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RUBELLITE
Pink to red tourmaline is called rubellite.
Appearance The color varies from pink of
varying degrees of intensity to a red which is quite attractive,
although usually a bit less lively than that of ruby; it may
also be violet pink or red, and pink or red with a brownish
tinge Like all tourmalines, it has strong pleochroism, sometimes
visible as a deeper color or lesser transparency along the
axis of the prism. It is cut into all shapes; cabochons when
the stone is too full of inclusions, but more often faceted
oval, round, pear-shaped or other creative styles. Quite large
stones are often seen.
Distinctive features In many cases, the color
is fairly distinctive: it is a bit subdued, and not enlivened
by bright light like ruby. When the stone is cut with the
table fa perpendicular to the axis of the prism, to achieve
a deei: redder color, it shows a strange loss of transparency.
P tourmalines are, as a rule, also rather duller than otlw
similar gems, but may be a beautiful, brilliant violet-pink
Occurrence It is found in Siberia
(to the extent that sc call the violet-red variety siberite),
Burma, Sri Lanka, B zil, the United States (California), and
Madagascar.
Value The liveliest, bright red or very attractive
Fv gems with few inclusions are not common and are q.. valuable
secondary gems. Stones of more subdued c, are readily available
and quite modestly priced.
Simulants and synthetics It is neither imitated
nor ~ duced synthetically.
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