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United States TourmalineGemstones have been produced in North America for thousands of years. Native Americans produced turquoise, flint, amber, shells, obsidian and other gemstone materials for use in jewelry, beads, carvings and tools. They used these stones locally and sometimes traded them across great distances. A commercial gemstone mining operated by miners started in 1822 in the state of Maine. Since then, about 60 types of gemstones have been mined in the United States. The most important gemstones in current production include: agates, amber, beryl, coral, garnet, jade, jasper, opal, pearls, peridot, quartz, sapphire, shell, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise and others. These stones are used for jewelry, carvings and as specimens by gem and mineral collectors. Maine TourmalineTourmaline was the first commercial gemstone mined in the United States by miners. A deposit of tourmaline was first discovered at Mount Mica, Paris, Maine in 1820. A mining began in 1822 and, despite several interruptions, has continued to the present. Mining operations at Mount Mica have produced hundreds of kilograms of both gem-quality and mineral specimen tourmaline. Many other tourmaline deposits have been found in Maine over the years. The largest tourmaline producer in Maine is the Dunton Mine in Newry, Maine. Several spectacular tourmaline pockets were discovered in 1972, and production from the mine has exceeded thousands of kilograms of gem-quality tourmaline.  Three tourmaline gemstones from the Dunton quarry, Newry, Oxford County, Maine at The Maine State Museum (left 29.67 carats, middle 20.01 carats, right 27.43 carats). Photo by Thuss Photography, picture by maine.gov Maine tourmalines come in a wide range of colors from black or white to various shades of green and blue. They are also found in all shades of red, from pastel pink to deep red. The State's mines also produce bi-color and watermelon crystals. The best Maine tourmalines rival tourmaline from world-famous localities in California and Brazil. Maine designated tourmaline as the official state gemstone in 1971  Tourmaline Mineral found at Mount Mica, Paris, Maine in 2004. Photo by G. Freeman, picture by maine.gov California TourmalineCalifornia produces a wide variety of gemstones but is especially known for gem tourmaline and turquoise. In the late 1870 or early 1880, the state's tourmaline deposits were discovered in Riverside and San Diego Counties. Since their discovery, these deposits have produced more tourmaline than any other deposits in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, it can be said that only the Brazilian deposits have produced more. There are several tourmaline mines in California. The Himalaya Mine located a few miles northwest of Mesa Grande in San Diego County has been one of the most prominent tourmaline mines in the world. Opened in 1898, the Himalaya Mine is known for producing tons of beautiful gem-quality pink and green tourmalines. Tourmaline Queen Mine and Pala Chief Mine located in the Pala District, San Diego County were major producers of fine pink and red stones in the late nineteenth century; the mines recently reopened and currently are producing small amounts of gem tourmaline. Many tourmaline specimens have been extracted from these mines, some of which can be seen at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. California tourmalines occur in many colors with the typical green and pink stones produced in good quantity. They also occur in bi-color, tri-color, and concentrically and laterally zoned combinations. California should continue to produce quantities of gem-quality and mineral specimen tourmaline for some time into the future. Related Tourmaline Gemstone Information |
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