The facts
What chrome tourmaline actually is
Chrome tourmaline is classified as dravite tourmaline, with the composition NaMg₃Al₆(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₄. It crystallises in the trigonal system.
Colour comes from chromium and vanadium, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.620–1.640. Specific gravity around 3.01–3.11. Cleavage: indistinct. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where chrome tourmaline comes from
Chrome tourmaline is produced at Landanai and Umba, Tanzania.
One source only — which is unusual, and which means an origin claim naming anywhere else is either a mistake or a different material.
Is chrome tourmaline treated?
None normally.
That makes disclosure simple: there is nothing to declare. It also means a seller offering a "treated" version of this material is offering something else.
What chrome tourmaline is confused with
In the trade chrome tourmaline is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Tsavorite, Emerald or Chrome diopside.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.620–1.640 and specific gravity 3.01–3.11 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What chrome tourmaline is used for
Demand for chrome tourmaline comes from jewellery and mineral collecting, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat or by the specimen.
Durability and care
Hardness 7–7.5; cleavage indistinct. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What chrome tourmaline costs
As a guide, chrome tourmaline trades around $200–1,500/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is chrome tourmaline treated?
None normally.
Where does chrome tourmaline come from?
Landanai and Umba, Tanzania. That is the only commercial source.
Is chrome tourmaline hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does chrome tourmaline cost?
Indicatively $200–1,500/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is chrome tourmaline confused with?
Most often Tsavorite, Emerald and Chrome diopside. A refractive index of 1.620–1.640 and a specific gravity near 3.01–3.11 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for chrome tourmaline?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about chrome tourmaline