Brazil Paraiba Tourmalines are just one of the many tourmalines available in the market today. Of all the tourmalines, however, the Paraiba Tourmaline is by far one of the most expensive and the most dazzling of tourmalines.  

Although other Paraiba Tourmalines have been found in Nigeria and Mozambique, Paraiba Tourmalines from Brazil are still very much in-demand. The Paraiba Tourmaline is extra ordinarily precious, i.e., rare and expensive, for these reasons: 

Brazil’s Paraiba Tourmalines are mined in three places. In Paraiba itself, they are mined in the Batalha mine, and in Rio Grande do Norte, in Quintos and Mulung mines. 

Paraiba Tourmalines are mined by hand and are found only in thin veins in mine shafts. The Mulung mine produces less only small-sized tourmalines under one carat, although total monthly production totals 300 carats per month. The Quintos Mine is located twenty minutes away from the Mulung mine, and produces Paraiba Tourmaline everyday without fail. The mine also yields albite, muscovite and quartz aside from tourmaline.  

The Batalha mine is where the Paraiba Tourmalines were first mined by Heitor Dimas Barbosa. The production from this mine peaked from between 1990 and 1991, but dropped significantly because of a property dispute. Currently, the mine has three separate mining operations by Heitor Barbosa, João Henrique and Raniere Addario. Barbosa himself operates on two mining veins called Line 1 and Line 2. This mine also yields albite, muscovite, and quartz, apart from tourmaline.  

Unfortunately, since most of the pegmatite that yields the tourmaline, albite, muscovite, and quartz have turned into hydrous kaolinite, mining in the shafts have been mostly done by hand, except for dynamite and electric tools on occasion. Heavy equipment is only used to haul sediment from the mine.