Rubellite
Rubellite is the rare pink to red variety of Tourmaline. It is a gemmy, Lithium rich, Iron and Manganese free, variety of Tourmaline. It is primarily, but not always, Elbaite. Rubellite is one of the most popular and sought-after colors of Tourmaline and is great for setting in jewelry. It has relatively no cleavage and decent hardness so it is durable. Rubellite is available in a wide range of colors from pink to red.
Tourmaline is the name given to a family of related minerals, all having the same basic crystal structure but varying widely in chemical composition. Tourmaline comes in all colors including colorless (Achroite) and black (Schorl) with many names given to the many other colors. Piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects are present in Tourmaline.
| Crystallography: | Trigonal – Ditrigonal Pyramidal |
| Crystal Habit: | Crystals prismatic to acicular, with prominent trigonal prism and pyramid, to 1.6 m, commonly hemimorphic. Also radial, fibrous, and massive. |
| Twinning: | Rare |
| Cleavage: | [1120] & [1011] Poor, Indistinct |
| Fracture: | Uneven to Conchoidal |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 7.0 – 7.5 |
| Density: | 3.06 – 3.08 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | Weak |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Other: | Piezoelectric, pyroelectric |
| Color: | Red, Reddish Pink, Pink |
| Transparency: | Transparent to Translucent |
| Luster: | Vitreous to Resinous |
| Refractive Index: | 1.623 – 1.657 Uniaxial ( – ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.031 |
| Dispersion: | 0.017 |
| Pleochroism: | Dark pinkish red to pink |
