A variety of tourmaline varying in color from a pale rose to a deep ruby, and containing lithium.

An exceptionally beautiful gemstone from the tourmaline family. Its colors range from the pink to ruby-red. What differentiates rubellite from other pink and red tourmalines is its reaction to light: rubellite never changes colour: it shines as brilliantly and clearly in daylight as in artificial light. Most other pink and red tourmalines show a brownish hue in artificial light.

Rubellite is a gemstone variety of the Tourmaline group. Valued for its ruby color, it exhibits a range of color from pink to red, sometimes with a violet tint. On Mohs’ scale of hardness, rubellite is 7-7.5. It has a vitreous luster on crystal surfaces and a greasy luster on fractures. Sources include Brazil (Minas Gerais, Paraida), Afghanistan, Australia, Burma (Myanmar), India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United States (California, Maine), Zaire, Elba (Italy) and Switzerland (Tessin). (See Rubellite Facts.) (Note: Sources listed in order of primary and secondary deposits.)