Purple Tourmaline

Purple tourmaline is an uncommon variety of the lithium-rich species elbaite, ranging from soft lavender to deep violet and reddish-purple. Historically, reddish-purple tourmaline from the Ural Mountains of Russia was called siberite.

Its color comes mainly from manganese, often in combination with the same factors that produce pink and red tourmaline. Purple sits between the pink (rubellite) and blue (indicolite) regions of the tourmaline color range.

Like all tourmalines, it forms striated trigonal prisms and shows strong pleochroism, sometimes appearing more pink or more blue depending on the viewing angle.

Purple tourmaline forms in granitic pegmatites enriched in lithium, boron, and manganese. As the pegmatite's late-stage fluids crystallize in pockets, manganese (and sometimes traces of other elements) imparts the purple to violet coloration.

The historic siberite came from pegmatites in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Modern sources of purple and violet tourmaline include Brazil, Mozambique, Nigeria, Madagascar, and the USA.

Durable crystals also occur in alluvial gem gravels downstream from pegmatite outcrops.

Look for transparent purple to violet crystals with a rounded triangular cross-section and lengthwise striations. Hardness is 7-7.5, luster vitreous, streak white.

Purple tourmaline shows strong pleochroism, often shifting between purple, pink, and bluish tones with viewing angle, which helps separate it from singly refractive purple stones. Distinguish from amethyst (hexagonal quartz, weaker pleochroism), purple sapphire (much harder and denser), and purple garnet (no pleochroism, singly refractive).

The trigonal form, striations, and strong birefringence confirm tourmaline.

Purple tourmaline is faceted into attractive gemstones for rings, pendants, and earrings, valued for its relatively uncommon color. Deep, saturated violet and reddish-purple stones are the most sought after, while lavender material is softer and more affordable.

Its hardness of 7-7.5 makes it durable for everyday jewelry. The historic siberite name adds collector appeal to fine reddish-purple stones.

Metaphysically, purple tourmaline is associated with intuition and the higher chakras, though such claims are not scientifically supported.