GIA and Swiss Lab Confirm New Tourmaline Originates from Ethiopia

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the Gübelin Gem Lab in Switzerland have both confirmed Ethiopia as the source of a new copper-bearing tourmaline.

Separate investigations the labs conducted, in addition to established references and analytical data, verified the gemstone’s origin and its classification as Paraiba tourmaline, they said last week.

Reports of copper-bearing tourmaline from Ethiopia emerged in the gemstone trade in early 2026, following industry coverage and social media posts sharing initial observations of material from the new deposit.

In early May, the Gübelin Gem Lab found the new material, with similarities to a Paraiba tourmaline, however, the unusual chemical composition differentiated it from existing data from the gemstones from Brazil, Mozambique and Nigeria. The Swiss facility assembled around 300 rough and polished stones for its investigations. In July, the GIA examined a parcel containing more than 100 rough and faceted stones.

“What is most striking about the Ethiopian material is that despite considerable, complex chemical variation between individual samples, they share a remarkably distinct and coherent compositional signature,” said Peter Tollan, head of research and development at the Gübelin Gem Lab. “This means that the Ethiopian samples are readily distinguishable from all other origins of Paraiba tourmaline.”

The Ethiopian tourmaline ranges from blue and bluish green to violet, purple and, in some rough specimens, colorless. Many stones show distinct color zoning linked to variations in composition. As the samples from the deposits are still new, the laboratories will further expand their collections and study the characteristics of the Ethiopian material as more samples become available.

Main image: A range of colored rough Paraiba tourmaline from a new deposit in Ethiopia. (Gemological Institute of America)

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