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Tourmaline: Ultimate Guide To Tourmaline (What It Is and Where To Find It!)

by Rock Seeker July 26, 2022, 10:23 pm updated February 28, 2023, 12:09 am

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Tourmaline refers to a larger group of boron silicate minerals that share the same physical characteristics and crystal structure that occur in numerous colors and are pyroelectric .

Tourmaline is composed of aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium elements and occurs as long, slender to thick prismatic-comular crystals that are usually triangular in cross-section.

Dutch traders first discovered Tourmaline off the West Coast of Italy in the 1700s before it was recognized in the entire Europe. Europeans fell in love with the stone, which led to its popularity and demand.

The word tourmaline originated from “turmali” a Sinhalese term that means mixed gems. This name was given on the island of Sri Lanka to colored crystals.

Tourmaline is the birthstone for the month of October, and it is one of the most popular gemstones in the world. 

They are used for jewelry making and are a popular collector’s item for rock and mineral enthusiasts as well as rockhounds. A stone with well-formed crystals and attractive colors can fetch thousands of dollars.

Read on to find out more about Tourmaline, some of its forms, and where you can find it.

What are the Different Types of Tourmaline?

Tourmaline occurs in different forms and with different characteristics, but all hold the same properties. It’s not as prevalent as some other gems, and it can be found in many regions of the world, in forms such as:

Schorl Tourmaline

Schorl or the Black tourmaline is the most popular type of tourmaline you can ever find. This gem comes in a lustrous black crystal due to the existence of Sodium iron.

Scientists grow Schorl in prismatic columns where it gradually develops striated grains. And after attaining the recommended hardness, the gems can be used for various tasks, including in LEDs and X-ray machines.

Beauticians use Schorl tourmaline to straighten the hair in therapies that require intense heat. However, you can also find grains of this metal in bracelets that help combat negative or psychic energies from entering one’s aura.

Schorl ranks at level 7 on the Moh’s scale. This hardness is attributed to its chemical composition that includes iron, magnesium, boro-silicate, and sodium. When observed against the light, it appears opaque and never transparent. 

It occurs as an elongated prismatic crystal that is heavily striated , with crystals boosting a rounded, triangular cross-section and a flattened pyramid end. And its crystal size can range from small to extremely large. 

Schorl is a favorite stone among the rockhound community who search for it to sell or collect. It’s found in Germany, England, Italy, the USA, Namibia, Brazil, and Afghanistan.

Dravite Tourmaline

Dravite, also called Brown Tourmaline, is formed when hydrothermal processes carry minerals in vapor form. The vapor then condenses to form translucent, hard crystals that are opaque. However, it’s especially unique for its resinous or vitreous luster.  

This mineral was first discovered in the Dravo River in Slovenia, where it coins its name. However, you can also find it in the U.S., Russia, Italy, Slovenia, Australia, and Brazil. In Africa, it can only be found in Tanzania.  Its composition consists of magnesium, silicon, sodium, boron, and oxygen. Generally, it ranks at level 7 on the Mohs scale. 

Elbaite Tourmaline

Elbaite is the most known and valuable of all Tourmalines. Almost all of the Tourmaline gemstones and most of the multicolored Tourmalines are Elbait. 

Its crystals come in virtually every color of the spectrum and are unsurpassed in beauty. Moreover, it has many interesting optical properties, with some crystals even exhibiting pleochroic properties. An optical phenomenon in which a substance has different colors when viewed at different angles.

It comprises sodium, lithium, aluminum, silicon, boron, hydrogen, and oxygen, and it’s named after the place it was first discovered, Italy’s island of Elba.

An interesting fact about Elbaite is that it’s one of the three pegmatitic minerals in which Johna August Arfwedson determined the new alkali element Lithium in 1818. 

It has a hardness level of 7 on the Mohs scale , and as Jerry Rig would put it, it scratches at a level seven with deeper grooves at level eight. And just like the screen on your phone, you probably shouldn’t be dropping it.

Because of the stone’s beauty and vitreous luster, Elbait gems are primarily used in jewels and are a favorite among the rockhound and collector communities due to their high value.

Elbaite stones can be found in Canada, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States, Brazil, and other locations.

Paraiba Tourmaline

Paraiba is arguably one of the rarest Tourmaline gemstones and among the world’s most prized gemstones . 

They have a vibrant turquoise to green and neo-blue hue colored by copper and are only found in the Mina da Batalha in the Federal Brazilian State of Paraiba. They are named after this region they come from of Paraiba. 

It’s composed of sodium, aluminum, boron, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen.

Paraiba has a hardness score of 7 on the Mohs scale and consists of a vitreous luster. 

Because of their rarity, sometimes they can be more expensive than diamonds, and only one Parabia is mined for every ten thousand diamonds. And for this reason, this is one germ stone most rockhounds will go without ever laying their eyes on.

And for those who do, it will probably change their lives forever. 

