A 31.77-carat Paraiba tourmaline ring will be offered for sale at Phillips auction house in New York with an estimate of $550,000 to $650,000.
Paraiba tourmaline is considered one of the "newest" gemstones. Tourmaline was recognized as a distinct mineral species as early as the mid-1700s, but Paraiba tourmaline - with its characteristic bright neon blue-green glow - was only discovered in 1987 in the eponymous Brazilian state. Stones from Paraiba fetch much higher prices than stones from other locations.
In December 2025, Christie's auction house in New York sold a 13.54-carat, triangular, modified brilliant-cut Paraiba tourmaline for a world-record price of $4,223,000, more than seven times its high estimate.
Paraiba tourmaline is a copper-manganese stone with shades of electric blue, neon blue, violet-blue, bluish-green, greenish-blue, green, and yellowish-green. Although the name originates from Paraiba in Brazil, the term is now used for stones of similar composition and color, regardless of their origin. The largest commercial sources are Brazil, Mozambique, and Nigeria.
The lot, destined to be the highlight of the Phillips auction, is an oval stone set in a ring, and adorned with marquise-cut diamonds and blue tourmalines. It is more than twice as large as the previous record holder, but is valued lower due to its origin, as it hails from Mozambique, not Brazil.
At a jewelry auction in New York on June 10, Phillips will offer two more lots featuring Paraiba tourmalines. One of them is a pear-shaped stone weighing 9.30 carats (estimated at $80,000 - $120,000), and another is a pair of oval earrings, each featuring a Paraiba tourmaline and diamonds (with a total tourmaline weight of approximately 14 carats), estimated at $60,000 - $80,000.
Hélène Tarin, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
