History: Before the late 1800s, colored gemstone jewelry was uncommon in the United States until 1876. All of this changed when jeweler and mineralogist, Dr. George Kunz, sold a breathtaking specimen of Green Tourmaline to Charles Lewis Tiffany, the founder of Tiffany & Co. From this source of inspiration, American jewelry designers began adding colorful Tourmaline gems to their designs!
Colors: Name any color you know and you’ll find Tourmaline in that hue. This is the unique characteristic that sets Tourmaline gemstones apart from the others. When viewed from different angles, the color in a single gemstone can appear to be completely different and can showcase a separate set of lovely hues.
There were many Royal Admirers of the colorful Tourmaline Gemstones. The last Empress of the Chi’ing Dynasty of China was an admirer and bought enormous quantities, mostly of the pink variety. It is written after her death, her body was rested on a Tourmaline pillow as a symbol of her eternal love for this gem!
The Legend: Ancient Egyptians believed Tourmaline stones got their amazing colors because they broke through a rainbow while pushing their way up through the earth.