!

The tourmaline story continues... click here.