RUBELLITE
Rubellites are tourmalines with reasonably saturated dark pink to red colors and medium to dark tones. Its shades can vary between purplish red, pinkish red and pure red. Its name comes from the Latin “rubellus” which means reddish.
The tone of the gem is of great importance as it determines whether it can be classified as rubellite; Most pink tourmalines are not saturated enough in tone or color to fall into the rubellite category.
The pure red hue of very fine rubellite is comparable to good quality ruby; It is one of the most appreciated and expensive types of the tourmaline family, due to its beauty and scarcity.
A genuine rubellite does not change its color depending on the light source.
History
There was a time when all red gemstones were known as rubies, which caused some historical confusion. For example, the piece ‘Caesar’s Ruby’, from the Diamond Fund of the Moscow State Museum-Reserve, a stone also known as ‘The Great Ruby’ and ‘The Red Stone’, given by the Swedish King Gustav III to Catherine the Great in 1777.
The bright raspberry red grape-cluster-shaped stone, weighing 255.75 carats, was described as a ruby for more than 100 years; until the 20th century, when Alexander Fersman gave his definitive verdict: that the stone that Cleopatra initially gave to Caesar is in fact a rubellite from Burma that had been treated by jewelers in India.
In 1954, pioneering gemologist Alexander Fersman wrote in his book: “I have always held raspberry or grape red tourmaline in the highest esteem.” At that time, the stone was not yet known as rubellite, it was called red schorl, but it was highly valued, and its similarity in appearance to ruby made it a highly desired stone.
Another historic stone, the ‘Raspberry Star’, is part of the collection of the Commercial House of Louis XV. This rubellite tourmaline weighs 121 carats and, unlike the “Caesar Ruby”, is completely transparent and unique in terms of size and purity.
Inclusions in Rubellite
The best color quality usually has some inclusions visible to the naked eye, but the attractive color makes up for their presence. In fact, rubellites are one of the few stones where the presence of inclusions is a benefit that increases their value.
In terms of clarity, rubellites are typically Type III gems. Therefore, they almost always contain inclusions. (Needle-shaped inclusions can also create cat-eye gems.)
Highly included rubellites are sometimes given fillings similar to those used in emerald, another highly included gemstone. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) can detect this. Hot spot testing can also detect this treatment. However, this is a destructive technique, which should only be used as a last resort.
Rubellite Mineralogy
Traces of manganese create the natural pink to red color of rubellite. Rubellites have a hardness of 7 to 7.5. They have no indentations so, whether faceted or cabochon, they are excellent stones for any type of jewelry.
Irradiation, a now common gemstone treatment, can produce stable red tones in otherwise pale pink stones. Since this treatment is undetectable, it can be assumed that all rubellites are treated.
Careful
Although rubellites are durable jewelry stones, avoid rough handling and use protective settings for highly included stones. Inclusions and filler treatments can also make some rubellites sensitive to heat. Therefore, do not use mechanical cleaning processes, such as ultrasonic or steam systems. Instead, use a soft brush, mild detergent, and warm water to clean.
Sources
Notable sites for rubellite gem mining include Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nigeria, Russia, and the United States.
In recent years, African deposits have produced a cleaner surface. However, these African finds often show brown tints and rarely come close to the ruby red of gems from Brazilian sources.
