Green tourmaline, often referred to as verdelite, is a popular variety of the elbaite species prized for its rich, often dichroic hues. Collectors should look for vertically striated, elongated prismatic crystals that frequently exhibit color zoning from light to deep forest green.
Is this green tourmaline?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch green tourmaline with a known reference. Green Tourmaline sits at Mohs 7-7.5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Green Tourmaline leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Green Tourmaline typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: green, yellow-green, blue-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals with rounded triangular cross-sections and vertical striations.
Often confused with
Green Tourmaline vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside green tourmaline
Minerals reported to co-occur with green tourmaline. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na(Li,Al)₃Al₆(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₄
- Mohs hardness
- 7-7.5
- Density
- 3.0-3.25 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals with Rounded Triangular Cross-sections and Vertical Striations
- Cleavage
- Indistinct
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Lapidary, Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $20-100 per carat for average stones, significantly higher for top-tier vivid green specimens
Where rockhounds find green tourmaline
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Afghanistan
- USA
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Mozambique
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where green tourmaline typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, feldspar, mica in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals with rounded triangular cross-sections and vertical striations habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New Mexico, North Carolina — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify green tourmaline?+
Where is green tourmaline found?+
Can I find green tourmaline in the United States?+
How much is green tourmaline worth?+
What rocks look like green tourmaline?+
What minerals are found with green tourmaline?+
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Find green tourmaline on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
