Gem Focus June 2026: Paraíba Tourmaline

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Brecken Branstrator, GIA GG

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Though Mozambique has proven to be an important source for bringing more cuprian tourmaline to market (GemGuide only uses “Paraíba” to indicate material sourced from Brazil, and “cuprian” for copper-bearing tourmaline from other sources), high quality goods are hard to come by, no matter where one is looking.

Fueled by this rarity, demand for Paraíba is only rising, as are prices.

This Tiffany & Co. set, featuring Paraíba tourmaline and diamonds, sold for $5.5 million total at Christie’s last year.
(Image courtesy of Christie’s)

Here are three things to know about Paraíba tourmaline in the modern market:

1. In pricing of Paraíba and other cuprian tourmaline, origin still very much plays a role. This is why GemGuide breaks out pricing of the former from the latter; Brazilian material still has a significant premium, at times priced multiple times higher than the material from other areas.
2. Many people in the trade know that emeralds are commonly fracture filled with oils or resins to improve their apparent clarity, but more colored stones outside the green beryl are increasingly undergoing the treatment, in particular cuprian tourmaline from any origin. It’s important the trade know this so they are aware when buying, ask the right questions, and understand how it can affect the final quality and therefore value of a stone.
3. A Tiffany & Co. necklace set a world auction record for Paraíba tourmaline at Christie’s in December—featuring a 13.54-carat triangular Paraíba tourmaline accented by colorless diamonds and set in platinum, the piece sold for $4.2 million. Immediately following the sale of the necklace, a pair of earrings featuring a 3.45-carat and 3.19-carat Paraíba tourmaline, also from Tiffany & Co., sold for $1.3 million. Both the earrings and the necklace went for more than 10 times their pre-sale low estimate.

To see the full Paraíba tourmaline wholesale pricing chart and how it compares to cuprian tourmaline from other locations, subscribe to the GemGuide now.

Learn more about Paraíba tourmaline jewelry with these links.

The Fracture Filling of Cuprian Tourmaline in Today’s Market (GemGuide, subscription required)
Paraiba tourmaline is the new power gem of luxury (Harper’s Bazaar India)
Paraíba tourmaline: the gemstone outpacing gold and inflation (Financial Times)