37-Carat Unheated Paraíba Tourmaline Emerges from Private Collection
A 37.34-carat Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline with stunning vivid blue hue—unheated, and reported to be from the original Batalha Mine—is now being offered by M.S. Rau, antique and estate dealers in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, for a whopping $9.85 million!
The stone stands out, not only for its weight and color, but for its confirmed Brazilian origin, a combination that is virtually unheard of today.
Brian Cook, a Brazilian gemstone specialist and principal of Nature’s Geometry Inc., tells us that the 37 carater is definitely big for a Brazilian Paraiba of this quality. “It is immense for this color, which we call ‘Heitorita.’ ” And it is spectacular! “It is the largest specimen in this color that I know of,” reiterates Cook.
Cook, who worked directly with Heitor Dimas Barbosa, the man who first uncovered these copper bearing tourmalines in the Brazilian State of Paraíba back in the mid- to late-1980s, notes that “this is very big for a stone from the type locality. And unheated makes this particularly rare.”
Although copper-bearing tourmalines are now sourced from Mozambique and Nigeria, those stones from Brazil remain the most sought after by gem dealers and high-end collectors. Much of these cuprian tourmalines are subjected to low-temperature heating to help enhance the color. The 34.37-carater was not enhanced by heat.
Professional Gem Lab Reports
Identified by the American Gemological Laboratories (AGL), the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and the Gübelin Gem Lab (GGL), as Brazilian, both AGL and GGL have determined that the color origin of this tourmaline is natural – no evidence of heat treatment. [GIA was unable to determine color origin. “In some cases, treatments like heating and irradiation cannot be detected.”]
In its official JewelFolio™, AGL President Chris Smith wrote, “It is not likely that many more Brazilian Paraíba tourmalines of this importance will ever be unearthed.”
The Gübelin Gem Lab took the additional step of producing a Gemmological Profile on the 34.37-carat Paraiba tourmaline, and awarding the gem an “Outstanding” Gemstone Rating of 94.6.
The tourmaline is set in an 18K rose gold and platinum pendant, accented by 1.50 carats of pink diamonds and 9.19 carats of colorless/near colorless diamonds.
While other copper-bearing tourmalines continue to enter the market from newer sources, stones from the original Brazilian deposit—especially those that are unheated, of good clarity and with vivid hue—remain amongst the most desirable and difficult to acquire. For collectors and gem professionals alike, this gem is truly special.
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M.S. Rau – Fine Art | Antiques | Jewels – in New Orleans, LA.
