From the Red River bordering Oklahoma to the Rio Grande along Mexico, and from the pine forests of East Texas to the Chihuahuan Desert in the west, Texas offers diverse landscapes for rockhounds.

Finding tourmaline can be challenging, often leading to frustration and wasted trips. Many enthusiasts struggle to locate prime spots, unsure where to begin their search.

We aim to solve that problem. We’ve done the legwork, researching and compiling the 13 best locations for finding tourmaline in the Lone Star State.

Save time and energy by focusing your efforts on these proven sites. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a beginner, this list will point you toward Texas’s tourmaline treasures.

How Tourmaline Forms Here

Tourmaline forms deep underground through intense heat and pressure. It originates from hot, mineral-rich fluids that move through fractures in rocks like granite and pegmatite. As these fluids cool, the minerals within them start to crystallize, forming tourmaline.

The color of tourmaline depends on the specific minerals involved, leading to a wide range of hues including pink, red, green, and blue.

Over millions of years, these crystals grow and become the beautiful, multifaceted stones we see today. Tourmaline is prized for its variety of colors and is often used in jewelry and decorative items.

The Types Of Tourmaline

Several incredible types of Tourmaline can be found in the US as well as in our state. Each is uniquely beautiful and interesting including:

Elbaite

Elbaite is found in pink, red, green, blue, yellow, and even colorless forms. What makes elbaite special is its ability to show multiple colors in a single crystal, like the famous “watermelon” tourmaline with pink and green hues.

This gem stands out due to its complex chemical makeup, which includes lithium, sodium, and aluminum. This composition gives Elbaite its diverse color range and dichroism, allowing it to display different colors when viewed from different angles.

Elbaite has a unique place in history as the first tourmaline variety in which lithium was discovered back in 1818. Some rare types, like the neon blue Paraiba elbaite, are highly sought after by collectors and jewelers.

Schorl

Schorl is known for its deep, rich color. It typically forms long, prismatic crystals with a shiny, glass-like surface when polished. Unlike other tourmalines, schorl gets its distinctive black color from high iron concentrations.

One of Schorl’s most fascinating features is its ability to become electrically charged through heating or rubbing. When charged, it can attract or repel small particles.

This unique electrical property makes Schorl valuable in various industries. It’s used in electronics and manufacturing to control static electricity and electromagnetic interference.

Despite being less colorful than other tourmalines, schorl’s practical applications make it an important and interesting variety.

Rubellite

Rubellite stands out with its vibrant pink to red colors. The most prized ones show a pure, saturated red without any brown or orange hints. This beautiful color comes from manganese in its makeup.

One cool thing about rubellite is its double refraction. It can look like it has two different colors when you view it from different angles.

Dravite

Dravite, or Brown Tourmaline, comes in shades from dark brown to light brown-yellow. It can look a bit like Smoky Quartz, with a semi-see-through quality.

Its crystals are often needle-like or prismatic, with points at both ends. This sets it apart from other tourmalines like the darker schorl or the colorful elbaite.

What makes dravite special is its rich sodium and magnesium content. This sets it apart from other tourmalines. It was first discovered in 1883 and named after the Drava River in Slovenia.

Indicolite

Indicolite is a rare and captivating blue to blue-green stone. It’s prized for its pure, bright blue color, which is considered the rarest within the tourmaline family. The hues can range from light blue-green to deep, rich blue, often with high clarity.

What sets Indicolite apart is its unique optical effects. It shows pleochroism, appearing to change color when viewed from different angles. Some specimens also display chatoyancy, creating a “cat’s eye” effect when cut in a certain way.

Indicolite is sometimes called “Brazilian sapphire” due to its resemblance to the precious gem. However, they’re different minerals.

The increasing demand for blue tourmalines has made indicolite highly sought-after in the gemstone market, appreciated for its beauty and rarity.

Watermelon Tourmaline

Watermelon tourmaline is truly one-of-a-kind. It looks just like a slice of watermelon, with a pink or red center and a green outer layer. This unique look happens because different elements join the crystal at different times as it grows.

