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Maine Tourmaline Information
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Tourmaline is Maine's State Gemstone

It is one of nature's most fascinating gems because of it's diverse shadings.   One stone may show one color when seen from one direction, and another from another direction.  Sometimes, a single stone may show two separate and distinct bands of color.  This type of tourmaline is called "watermelon" or "bi-color."

Maine tourmaline was discovered in quantity in 1972.  The Newry and Mt. Mica mines in Maine produce some of the world's finest quality tourmaline.  The gem is also mined in Afghanistan, Brazil, Pakistan, Siberia, and California, USA.

No gemstone has such richness in color variation as tourmaline.   Tourmaline is available in every color, and within each stone there are various color shades.  Tourmaline is sometimes known under different names, according to color.  The "rubellite" is red, sometimes with a violet tint.  Fine "indicolite" ranges from very light to dark violet-blue and greenish-blue.

Tourmaline is considered a "young" gem because it has been known in it's own right only since the late 18th Century.  Prior to this, tourmaline's wide range of colors had caused it to be mistaken for emeralds, topaz, and sapphires.

Tourmaline can be cleaned using any commercially available jewelry cleaning solution, a soft toothbrush, and rinsing with water.

tour-ma-line - n [Sinhalese tourmalli   carnelian]  (1759) :  a mineral of variable color that consists of a complex borosilicate and makes a striking gem when transparent and cut.

Watermelon Specimen

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