Paraíba from São José da Batalha
First discovered in the late 1980s by a prospector named Heitor Dimas Barbosa, this vivid-blue to greenish-blue variety of cuprian elbaite known as Paraíba (aka 'paraibaite' or 'heitorite' after Heitor Barbosa) is mined in the central region of the Brazilian States, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte.
The handful of Brazilian Paraíba (aka kingfisher) mines are located in the Serra das Queimadas mountain range, along a geological formation known as the 'Seridó Fold Belt,' which is visible in satellite images of the region [2].
Mina da Bathalha in São José da Batalha, north of the town of Salgadinho, on the Serra da Frade "fine hill" hillside, has been the most productive of the Paraíba mines in Brazil. The other significant Paraíba mines in the region (Gregorio and Quintos) are located to the north, in Rio Grande do Norte. Brazilian cuprian elbaite is typically found imbedded in clays within granitic pegmatite veins.
Paraiba has a high brilliance and higher luminosity than other tourmaline specimens. It is unusual to find large specimens of rough Paraiba Tourmaline weighing more than 5 grams, and most of the Paraiba crystals have been fragmented by tectonic activity within the Seridó Fold Belt.
True Paraíba copper-bearing tourmaline is extremely rare, and as such, is very expensive ($15,000 to $40,000+ per carat) when compared to other varieties. The intense blue color, referred to as "neon," "windex," or "swimming-pool blue," is the result of significant amounts of copper which is not normally present in tourmaline. Secondary coloring agents found in Cuprian elbaite are ferrous iron ( Fe2+), manganese (Mn), gallium (Ga), bismuth (Bi), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn). There was also a purplish variety of Paraiba that is now virtually non-existant.
Brazilian 'Paraíba-like' Tourmaline
There is a rare "sapphire blue" (aka 'Mutuca blue') variety of indicolite tourmaline that is found at the Oro Fino and Manoel Mutuca mines in the Araçuaí district, and the Golconda Mine adjacent to Governador Valadares, both in Minas Gerais, Brazil. These stones have less of a greenish hue than their Paraíba counterparts.
Non-Brazilian 'Paraíba-like' Tourmaline
In 2001 an African variety of Cuprian Elbaite tourmaline (Ndogo or bleu clair) was discovered in the vicinity of Ojo near Lagos, Nigeria. A second discovery was made in alluvial deposits on the Alto Ligonha plateau, in Mozambique. According to Richard W. Wise, the Mozambique stones are less included than Brazilian Paraíba, with larger, non-fragmented stones being the norm [6]. There is also rumor of Paraiba-like tourmaline in the 'Khan' pegmatites of the Rössing uranium mining area near Arandis, Namibia.
The proximity to high concentrations of copper explain the similarity of greenish-blue color to 'Paraiba' tourmaline. Nigerian Namibian, and Mozambique varieties tend to be somewhat lower in saturation, and have a more blueish-green color than their Brazilian counterparts. This may be due to a higher concentration of the pinkish element, bismuth (Bi). They are sometimes referred to in gem grading reports as "Paraiba-like," or "Paraiba-like Neon-Color." They can also have a slight pleochroic quality, ranging from greenish-blue to bluish-green. The secondary hue can be inhanced under incandescent light.
Paraíba's Physical Properties
Paraíba, like all tourmaline, has a hardness of 7 to 7 1/2 on the Mohs scale. The toughness of all tourmaline is 'fair' to 'good,' and exposure to thermal shock should be avoided.
Paraíba tourmaline belongs to the Trigonal crystal system with a Parallel and Elongated Striated Crystal habit. Elongated Tourmaline crystals are asymmetrically terminated (hemimorphism). Some varieties of tourmaline will display dichroic qualities. Tourmaline has a refractive index of 1.624.
'Paraíba' Quartz
New to the gem scene is a quartz variety called 'Paraíba Quartz,' named for its Paraíba-colored, confetti-like inclusions (gilalite) and its location of origin in Paraíba, Brazil.
Further Reference on Paraíba Cuprian Elbaite:
1. MSA, Color in Cuprian Elbaite 
. www.minsocam.org
2. Wendell E. Wilson, Cuprian Elbaite from the Batalha Mine, Paraíba, Brazil . www.minrec.org
3. GRS, 'Paraíba' Tourmaline Research Completed . www.gemresearch.ch
4. Richard W. Wise, Mozambique Cuprian Tourmaline . gemwiseblogspotcom.blogspot.com
5. Robert Genis, Mozambique Tourmaline Hits the Market . www.preciousgemstones.com
6. Richard W. Wise, Cuprite Tourmaline from Mozambique . www.diamondchitchat.com
7. American Mineralogist, The Origins of Color in Minerals . www.minsocam.org
8. Mineralienatlas, Das Gebiet Minas Gerais . www.mineralienatlas.de
9. The Mineralogical Record, A Mineral Collector's Knowledge Database . www.minrec.org
