Brazil is a prolific source of world-class brazilian gemstones. Brazil has something for everyone, from ocean-blue aquamarines and leafy green emeralds to delicate pink kunzite and rare Paraiba stones.
The coveted neon blue-green tourmaline stands out for its mesmerizing hues and deep color saturation, making it a precious gemstone. It is a variety of spodumene minerals and gets its colors from minuscule traces of copper and manganese.
Kunzite
Kunzite is a pale pink variety of the rare gem spodumene. It was first recognized as a unique gemstone in 1902 and named after pioneering gemologist George Frederick Kunz. Trace amounts of manganese cause Kunzite’s pink hues, and its crystal terminations display a pleochroism of varying intensity. It’s a calming stone with a gentle feminine energy.
Kunzite encourages you to open your heart to the energies of love – not only romantic love but all types of love. This includes love for self, family, friends, pets, and the planet. It helps you release any walls you have built up for protection and permits gifts of divine love to flow through your heart.
The vibrant green peridot is the birthstone for August and comes in a wide range of hues from yellowy-green to brownish-green. Like kunzite, it is a lithium-rich gemstone that can help you balance your emotions and encourages compassion and kindness. It can also be used to heal emotional wounds and heal from the effects of trauma or PTSD.
Paraiba Stones
Known for its intense blue color, paraiba tourmaline is one of the rarest gems in the world. This copper-bearing Elbaite Tourmaline is only found in a few areas in Brazil, and a new find in Africa has also created a lot of excitement.
The coveted gemstone was first discovered in the 1980s by Heitor Dimas Barbosa, who stumbled upon the cupriferous crystals on a hunch. He believed that he had found something valuable and continued digging. This solitary act sparked the birth of a remarkable gem that now inspires and enchants all who see it.
Neon blue Paraiba tourmalines are the most sought after, but even stones with a small amount of green secondary hue are pretty valuable too. Professional cutters use a unique burning technique to eliminate the traces of manganese and ensure the coveted bright neon blue color saturation is achieved. Unlike rubies or emeralds, inclusions are allowed and don’t detract from the overall value of this unique gem.
Tourmaline
Tourmaline is a gem’s latter-day Cinderella: It was known to the Egyptians over 5,000 years ago, but it wasn’t discovered in Brazil until the 1500s when a Portuguese expedition mistook glowing green and striped tourmaline for emeralds.
From the mines of Minas Gerais, where tourmaline comes in a rainbow of hues, to the coastal town of Ouro Preto, where sky-blue aquamarines, rose-petal kunzites, and hemlock-hued tourmalines light up shop windows, gemstone hunters can’t get enough of Brazil’s gem bounty.
If you want to bring protective vibes into your home, Black Tourmaline is an excellent choice; a cluster of these stones in the entranceway can keep out negativity and encourage a positive mindset throughout the house. On the other hand, Pink Tourmaline is an excellent stone for the workplace – a piece of this balancing stone on your desk can help you stay calm and focused without losing sight of your goals. Tourmaline also exhibits a range of color-change properties, from subtle to intense, with the most prized examples being vibrant, neon blue tones caused by copper.
Emeralds
Emeralds are known for their lush green hue and intriguing inclusions. Historically, they were coveted for their ability to ward off infidelity, and the wearer was believed to be able to tell whether a loved one had betrayed them by examining the color of their eyes. They also served as powerful aphrodisiacs and were used to treat all health issues, including hemorrhoids, wounds, heart ailments, and belching.
While emeralds without eye-visible inclusions do exist, they are scarce. Many have network-like networks of liquid-filled inclusions and tiny fissures that give the emerald its characteristic green coloration.
Brazil is a prolific source of world-class brazilian gemstones, from the legendary spodumene deposits in Minas Gerais to the gems found in Bahia and Goiás. From the iconic Socoto emeralds to the neon blue tourmaline of Paraiba, the country is home to an unparalleled diversity of brazilian gemstones admired by jewelry lovers everywhere.
