Pink tourmaline, often referred to by the trade name Rubellite, is a vibrant variety of the tourmaline group valued for its saturated pink to red hues. Collectors look for well-formed prismatic crystals featuring distinct vertical striations and natural termination, most commonly recovered from granitic pegmatite pockets.
Is this pink 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 pink tourmaline with a known reference. Pink 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. Pink Tourmaline leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Pink Tourmaline typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, magenta, rose.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals with rounded triangular cross-sections and vertical striations.
Often confused with
Pink Tourmaline vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside pink tourmaline
Minerals reported to co-occur with pink 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
- 3.02-3.06 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
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector, Jewelry
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $20-200 per gram for gem rough; $50-500+ per carat for fine cut stones
Where rockhounds find pink tourmaline
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Pala District, California, USA
- Nuristan, Afghanistan
- Madagascar
- Nigeria
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where pink tourmaline typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, albite, lepidolite 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 North Carolina — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify pink tourmaline?+
Where is pink tourmaline found?+
Can I find pink tourmaline in the United States?+
How much is pink tourmaline worth?+
What rocks look like pink tourmaline?+
What minerals are found with pink tourmaline?+
What kind of rock does pink tourmaline form in?+
What is pink tourmaline used for?+
Find pink tourmaline on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