It’s used to make expensive jewels and is a bragging rites piece for rockhounds and collectors who have one.

Alluvial Tourmaline

Tourmaline is not always found where it was formed. And due to weathering and erosion, some Tourmaline crystals have traveled far and can be found in places you wouldn’t expect them, like river beds and beaches. 

And due to Tourmaline’s hardness and its ability to resist chemical weathering, it can persist in a stream and travel long distances.

The most common method of mining Tourmaline is by digging or blasting vein sources. But collecting it at locations where the elements have been deposited is also a viable option. 

Tourmaline is a diverse stone by itself and presents many opportunities for those seeking to find it.  

One thing to note about Tourmaline is its naming conventions, and most Tourmalines are identified and differentiated by their mined region. 

So, if the same type of Tourmaline is discovered in a different region of the world, the quality of the gems might be different, and you can see how this is an issue to look out for if you are a rockhound, collector, or a Tourmaline customer. 

For example, Paraiba Tourmaline is native to Brazil, but samples have also been found in Africa. The African Paraiba also commands a handsome figure, but most buyers prefer the colors of Brazilian Paraiba and are willing to pay a premium to match.

So, other than its physical appearance, where the Tourmaline has been mined, matters in the Tourmaline market. 

Where Can You Find Tourmaline in North America

Tourmaline can be found in various places all over the world and in North America as well. However, finding high-quality gems is not as easy. 

In the United States, Southern California is the most critical source of Tourmaline. Though some have also been discovered and mined in Maine, California has remained the center of Tourmaline mining since the gems’ popularization back in the 1800s .

Back then, at the height of Tourmaline’s popularity, Californian Tourmaline was even exported to China. It was used in Chinese temple carvings that still exist today, bearing testament to the germ’s durability.

For rockhounds looking to bag their gems for their collection, Tourmaline mines found in San Diego County are the places to test their luck, as the mines still yield a lot of the stuff. 

However, if visiting the mines, it’s advisable to consult the local authorities about their mining laws or permits before attempting to mine or pick any precious stones. Some of them are in private or protected land and might land you in trouble if found picking them. 

Nevertheless, some small mines are open to the public for mining in San Diego County. 

Public mines might not be the best places to find tourmaline because they are open to the public and have been mined excessively. These old mines are an excellent place to start learning about mining the gems and the rockhound community.

Some other notable Tourmaline mining locations are the Himalaya Mines in the Mesa Grande District and the Gems of Pala, California, which are all privately operated mines that offer paid guided mining tours and creature comforts such as accommodation.

Most people might be put off from mining and rock hounding due to the hardships associated with mining. Still, places like Mesa Grande and Gems of Pala manage to turn the whole experience into a fun activity that you can enjoy. 

Most of the gems you will find in California are of the red and pink variety, mainly used to make jewelry. And for the hopeless romantics, you can find a quality stone and have it made into a bespoke piece for your significant other. I am sure it would hold a lot of sentimental value.

Canada also boasts of producing high-quality tourmalines and has some of its mining locations open to the public and rockhounds in Southern Ontario, Quebec, and remote regions of Nunavut. 

Though Bancroft, Ontario is considered Canada’s gem Capital and attracts a lot of rockhounds looking to make their living and people are just trying to land a quality stone for their collection. 

Canada also offers various free-reign areas and guided mining tours around some of the most popular mining sites for rockhounds looking to test their luck in the Canadian wilderness.  

And for those who have their own Tourmaline stones but find it difficult to identify them, The Gemological Institute of America laboratory is a reputable place you can turn to identify your Tourmaline gem.

Interesting Facts About Tourmaline and Tourmaline Mining

• Other than holding every hue in the color spectrum, the other distinguishing feature about Tourmaline is its three-sided prisms. No other mineral has three sides. 
• Cat Eye Tourmaline is named after the unique way it reflects light that resembles how a cat’s eyes do and hence the name. Gemologists refer to this effect as “ chatoyancy,” a term derived from the French phrase ‘oeil de chat’ meaning eyes of the cat.
• Black Tourmaline, also known as Schorl, has the highest positive energy and is the most pyroelectric form of Tourmaline. Pyroelectricity is defined as the ability of select materials to generate a transient voltage or current when they are heated or cooled. 
• Did you know that the law prohibits the collection of rocks, minerals, or fossils from a public beach or reserve? Tough, you can collect them as souvenirs but not for monetary value.
• If you’re new to a Tourmaline mining site or a rock collection area, it’s always advisable to check local regulations as they change from place to place, and people get in trouble for not following set regulations. 
• As its name suggests, Watermelon Tourmaline displays two colors; an outer green layer and a pinkish inner core like the fruit it is named after. One thing is for sure, the people who named these different variants of Tourmaline weren’t that creative. 
• Up until the 1800s, the Tourmaline was not recognized as its own stone. Instead, it was categorized with other stones such as emeralds and topaz. The Spaniard who first found it off the shores of Italy mistakenly thought it was an emerald. 
• Tourmaline was first discovered in Maine in 1820, the year that Maine also got its statehood as the 23rd state in the United States of America. 
• Tourmaline, also known as the rainbow gemstone, has a legend that states that it passed through the rainbow on its way to earth, and that’s what gives it all its colors. 
• Tourmaline’s quality and value are derived from its carat count.  
• Tourmaline is formed of a host of rock granite or schist with Tourmaline pegmatites. These are voids that fill up with hot mineral-rich liquids that cool down and crystalize to form Tourmaline. 
• Color zoning in precious stones is usually frowned upon, but when it comes to Tourmaline, bicolor crystals or zoned crystals are a novelty and desired by jewelry makers and collectors. 
• Tourmaline gemstones occur in more shades of hue than any other gemstone.
• Schorl or Black Tourmaline makes up about 90% of all Tourmaline.
• Schorl is also used in pressure gage and water purification applications.  

