November 12, 2016
Paraiba tourmaline engagement rings
If you’re a regular follower of our blog you will have seen Paraiba tourmaline engagement rings from time to time. Paraiba tourmaline has featured in many of our most sought after pieces. It's intense colour, which can range from electric green to ocean-blue, makes it a beautiful choice for an engagement ring however it remains relatively little-known.
Paraiba tourmaline was discovered in the late 1980s and is rarer than diamonds. It takes its name from the Brazilian state of Paraiba where it was first found. Paraiba is the only tourmaline to contain copper, and it is copper which gives Paraiba it's vivid green and blue colouring. If you would like to know more about the history of Paraiba tourmaline read this fascinating article on tourmaline quality factors from the GIA.
Paraiba tourmaline's colour is likened to the Pacific Ocean. It appears to radiate light from within, giving it an almost neon intensity quite unlike any other stone. Despite it being less known, Paraiba is one of our most popular coloured stones for engagement rings. A surprising number of people come to us asking for engagement rings inspired by the sea or an engagement ring with a blue stone and choose Paraiba tourmaline because of it’s vivid colour.
The ring below is our ‘Wave’ engagement ring in platinum and Paraiba tourmaline. It was commissioned by a surfer in Hawaii who wanted a ring with a coloured stone that would remind her of the ocean. She chose Paraiba tourmaline because it matched the blue of the Pacific ocean so perfectly. It is shown here with a fitted diamond wedding band. You can read more about this commission here.
Below is another 'Wave' engagement ring commission, this time set with an oval Paraiba tourmaline. The 'Wave' engagement ring is one of our signature designs. It can be made to accommodate round, oval or pear shaped gemstones.
Set with a pear shaped Paraiba tourmaline, the 'Twist' engagement ring is another of our signature designs. Each ring is individually hand forged from 18 carat gold or platinum. The Twist ring can be worn as a dress ring or engagement ring and can be worn with an interlocking fitted wedding band. The Paraiba and platinum Twist ring below was another recent commission, which you can read more about on our blog.
Often we set coloured gemstones like Paraiba tourmaline in platinum or 18 carat white gold, which really allows bright colours to pop. However Paraiba tourmaline combines well with white, yellow or rose gold, as the following two rings show. The ring below is a Paraiba tourmaline and rose gold 'Twist' engagement ring:
And another 'Twist' ring below, this time with a round cabochon Paraiba tourmaline set in yellow gold:
Drop in any time to see the latest Paraiba engagement rings in-store - we always keep a few in our collection. You can view more engagement rings with blue stones, coloured stone engagement rings and recent commissions on our website here.