How Does It Grow?

Juicy watermelon tourmaline from Brazil. Photo: Julia Aufenast













All colored Tourmaline gems display pleochroism, meaning their color changes when viewed at different angles. In some Tourmaline gems, this effect is hardly noticeable, while in others it is strongly apparent. Gemstone cutters must take this into account when cutting a Tourmaline, so that the finished gem brings out its best color.Tourmaline is produced in. These are voids deep under ground that are filled with a rich hot liquid that is rich in different minerals. When the liquids begin to cool, the minerals crystallize and form Tourmaline crystals. The host rock around these pegmatites is generally granite or schits. Some species will also grow in metamorphic rock such as marble.