Blue Tourmaline (Indicolite)
Blue tourmaline, also called indicolite, is a very rare and special kind of tourmaline. The most important aspect of indicolite is its color. The best indicolite is a strong, intense bright blue: pale, dull or greenish colors are less valuable. Clarity is also an important factor: although perfect clarity is not always necessary, if a blue tourmaline gemstone is not clear enough to facet, it will be worth considerably less. These indicolites are usually made into beads or cabochons. After color and clarity, size has the biggest impact on the blue tourmaline’s value. Indicolite gemstones over 1 or 2 carats are quite valuable and those over 4 or 5 carats are extremely rare and expensive.
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| Low Value: This indicolite is relatively less valuable for two reasons: color and clarity. It’s color is too green and it has poor clarity. Because of its poor clarity, it was cut in a dome shape (cabochon) instead of facets. | Average Value: The best feature of this blue tourmaline is its clarity. Its cut is decent, and the two combined make it sparkle. The color is nice because it is a true blue, but it is also pale and slightly grey. | High Value: This blue tourmaline has a gorgeous, intense blue color -this is its best feature -making it rare and valuable. However, it is small (about 1 carat) and its clarity is not quite perfect. | Highest Value: This is the most perfect blue tourmaline that one could imagine. It has an intense blue color, a PERFECT cut, and excellent clarity. It is over 2 carats, which makes it exceptionally rare and valuable. |
