Curious if anyone has a ‘quick and dirty’ test for copper bearing tourmaline? (when copper rutile isn’t present of course)
You read my mind!
Am I wrong in thinking that someone smarter than me should be able to make a ‘chelsea filter’ for copper?
Skyjems,
I have NOT thought about using my Chelsea filter on my pink Paraba Brazilian Tourmaline to see it is has the same property as the Mozambique that I have. Does it work on the pink? It’s late tonight so I may look at them tomorrow. I have plenty of the greenish blue to check out.
All the best for the night.
Otter
1 Like
No, I don’t think the chesea filter in particular will work, but, there must be a way to check without a mass spec.
Someone else asked this a few years ago, no better answer: Paraiba or Copper Bearing Tourmaline, How can I know? - #6 by Iamahperry
I don’t know about using a Chelsea filter, but you might try a spectroscope and look for copper lines.
1 Like
Brazilian tourmaline comes from 3 places in different area each area has the particular aspect such color inclusion and hue only by experience you identify well some time we need to require chemical test to verify the amount of elements at government lab of mineralogist or in my lab but is very far from mines.
Rutile is TiO2, it is not copper
1 Like
I’m a little unclear as to what post this refers to?
Refers to your original post, I think 
1 Like
So the rutile in Paraiba is never copper?
No, that’s Rutilated tourmaline, not Paraiba Tourmaline.
I guess it’s possible to have both in Tourmaline, but Rutile isn’t the reason for the colours copper bearing ones come in.
1 Like
Huh, always learning I guess!
Once again, rutile is titanium oxide, not copper!
1 Like
In the vernacular, rutilated is used to describe the type of inclusion, not just specific to rutile.
So, although saying that a tourmalated quartz has tourmaline rutiles may get older folks backs up, it’s not incorrect (anymore).
So… Copper rutiles in Paraiba…?
No, two different things, rutilated quartz has rutile needles in it, tourmalated quartz has tourmaline ‘needles’ in it. There are rutilated copper bearing tourmaline’s, (I found a few on google’, but is minute amounts of copper that give the colour to paraiba tourmaline’s, not needles of any other mineral. Although, some have been found in Mozambique that appear to be copper needles, they haven’t worked out yet how or why they are there, but i doubt they contribute much to the over all colour of the stone. Just my opinion.
Some of these things can a little confusing, that’s why we are here I guess, learning stuff 
Thank you! That is very much appreciated!
I’m fairly certain that I have some Paraiba tourmaline with needle like inclusions, I’ll take some pics when I get home.
1 Like
I’ll look forward to those, it’ll be nice to see some pic’s, that are not followed by ‘whats the value of this?’ 
1 Like