Tourmaline is a magnificent gem with colors, crystal structures , and pyroelectric abilities to match. And other than being beautiful, it has created a history of being a gem where lithium was first derived.

It’s a gem that holds a lot of sentimental value to all who receive it as a gift or associate it as the birthstone for October. It’s also a rock that holds a lot of monetary value for rockhounds, collectors, and mining companies who seek to mine and explore it in this manner.

It has led to the creation of communities of like-minded people who engage around its exploitation, with whole industries and ecosystems being created and sustained by these communities. Thus, making Tourmaline an essential lifeline to these industries. 

Because Tourmaline is found in different regions, it offers many opportunities for collaboration and fostering relationships for people who could otherwise haven’t crossed paths. Moreover, with the world becoming more connected and a single market, the Tourmaline plays its role as a globalization catalyst.  

And in the words of a rockhound, it’s the thrill of the hunt. You never know what you are going to find. So that the next shovel full could be something cool—a Tourmaline crystal.

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Tourmaline is the birthstone of October is one of the most abundant minerals in the world. Geologists around the world appreciate the mineral makeup of this crystal while others believe that this gemstone offers physical as well as mental healing properties.

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Home » Minerals » Tourmaline

Earth's most colorful mineral and gem material.

Author: hobart m. king , phd, gia graduate gemologist.

Colorful tourmaline crystals: A scatter of small tourmaline crystals in pretty colors from Afghanistan, suitable for faceting very small stones. Some of them are bicolor and a few are oriented to show pleochroism, with the color looking down the long axis of the crystal being much darker than when looking at the crystal in side view.

What is Tourmaline?

Tourmaline is the name of a large group of boron silicate minerals . These minerals share a common crystal structure and similar physical properties - but vary tremendously in chemical composition. The wide range of compositions and color zoning within crystals causes tourmaline to occur in more colors and color combinations than any other mineral group.

Tourmaline is one of the world's most popular gemstones and it serves as a birthstone for the month of October. Because of its popularity, tourmaline is easy to find in jewelry stores. Well-formed tourmaline crystals are also valued by mineral specimen collectors. Specimens with attractive colors and crystal forms can sell for thousands of dollars.

Table of Contents

Tourmaline Crystals on Cleavelandite: A large mineral specimen consisting of prismatic tourmaline crystals on cleavelandite with quartz and lepidolite . The tourmaline crystals are color zoned with red tourmaline at the base that sharply transitions to blue-green along their length. From the Pederneira Mine of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Measures 21 x 15 x 14 cm. Specimen and photo by Arkenstone / www.iRocks.com .

Geologic Occurrence of Tourmaline

Tourmaline most commonly occurs as an accessory mineral in igneous and metamorphic rocks . Large, well-formed crystals of tourmaline can form in cavities and fractures during hydrothermal activity. Tourmaline is a hard and tenacious mineral. That enables it to persist during stream and beach transport as durable grains in sediments and sedimentary rocks.

Tourmaline Crystals

The most spectacular tourmaline crystals are formed by hydrothermal activity. These crystals form when hot waters and vapors carry the elements needed to form tourmaline into pockets, voids, and fractures, which offer an open space for crystal growth. The tourmaline crystals formed in these cavities range in size from tiny millimeter crystals to massive prisms weighing over 100 kilograms.

One rich pocket of nice tourmaline crystals can yield mineral specimens and gem materials worth millions of dollars. Many mineral collectors and gem hunters have become wealthy by discovering just one of these treasure-filled cavities.

Alluvial tourmaline: About 30 carats of stream-rounded tourmaline rough from Tanzania in yellow, orange, and green colors.

Alluvial Tourmaline

Tourmaline has a Mohs hardness of 7 to 7 ½, and that hardness makes it a durable sediment granule. Tourmaline is also relatively resistant to chemical weathering. So, particles of tourmaline weathered from igneous or metamorphic rocks can persist in a stream and can be transported long distances from their source area.

