Rubellite Tourmaline

Rubellite is the trade name for red to deep pink tourmaline, most often the lithium-rich species elbaite. The name implies a strong, saturated color that stays red or pink in both daylight and incandescent light. Rubellite crystals usually contain fine inclusions, so eye-clean stones are rare and cost much more. The best material has come from Brazil, Nigeria and Mozambique.

What makes a tourmaline rubellite

Tourmaline is a group of borosilicate minerals with very complex chemistry. Elbaite, the main gem species, contains lithium and forms in the full range of colors. Manganese gives elbaite its pink to red hues. Many red tourmalines also contain color centers produced by natural radiation acting on manganese over geologic time.

The trade does not agree on exact limits for the name rubellite. Most dealers and labs use it for tourmaline with a medium to dark tone and strong red, purplish red or pinkish red color. Many add one test: the color must look the same under both daylight and warm artificial light. Pink tourmaline that turns brownish or loses its red under incandescent light is usually sold simply as pink tourmaline. Light pink stones are pink tourmaline, not rubellite. Because there is no universal standard, two dealers may label the same stone differently.

Inclusions and clarity

Gemologists place rubellite in clarity type III, a group of gems that almost always contain inclusions in nature. The page on colored gemstone grading explains the clarity types. Emerald and red tourmaline both fall in this group.

Typical inclusions are gas and liquid-filled fractures and cavities, which form flat, reflective feathers in the stone. Long, thread-like growth tubes also run parallel to the length of the crystal. Many rubellites show visible inclusions, and buyers accept some of them. Eye-clean stones command much higher prices.

Some rubellite is filled with resin or oil to reduce the visibility of surface-reaching fractures. Labs can detect fillers, and sellers should disclose them.

Color, pleochroism and cutting

Tourmaline is strongly pleochroic, showing different colors along different crystal directions. In rubellite, the color looking down the length of the crystal is usually much darker, sometimes nearly black, than the color seen from the side. Cutters orient the table to give the best face-up color, often placing it parallel to the length of the crystal in dark material. The pleochroism page explains how this works.

Rubellite is cut in ovals, cushions, emerald cuts and long rectangles that follow the shape of the crystal. Strongly included material becomes cabochons, beads and carvings.

Treatments

Some pink tourmaline is irradiated to deepen the pink or turn it red. The result is usually stable, and the treatment is very hard to detect. Gentle heating can lighten overly dark stones. Fracture filling is also used. The gemstone treatments page covers these methods and how they are disclosed.

Sources

Rubellite forms in granite pegmatites, coarse igneous rocks rich in lithium and boron. The igneous rocks and gemstones page describes how pegmatites form and why they host tourmaline.

• Brazil, especially Minas Gerais, has produced fine rubellite for decades. The page on the gems of Minas Gerais covers the region.
• Nigeria has produced intense red tourmaline since the late 20th century.
• Mozambique and Madagascar supply rubellite and pink tourmaline.
• Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar also produce red tourmaline.
• California pegmatites near Pala in San Diego County gave pink tourmaline to China's imperial court in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Empress Dowager Cixi was an avid collector of it.

Rubellite and ruby

The name rubellite comes from the Latin rubellus, meaning reddish. Red tourmaline was confused with ruby for centuries. Some historic crown jewels contain red stones once thought to be ruby that turned out to be tourmaline. One well-known example is the Caesar's Ruby, a carved red pendant once owned by Catherine the Great and later identified as rubellite.

Ruby is corundum, with a hardness of 9, higher refractive index and density, and almost no pleochroism. Tourmaline is softer, lighter and shows strong doubling of colors. A refractometer or dichroscope separates them quickly. Red spinel and red garnet are also confused with rubellite. The table compares the main red gems.

The page on garnet covers the red garnet species in more detail.

Value

Rubellite is priced mostly on color. The most prized stones have a saturated, pure red to purplish red with no brown, that holds in all light. Clarity is next. Size also matters: clean, well-colored rubellite over five carats is scarce, though very large included material does exist. Pinkish and lighter stones cost much less than true red.

Durability and care

Rubellite has a hardness of 7 to 7.5 and no prominent cleavage, so it is wearable in most jewelry. Its fractures and inclusions can make it vulnerable to knocks and heat. Clean it with warm soapy water. Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners, especially for included or filled stones. Avoid sudden temperature changes. The guide to cleaning jewelry safely has more detail.

Tourmaline is also pyroelectric: a warm stone builds up a static charge and can attract dust. Wiping it with a damp cloth removes the dust.

Frequently asked questions

Is rubellite the same as pink tourmaline?

Rubellite is the name for the strongest red to deep pink tourmaline. Lighter pink stones and those that change color under lamplight are sold as pink tourmaline.

Why does rubellite have so many inclusions?

Red tourmaline usually grows with gas and liquid inclusions. It belongs to the gem clarity type in which inclusions are expected.

Is rubellite a birthstone?

Tourmaline, including rubellite, is a modern October birthstone along with opal.

Is rubellite worth more than ruby?

In most cases no. Fine ruby is far more expensive than rubellite of the same size and quality.