The rubellite is a particularly beautiful gemstone from the colourful family of the tourmalines. Its colour shines in the most beautiful nuances from red to shocking pink.
Tourmalines are closely related gemstones which have been created by Nature in many different colours. In the trade, as a rule, it is not the case that each individual variety has its own name. Instead, the name tourmaline is used and the colour simply added, hence red, green, blue or yellow tourmaline. The exception, however, proves the rule. This also applies to the tourmaline and, in particular, to red and pink specimens.
There are red and pink tourmalines in many nuances, which include a tender pink, a fine shocking pink, an intense violet and a bold ruby-red. However, only a few of these are entitled to call themselves 'rubellites'. The name comes from the Latin 'rubellus', which means reddish. Rubellites are not merely red or shocking pink tourmalines. There is an important criterion for this especially beautiful gemstone, and that is the way its colour behaves in daylight and artificial light. Many gemstones change their colour depending on the light source. A true rubellite does not. It shines just as intensely in artificial light as it does in daylight. The colour of most other pink or red tourmalines, by contrast, displays a more or less clearly visible tinge of brown in artificial light.
The treasure inside
Whilst coloured gemstones in good qualities should as a rule be as free of inclusions as possible, they are looked upon with some favour in the case of the rubellite: indeed it is inclusions that render this stone really interesting from the point of view of the connoisseur. Having said that, they should be subtle, and they must not upset the way in which the light passes through this magnificent gemstone, for that could make it look cloudy or milky. Nevertheless, a rubellite with only a few fine inclusions is of course more valuable than one with inclusions which are clearly visible.
Rubellites are cut in the most various ways, though the cutter must take account of the varying intensity of the colour. Rubellites are mainly found in Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria and Pakistan. Some beautiful shocking pink rubellites come from a gemstone mine in the USA.
Seductive red
The colour of this gemstone is pure seduction. Its components are red, shocking pink and violet – the typical colour realm of desire and joie de vivre. In the fascinating world of the gemstones, there is hardly any other stone which has such a persuasive erotic aura. The colour range of the rubellite comprises tender shocking pink as well as ambivalent violet. It takes these two components to get the best out of that seductive red. Fortunately, Nature has created the rubellite in many colour nuances, so that every woman can select the right rubellite for her type. All she has to do is find it – and that may not be quite so easy. And certainly not if she happens to be looking for two or more stones of the same colour. However, a woman who is truly aware of the extravagance and beauty of the rubellite will derive a great deal of pleasure from it.