Tourmaline gem rough is mined from stream sediments in many parts of the world, often by artisanal miners. It generally occurs as small granules and pebbles that that have been rounded by the abrasion of stream transport. Tourmaline is often one of many different minerals produced from a single mining location.

Accessory tourmaline: A specimen of the Crabtree Pegmatite from North Carolina, showing black prismatic tourmaline and green emerald crystals in a matrix of white feldspar and quartz. The width of this view is about two inches.

Tourmaline as Accessory Mineral

The most common occurrence of tourmaline is as an accessory mineral in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It often occurs as millimeter-size crystals scattered through granite , pegmatite , or gneiss . In this mode of occurrence, tourmaline rarely makes up more than a few percent of the rock's volume. The variety of tourmaline most often found as an accessory mineral is black schorl.

Tourmaline Sources

Brazil has been the world's leading source of tourmaline for nearly 500 years. In the 1500s Portuguese explorers obtained green and blue tourmaline from indigenous people and from panning streams in search of gold . They thought that these colorful stones were emeralds and sapphires and sent them back to Portugal, where they were cut into gems and used to make jewelry for royalty and wealthy citizens. (Tourmaline was not recognized as a distinct mineral until 1793.) [1]

Beginning in the late 1800s, a steady stream of tourmaline discoveries have been made in the pegmatite deposits of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Since then, millions of carats of tourmaline have been produced in a wide range of colors, including much bicolor material. This diverse stream of tourmaline from Brazil has been the most important source for the worldwide gem and jewelry market. [2]

The first commercial gemstone mine in the United States followed an 1821 discovery of tourmaline near the town of Paris, Maine . Over the past 200 years, significant amounts of pink and green tourmaline have been produced from dozens of Maine localities.

The most important source of tourmaline in the United States has been the tourmaline mines of southern California . Tourmaline has been mined there since the late 1800s. On the basis of cumulative dollar value, tourmaline has been the most important gem material mined in California. Most of this production occurred over 100 years ago in Riverside and San Diego Counties. Tons of red tourmaline was mined there and shipped to China , where it was used to make snuff bottles, carvings, jewelry and many other items. Today, a little tourmaline is being produced by small-scale mining. The miners today sell much of their best production as mineral specimens.

Today, discoveries of tourmaline of various kinds are made in Afghanistan , Mozambique , Namibia , Nigeria , Pakistan , Tanzania , the United States and other countries. These provide the market with a constantly changing supply of gem tourmaline and mineral specimens.

Physical Properties of Tourmaline

Tourmaline has a few properties that can aid in its identification. If you have a tourmaline crystal, identification should be easy.

• Tourmaline has a prismatic crystal habit and often has obvious striations that parallel the long axis of a crystal.
• Tourmaline crystals often have triangular or six-sided cross-sections with rounded edges.
• Tourmaline crystals are often color zoned through their cross-sections or along their length.
• Tourmaline can be pleochroic with the darkest color viewing down the C-axis and lighter color viewing perpendicular to the C-axis.

Don't despair if your suspected tourmaline is an accessory mineral in an igneous or metamorphic rock. It often occurs in these rocks as tiny prismatic crystals. Get a hand lens and look for striations and rounded cross-sections.

Tourmaline has indistinct cleavage, so any specimen with obvious cleavage is probably not tourmaline. Color might not be helpful. The most common tourmaline color is black, but the mineral occurs in all colors of the spectrum.

Tourmaline: Six faceted tourmaline gemstones from Africa. Clockwise from top left: A blue-green oval weighing 5.5 carats; emerald-cut chrome tourmaline, 1.51 carats; green round, 1.87 carats; pink emerald cut, 1.04 carats; pink-orange emerald cut, 1.88 carats; red cushion cut, 3.34 carats. (Photos are not to scale.) Photos courtesy of The Rare Gemstone Company .

Tourmaline Chemistry

Tourmaline is a complex boron silicate mineral with a generalized chemical composition of:

XY 3 Z 6 (T 6 O 18 )(BO 3 ) 3 V 3 W

Letters in the formula above represent positions in the atomic structure of tourmaline that can be occupied by ions listed below.

The complex formula and many substituting ions produce the large number of minerals in the tourmaline group. The International Mineralogical Association has recognized 32 different tourmaline minerals based upon the chemical composition of solid solution series end members. These minerals are listed in the table below.

Tourmaline crystals: Tourmaline crystals often have many fractures and inclusions, but these crystals exhibit wonderful clarity and very rich color. They also show the striations along the long axis of the crystals that are characteristic of tourmaline. The blue-green cluster on the left sits atop cleavelandite with purple lepidolite, and it measures 13 cm tall. The rubellite cluster on the right measures 6.7 cm tall. Specimens and photos by Arkenstone / www.iRocks.com .

