The Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) has received credible reports indicating the discovery of a new deposit of copper-bearing tourmalines, known in the trade as Paraíba tourmalines, in Ethiopia.
The development coincides with the submission of several stones whose geographic origin proved difficult to determine using existing methods. Preliminary analyses suggest some may originate from Ethiopia.
Since their discovery in Brazil in the late 1980s, Paraíba tourmalines have been prized for their vivid “neon” blue and bluish-green colours caused by copper within their crystal structure. Additional deposits were later found in Nigeria and Mozambique, with the latter becoming a major source.
SSEF said trace-element data from the suspected Ethiopian material overlaps considerably with stones from established localities, particularly Brazil, making origin determination challenging. The institute is conducting further research to characterise the new material and refine methods for distinguishing it from copper-bearing tourmalines from other sources.
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