How not to fall in love with this intensely colored stone that truly captures the spirit of the season?
Good enough to be eaten, the juicy stone perfectly mimics the interior of a watermelon – the summer’s most well-loved fruit. Where does this eye-catching color come from? Let’s see what makes the watermelon tourmaline so special.
As you might already know, this gem is a variation of the tourmaline mineral family, which can be divided in 11 species depending on their properties and chemical composition. Also called the chameleon stone, due to the varieties of colors and hues it comes in, the tourmaline is made of mixed crystals growing altogether whilst absorbing trace elements contained in the rocks. In the case of the watermelon tourmaline, minerals such as manganese and lithium are requested in the stone’s growth to give its characteristic green rind followed by the white around the central pink tourmaline going almost all the way around. Gems with that perfect multi-color hue are relatively rare and require a high level of expertise for the cut, which at the end drives up the price of the watermelon tourmaline.
With its vivid colors, the watermelon stone has everything to catch the eye of the jewelry designers. For its new collection entitled “El Hada”, Nuun jewelry house has picked bi-color tourmalines resembling so close to watermelon tourmalines – yet with not quite the exact denomination. The effect remains the same though, it delivers vibrant pieces inspired by the pop music and the 80’s. Whether aquamarine, morganite or the trendy watermelon, all these stones are married with the sweetness of a lacquer pink, blue, yellow or green for a joyful result.
Los Angeles born designer Brooke Gregson, who has made herself a name for its unmistakable use of colors, also feasts our eyes with her timeless pieces. The designer has dedicated a special line to the tourmalines that she enhances with a 18k gold bezel design which looks divinely retro! Gregson also inspires us on how to mix and match multicolored tourmalines crimped on a minimal link with moonstone gold pendants for a unique look.
Last but not least, the watermelon’s color appeal has also seduced the French brand Atelier Paulin who will released next September its first jewelry line entirely devoted to the bi-color tourmaline! Stay tuned for our upcoming stories with their dainty bracelets set with the colorful gem that infuses a sense of drama to their fine jewelry line.
