Tourmaline Is Having Exactly the Right Moment

By Brittany Siminitz | October 13, 2026

If the jewelry industry could choose a spirit gem for its current mood, tourmaline would make a pretty convincing candidate.

Yes, it happens to be one of October’s birthstones. But more importantly, tourmaline offers almost exactly what designers—and their customers—seem to want right now: color, individuality, unusual combinations, and permission to have a little fun.

Pomellato Ocean Green Princess — *Ocean Green Princess necklace in 18k rose gold with blue-green tourmaline and diamonds, price on request; Pomellato*

Aponine My Heart earrings — *My Heart earrings in 18k yellow gold with 0.81 ct. t.w. pink tourmaline, $1,398; Aponine*

And color is selling. At JCK Las Vegas earlier this year, gemstone dealer Kimberly Collins declared, “Color has never been more hot in my 30-year career,” while retailer Danny Shaftel specifically cited growing customer interest in bicolor tourmaline. That tracks with fashion’s current anything-goes attitude toward color, where unexpected combinations and more expressive styling have replaced some of the rigid rules of seasons past. Tourmaline was basically built—er, grown—for this moment.

Toktam Ophidian Taipan ring — *Ophidian Taipan ring in 18k yellow gold with orange tourmaline egg and blue sapphire eyes, price on request; Toktam*

Meluzza tourmaline earrings — *Constellation stud earrings in platinum with Paraiba tourmaline and 0.4 ct. t.w. diamonds, $5,900; Meluzza*

GIA’s description of tourmaline pegs it as having one of the broadest color ranges of any gem species, spanning virtually every hue. There’s juicy raspberry-to-red rubellite, blue and green indicolite, intense green chrome tourmaline, neon paraiba, and parti-colored stones that can combine two or even three colors in a single gem. Watermelon tourmaline, with its famous pink-and-green zoning, may be the most obvious proof that Mother Nature, too, enjoys her fair share of juicy color.

Ray Griffiths indicolite ring — *Edwardian ring in 18k yellow gold and oxidized silver with 4.93 ct. indicolite and 0.55 ct. t.w. diamonds, $11,275; Ray Griffiths*

Van Den Abeele Rio iris — *Rio Iris bracelet in sterling silver with 4.5 cts. t.w. multicolored tourmaline and 1.09 cts. t.w. diamonds, $1,631; Van Den Abeele*

It’s that immense variety that makes tourmaline unusually easy to personalize, creating opportunity with a wide range of customers. Rather than asking a customer whether or not they like tourmaline, ask what color they like—there’s a stone for every response and then some.

Brooke Gregson By the Sea ring — *Pasture by the Sea ring in 18k yellow gold with 7.45 ct. paraiba tourmaline and 0.64 ct. t.w. pink diamonds, $28,180; Brooke Gregson*

If it’s value they’re after, there’s a useful story here, too—but it requires some nuance. Tourmaline is not uniformly inexpensive. Fine Brazilian Paraiba sits at the rarefied end of the market and can rival far more traditionally prestigious gemstones in price. On the other hand, GIA notes that chrome tourmaline can offer a less costly alternative to tsavorite or emerald of comparable size, while tourmaline’s less-saturated and earthier colors can provide still more approachable options. More and more consumers seem driven by rarity and value, and tourmaline answers that call—but it can also pack a wallop in color and size without entering trophy gem territory.

Jade Ruzzo tourmaline Vic ring — *Vic ring in 18k yellow gold with green tourmaline, $14,400; Jade Ruzzo*

Ophelia Eve blue tourmaline locket — *Timekeeper locket in 18k yellow gold with 1.6 ct. blue tourmaline, $29,950; Ophelia Eve*

In terms of daily wear, tourmaline can handle that pretty well. A 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale, it should be treated with care but not necessarily babied. We don’t often see tourmalines at the center of engagement rings, but that’s not to say they couldn’t play that part, and they’re absolutely gorgeous in every other category—cocktail rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces of all styles and sizes, as demonstrated here.

Mociun tourmaline necklace — *Identity chain necklace in 14k yellow gold with 1.49 ct. bicolor tourmaline, $20,500; Mociun*

But perhaps the most wonderful thing about tourmaline is its ability to just be what it is. A customer needn’t choose the “correct” color gem, because there really isn’t one. And for an industry currently enamored with mismatched stones, unexpected palettes, big personality, and jewelry that looks distinctly like the person wearing it, that may be tourmaline’s greatest selling point of all.

Top: Maria ring in 14k white gold with 4.67 ct. mint green tourmaline and 2.51 cts. t.w. diamonds, $26,000; Isabel Delgado