The best way to learn about minerals is to study with a collection of small specimens that you can handle, examine, and observe their properties. Inexpensive mineral collections are available in the Geology.com Store . Image copyright iStockphoto / Anna Usova.

Faceted tourmaline: A collection of faceted tourmalines of various colors. Some of these stones exhibit multiple colors because they were cut from color-zoned crystals. Two are pink and green bicolor stones known as "watermelon tourmaline." Bicolor and pleochroic tourmalines are favorite stones of many jewelry designers because they can be used to make especially interesting pieces of jewelry. The small round stones weigh about 0.5 carat each. The watermelon in the lower left corner weighs 0.61 carat.

Names Used for Tourmaline Gems

A table above lists the names and chemical compositions for 32 different members of the tourmaline mineral group. These names are based upon the chemical composition of the mineral. Because it can be impossible or impractical to determine the chemical composition of a large number of specimens or even a single specimen, the generic name "tourmaline" is typically used for any mineral in the tourmaline group in the field, the classroom, the office, or even in a laboratory.

Tourmaline is one of the most popular gemstones because it occurs in every color of the spectrum. Jewelers and gemologists use trade names for different colors of tourmaline to simplify communications with their customers. These names work much better in a jewelry store than the mineralogical names in the table above!

Schorl: Schorl, a black tourmaline, is the most commonly found variety of tourmaline. It occurs as an accessory mineral in many igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is occasionally cut as a gem. Image copyright iStockphoto / J-Palys.

"Color names" make the language of tourmaline gems simple for jewelry consumers. If jewelry stores sold tourmaline gems by their scientific names, the chemical composition of each gem would need to be determined to assure that the names used to offer them for sale were absolutely accurate. This would create confusion, waste time and be an enormous expense. Tourmaline might not be very popular if the names challenged consumers - and even jewelers!

Paraiba Tourmaline: A small rough crystal of the famous "Paraiba" tourmaline from the Batalha Mine in the state of Paraiba, Brazil. The spectacular blue color is caused by trace amounts of copper in the mineral. This specimen measures 1.5 x 1.3 x 0.9 centimeters. Specimen and photo by Arkenstone / www.iRocks.com .

"Paraiba" - The Most Valuable

The name "Paraiba" perks up the ears of people who like tourmaline. In 1989 and 1990, spectacular bright blue to bright green elbaite tourmaline, colored by trace amounts of copper , was found in pegmatite pockets at mines in the states of Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil .

Later, violet specimens containing traces of both copper and manganese were found. The color of these gems was remarkable. Many people began to describe them with adjectives such as "electric" and "neon" because the colors were so saturated and vivid.

The material was informally called "Paraiba" after the locality. The beautiful gems were soon selling for over $2000 per carat, and news about them spread throughout gemstone markets.

People loved the gems, their colors, and their exotic name. Prices for faceted gems of the highest quality material in sizes over one carat escalated to over $10,000 per carat. "Paraiba" quickly became the most popular and most valuable tourmaline.

The initial rage over these gems was all about the character of their color. Soon, people anxious to cash in were using the name "Paraiba" for any tourmaline found in the state of Paraiba - hoping that it would boost the price of what they were selling.

Gems of similar appearance were found in Nigeria in 2001 [3], and some people immediately applied the name to them - again in the hope that it would boost their value. More were discovered in Mozambique in 2005. [3] People with blue or green tourmaline from many parts of the world wanted to sell their material at a "Paraiba price" - but should these gems be called "Paraiba"?.

The name "Paraiba" was being used on the basis of locality, on the basis of color, and on the basis of color-causing metal. The name "Paraiba" was being used in too many different ways - and confusion was brewing in the marketplace.

A 2006 article in Gems & Gemology reported that "the Nigerian and Mozambique tourmalines with the saturated blue-to-green colors cannot be distinguished from the Brazilian material by standard gemological testing," however, trace element analysis could be used to separate the Brazilian, Nigerian, and Mozambique tourmalines. [3] [4]

So, what is the real "Paraiba"? A good answer might be similar to "What is a real 'Burmese ruby'?" It is a gem of finest appearance from a specific locality (Burma, known today as Myanmar ) - and some people are willing to pay a lot extra for them. That is why rubies from Madagascar with a similar appearance do not sell for a "Burmese" price. [5]

One should not assume that a name, a locality, or a color automatically produces value in a gem.

Keep that in mind if a vendor offers you "Paraiba tourmaline".

If you own or are considering the purchase of a "Paraiba tourmaline", first, remember that spectacular color is what started the rage over these gems. Make sure you are buying spectacular color. Next, many people are willing to pay more for gems from the original Paraiba localities in Brazil, and many people want to buy only gems that have natural, untreated color. Determining this information is above the skill level of and equipment available to most gemologists.

