Welcome to South Brazil. The only guide you must have to the Paraiba Tourmalines from Brazil, the first of the dazzling blue tourmaline that has swept the world with its beauty since its discovery in 1989.  

Don’t believe everything you hear about the Paraiba Tourmaline mines in Brazil. The mines are still producing these dazzling blue precious gemstones. In fact, there are three mines that are currently operating: the Batalha mine in Paraiba, and the Quintos and Mulung mines in Rio Grande do Norte. These are still actively mined today, although majority of production output is made to fill the demand of the Japanese market.  

South Brazil is one of the five administrative regions of Brazil, and is known for its economic, cultural and tourism vibrancy. It is bordered by Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its people are of Italian German and Portuguese.  

South Brazil’s cities are known for their great urban planning, like Maringá, Londrina, and Curitiba. In the more rural areas, however, there lie some of the most productive mines of the Paraiba tourmaline.  

The Paraiba tourmaline was first found in this region in 1982, when Heitor Dimas Barbosa found tourmaline in the same area where manganotantalite was being mined by the Geological Survey of Brazil. It wasn’t five years later, in 1987, that Barbosa found a tourmaline with a highly saturated blue color from a weathered vein of pegmatite. Following that, Barbosa found gem quality Paraiba tourmaline which weighed several kilograms, which was cut into carats. The Paraiba Tourmaline was first traded in Brazil in 1988 and became popular after it was put on exhibit at Tucson Gem Show.  

The production of this precious gem was at its peak between 1990 and 1991, but production became very limited because of a dispute in property ownership. The mine is now split in operations between Heitor Barbosa, Raniere Addario and João Henrique.  

To find out more about Paraiba tourmalines, please click on the other pages of this website.