A reputable place to have this done is The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) laboratory. They offer Colored Stone Identification and Origin Reports specifically for Paraiba tourmaline. [6] By sending your gem to GIA for one of these reports, they will provide their opinion on the geographic origin of the gem, and provide information about any treatments that have been detected. If you want to know more about how this is done read GIA's article about the geographic origin of paraiba tourmaline. [7]

There is nothing wrong with African tourmalines with the spectacular "neon" and "electric" colors. They can command a high price on the basis of color alone. However, some people disagree with using the name "Paraiba" for these gems. They believe that using a geographic name for marketing a gem, if the gem is not from the named locality, can be confusing at best and deceptive at worst.

Watermelon tourmaline: A pair of rough and faceted tourmalines that exhibit a superb example of watermelon color. Both the faceted stone and the crystal have clarity problems. This is typical for bicolor tourmaline. Specimens with perfect clarity near the color transition are extremely rare. The change in conditions that caused the color change might have also disrupted the crystal growth to produce the clarity problems. From Minas Gerais, Brazil. The rough crystal measures approximately 4.2 x 1.4 x 1.1 cm, and the faceted gem measures 27.79 mm x 18.51 mm and weighs nearly 50 carats. Specimens and photos by Arkenstone / www.iRocks.com .

Color Zoning in Tourmaline

Changing conditions during tourmaline crystal growth often result in single crystals that contain two or more different colors of tourmaline. The earlier color is usually overgrown by the later color. These bicolor crystals are known as "zoned crystals." Cut gemstones with distinctly different color zones are known as parti-color gems.

In many gems, color zoning is undesirable because most gem and jewelry buyers prefer stones that have a single, uniform face-up color. Tourmaline is an exception to this trend. Gems cut from color-zoned crystals with pleasing colors are a novelty prized by designers and collectors.

Tourmaline crystal cross-section: A "slice" of watermelon tourmaline which shows the pink interior, green outer layer, and triangular shape of the crystal. This specimen shows the origin of the "watermelon" name. Image copyright iStockphoto / Sun Chan.

Color-zoned crystals are often sawn into thin cross-sections and polished. These thin bicolor gems can be very attractive. The most popular bicolor tourmaline is "watermelon tourmaline." It has a pink interior and a green rind - just like a slice of watermelon. The closer the colors match those of a real watermelon, the more people enjoy them and the higher the price.

Tourmaline crystals are also faceted to produce bicolor gems. "Watermelon" is again the most popular, but many other beautiful color combinations are cut.

Zoned tourmaline crystals often have clarity problems in the color-change area. If the color combination is attractive, minor clarity problems usually do not have a major impact on their desirability or price.

Cat's-Eye Tourmaline: This specimen of tourmaline contains thousands of tiny reflective tubes. If you look closely you can see them running from left to right within the gem. When a beam of light from above strikes the gem, the observer sees a bright line of light reflecting from the tubes below the surface of the gem. This bright line is known as a "cat's-eye" and this gem is known as "cat's-eye tourmaline". This wonderful tourmaline is owned by the Edelsteinmuseum (Gemstone Museum) in Idar-Oberstein, Germany and the photo was taken by a photographer who works under the name of Vassil and places many of his photos in the public domain.

Cat's-Eye Tourmaline

Tourmaline is one of many minerals that can be chatoyant when cut into a gem. " Chatoyant " is a gemological adjective used to describe minerals that exhibit a "cat's-eye". Chatoyant tourmalines contain thousands of tiny parallel tubes that have the ability to reflect light. When a tourmaline crystal filled with these tubes is properly cut as a cabochon , a line of bright light known as a cat's-eye will be reflected from the dome of the cabochon. The proper orientation is obtained by cutting the cabochon with the tubes paralleling the base of the cabochon and crossing the long dimension of the cabochon at a right angle.

Cat's-eye gems are fun to observe because the "eye" will move back and forth across the dome of the stone in three situations: 1) when the stone is moved under the light, 2) when the source of light is moved, and 3) when the head of the observer is moved.

Please see our article about Chatoyant Gems.

Video: Pleochroism in Tourmaline: This video demonstrates pleochroism in two short sections of tourmaline crystals. The crystal sections are lightest when viewed perpendicular to the c-axis of the crystal (the side being held by the gem tweezers) and they are darkest when viewed down the c-axis of the crystal.

Pleochroism in Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a pleochroic mineral. That means its apparent color can change with different directions of observation. The color is usually darkest looking down the c-axis of the crystal (down the long axis). It is usually lightest when viewing perpendicular to the long axis of the crystal.

Cutting pleochroic gem materials requires skill and knowledge. Rough must be studied and oriented to produce a gem with pleasing face-up color. A light piece of rough can be cut with the table of a stone perpendicular to the c-axis of the rough to maximize color. Dark rough can produce lighter gems if it is cut with the table plane of the stone parallel to the c-axis of the rough. Some rough can be cut to nicely display two pleochroic colors in the face-up position. Many jewelry buyers enjoy these gems.

Color optimization of pleochroic rough is time-consuming, requires special skills, and usually involves sacrifice. Which will produce a higher profit? A stone of premium color with a lower carat weight, or a larger stone with a less desirable color? These are the economics of faceting tourmaline.

Tourmaline Treatments

Heat and irradiation are common treatments used to improve the color of tourmaline. Both of these treatments are commonly done after the stones have been cut and polished. They can be undetectable when viewed with a gemological microscope.

Heat treatment can lighten an undesirable tone in some materials and give some brownish stones a brighter, more desirable color. The results of heat treatment are usually permanent. Stones with liquid inclusions are not good candidates for heat treatment because heating can cause them to fracture.

Irradiation treatment can brighten many light-colored stones. The results are often reversed if the stones are heated. They can also be reversed over time with exposure to bright light.

Imitation Tourmaline: An assembled-stone imitation of watermelon tourmaline. It consists of a thin wafer of colored plastic that is glued between two pieces of clear glass and then faceted.

Imitation Tourmaline

Imitation tourmaline is occasionally seen. The popular watermelon tourmaline and other parti-colored tourmalines are a common target of the imitators. Some assembled imitation stones consist of a thin wafer of colored glass or plastic, glued between two pieces of colorless glass.

These imitations are easy to detect with a microscope or loupe. If the stones are examined along the girdle, the edge of the colored wafer or the glue line can usually be seen. If the stones are examined by looking down through the table, bubbles or debris in the glue plane are sometimes visible.

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Tourmalines have a wide variety of exciting colors with one of the widest color ranges of any gem.

Colorless diamonds are scare–most diamonds have tints of yellow or brown.

This 26.32-ct. oval pink tourmaline is from Mozambique.

Trade name for pink, red, purplish red, and orangy red tourmaline.

It’s not unusual for pink tourmalines to have eye-visible inclusions.

Alexandrite is bluish green in daylight or flourescent light.

This beautiful tourmaline mineral specimen is from California.

The specimen displays tourmaline’s characteristic columnar form.

Fantastic pink tourmaline crystal with quartz with other minerals.

About Tourmaline

Tourmaline’s colors have many different causes. It’s generally agreed that traces of iron, and possibly titanium, induce green and blue colors. Manganese produces reds and pinks, and possibly yellows. Some pink and yellow tourmalines might owe their hues to color centers caused by radiation, which can be natural or laboratory-induced.

Tourmaline Description

Tourmaline History and Lore

Birthstones & Anniversaries

Tourmaline is a birthstone for October , along with opal. Tourmaline is also the gem of the eighth anniversary.

Francisco Spinoza’s expedition discovers “Brazilian emerald”: the first recorded green tourmaline crystal.

Pyroelectric

Tourmaline becomes electrically charged when heated. Also when squeezed: it’s piezoelectric too.

Brazilian source famous for vivid blue to green tourmalines colored by copper.

• Mineral: Tourmaline
• Elbaite Na(Li 1.5 ,Al 1.5 )Al 6 Si 6 O 18 (BO 3 ) 3 (OH) 4
• Dravite NaMg 3 Al 6 Si 6 O 18 (BO 3 ) 3 (OH) 4
• Liddicoatite Ca(Li 2 Al)Al 6 Si 6 O 18 (BO 3 ) 3 (OH) 3 F
• Chromedravite NaMg 3 Cr 6 Si 6 O 18 (BO 3 ) 3 (OH) 4
• Color: All colors
• Refractive index: 1.624 to 1.644
• Birefringence: 0.018 to 0.040
• Specific gravity: 3.06 (+0.20, -0.06)
• Mohs Hardness: 7 to 7.5

Where It's Found

There are a number of processes used to alter the color, apparent clarity, or improve the durability of gems.

Some gemstones have synthetic counterparts that have essentially the same chemical, physical, and optical properties, but are grown by man in a laboratory.

Any gem can be imitated—sometimes by manmade materials or by natural materials chosen by man to impersonate a particular gem.

Why We Love This Gemstone

Trigonal system.

Tourmaline crystallizes in the trigonal system; no other common mineral has three-sided prisms.

Watermelon Variety

Watermelon tourmaline is green on the outside and a delicious pink on the inside.

Liddicoatite

Liddicoatite tourmaline was named for beloved former GIA President Richard T. Liddicoat.

Quality Factors

Tourmaline’s varieties have a wide range of quality factors considerations.

Tourmaline's rainbow colors have a wide range of color intensity and tone.

Pink to red tourmaline often has more visible inclusions than green to blue varieties.

Tourmaline crystals are often long, leading cutters to cut slender finished stones.

Carat Weight

Tourmalines come in all shapes and sizes. The value change for size varies with the variety.

Tourmaline Quality Factors: The Comprehensive Guide

Explore sources, gemological research, and the role of gems in history.

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Cuprian Liddicoatite Tourmaline

From Brazil to China: The Journey of Rubellite Tourmaline

Expedition to the Cruzeiro Tourmaline Mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Solution-Generated Pink Color Surrounding Growth Tubes and Cracks in Blue to Blue-Green Copper-Bearing Tourmalines from Mozambique

Recommended Reading

Paraiba Tourmaline: “Electric Blue Brilliance Burnt Into Our Minds” Masashi Furyuya

Collector’s Guide to the Tourmaline Group Robert J. Lauf

Tourmaline: A Gemstone Spectrum Brian C. Cook

Featured Gems

Found in lava, meteorites, and deep in the earth’s mantle, yellow-green peridot is the extreme gem.

Fancy Color Diamond

Dazzling brilliance. Captivating color. These are the planet’s most valued gems.

Diamonds are among nature’s most precious and beautiful creations.

Emerald is the bluish green to green variety of beryl, a mineral species that includes aquamarine.

Citrine is the transparent, pale yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz.

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Discover the pristine beaches, quaint villages and iconic lighthouses in Maine and Cape Cod. Cape Cod features places that will take you from Hyannis to Chatham to Sandwich and Martha’s Vineyard.   A visit to Maine is not complete without a Downeast Lobster Bake and a visit to the Portland Head light.   Travel to Kennebunkport, which features are galleries, craft shops and restored mansions.   See and experience the best while visiting both of these areas!

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Located on the  USA's  upper east coast, Maine is undoubtedly a hidden gem. Well-loved for its quaint maritime villages, traditional New England architecture, fresh seafood and iconic lighthouses, there's a reason the state motto is "the way life should be." Whether you prefer  hiking along the rugged coastal headlands of Acadia National Park , wandering the historic streets of Portland, or just indulging in a lobster roll (or two) with your local leader, our Maine tours offer a little something for everyone. With heaps of natural beauty and historical significance, this picturesque destination will completely steal your heart.

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Maine is the northeasternmost state in the US, located in a region known as New England. Maine is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the state of New Hampshire to the west, as well as parts of Canada to the north, namely New Brunswick and Quebec. 

How to get to Maine

Traveling to Maine is relatively easy with a range of options, including driving, catching a flight, or taking public transport in the form of a bus or train. Ferries are available to travel from the mainland to a number of islands off the coast.

Getting around Maine

There are a handful of ways to travel around Maine, from driving, using public transport or rideshare, or catching a flight. You just need to choose the one to suit your needs!

Maine has an efficient and reliable public transport system with bus and train networks that service most cities and regions in the state.

If short on time, you can catch a flight between cities in Maine, but driving will give you a better chance of seeing more of Maine's natural beauty.

What's the weather like in Maine?

The weather in Maine is dictated by which time of year you visit. Winters are typically cold and icy, especially in the northern parts of the state, where hearty snowfall benefits Maine's many ski mountains.

Summers are warm, sunny and pleasant but can still get fairly cool at night, especially in coastal regions. Packing layers will help fight off any chilly coastal breezes.

What do I pack for Maine?

Packing for Maine largely depends on what time of the year you're traveling in and which region of the state you're staying in.

If you're sticking to the coastal areas of Maine, the temperatures are often cooler (even in summer), so you should always pack appropriate layers, like a good sweater and long pants.

The rest of Maine experiences fairly normal seasons. You can pack dresses, shorts, and t-shirts for summer and warm layers for the colder seasons.

If you plan on walking or hiking, sensible footwear is a must. Maine is known for its natural beauty and expansive national parks, but the terrain can be quite rugged, so you'll be thankful for a good pair of shoes.

When is the best time to visit Maine?

The best time to visit Maine is between May and October, when the temperatures are warmer and the weather is nice enough to participate in outdoor activities such as cycling and hiking.

September and October are the most popular months for leaf peppers as fall foliage will be in full swing, setting the deciduous forests ablaze in shades of red, orange and gold. Due to an influx of visitors, this can be an especially busy time, and you'll want to book accommodation early.

Is Maine safe?

Maine is considered one of the safest states in the US.

This is mainly due to a strong community spirit and a smaller population than in other states. With low crime rates and quality infrastructure, you can safely assume you'll be fine traveling around the state.

Crime can still occur, so it's best always to be aware of your surroundings. Avoid traveling alone (especially at night), and stick to well-populated areas you feel comfortable in.

Are Intrepid trips accessible for travelers with disabilities?

We are committed to making travel widely  accessible , regardless of ability or disability. We do our best to help you see the world, regardless of physical or mental limitations. 

We are always happy to talk to travelers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Maine Tour Company

The best tours and activities in maine, planning your maine vacation just got easier our directory of tours and activities in maine lets you browse and buy entry to incredible experiences curated by locals.

We are the home of the best tours, activities, and things to do in Maine. We travel the Pine Tree State from north to south, east to west and everywhere in between to bring to you the widest range of experiences for your next Maine adventure!

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The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

Edited by Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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