These crystals often form in a rounded triangle shape. They’re see-through to somewhat clear and have a glass-like shine. When cut into slices, they really do look like little watermelons!

Cat’s Eye Tourmaline

Cat’s eye tourmaline is known for its mesmerizing chatoyancy effect. This creates a bright band across the stone’s surface, resembling a cat’s eye.

This stone comes in various colors, from green to pink to brown, and is usually semi-translucent to opaque.

What makes this stone special is the perfect alignment of tiny, needle-like inclusions inside it. These scatter light in a unique way, creating that eye-catching effect. It’s quite different from other tourmalines that don’t have this feature.

Unlike other cat’s eye stones, Tourmaline offers a wider range of colors and is often more affordable.

Achroite

Achroite is a rare, colorless variety of tourmaline that looks like a drop of clear water turned to stone. It’s completely transparent, making it unique among tourmalines which usually have color. The name comes from Greek, meaning “without color.”

What’s special about achroite is that it doesn’t change color when viewed from different angles. It means the stone can be cut in many ways without losing its clarity.

Verdelite

Verdelite is known for its beautiful green color. It can range from light green to deep emerald.

One thing that makes verdelite special is that you can find big, clear crystals of it. This isn’t always easy with other gemstones.

People love using verdelite in jewelry because its rich color and interesting light effects make it a popular choice for all kinds of accessories. Each piece of verdelite is like a little piece of nature you can wear.

Paraíba Tourmaline

Paraíba Tourmaline is a rare gemstone that catches the eye with its vibrant neon blue or green color. It’s like no other tourmaline you’ve seen before. The intense glow comes from copper in the stone, making it stand out from its cousins.

This stone is one of the rarest. For every 10,000 diamonds mined, only one Paraíba tourmaline is found.

It was only discovered in the late 1980s, making it a newcomer in the gem world. But Paraíba tourmaline’s unique color and rarity quickly made it a favorite among gem lovers.

Its discovery caused quite a stir in the gem community. Even small stones can be valuable because of how rare and beautiful they are.

What Rough Tourmaline Looks Like

When you’re out looking for rough Tourmaline on your own it’s important to know what you’re looking for.  Here are some tips to help you recognize rough tourmaline.

Look for Color Variations

Tourmaline comes in many colors, like pink, green, blue, and even black. Some pieces have multiple colors, like watermelon tourmaline, which is pink and green.

If you see these color mixes, it’s likely tourmaline. Keep an eye out for vibrant shades.

Assess the Density and Weight

Rough tourmaline is relatively heavy for its size. If you pick up a piece and it feels denser than expected, it could be tourmaline. This weight can help you confirm your find.

Examine the Crystal Structure

Tourmaline features distinctive crystal shapes, ranging from slender and elongated to chunky forms. Look for triangular cross-sections and striations on the surface, which indicate its unique growth patterns.

Check for Transparency

Some rough tourmaline can be slightly transparent. If you hold it up to the light, you might see through it a bit. This transparency can be a good sign that you have tourmaline.

A Quick Request About Collecting

Tips on where to look

Once you get to the places we have listed below there are some things you should keep in mind when you’re searching:

Look for Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are great places to find tourmaline. These rocks form from layers of sand, mud, and minerals. Over time, minerals like tourmaline can get trapped.

Look in riverbeds or areas where sediment has built up. You might find small pieces or even larger crystals. 

Explore Mines

Mines are great spots to find tourmaline. Many mines across the U.S. extract various gemstones, including tourmaline.

Some mines even allow visitors to search for gems themselves. Always check if they have guided tours or special digging days.

Search in Gravel Pits

Gravel pits are often overlooked, but they can be treasure troves. These pits dig deep into the earth, exposing layers of rock.

Tourmaline can be found in the gravel. Just sift through the material carefully.

The types of Tourmaline can you find around the state

In Texas, rockhounds can discover two main types of tourmaline: Achroite and Black Tourmaline.

Achroite, also known as colorless tourmaline, is a rare and prized variety. Its crystal-clear appearance makes it a unique find among the more common colored tourmalines.

Black Tourmaline, or Schorl, is the most common type found in the state. This dark, opaque variety is known for its lustrous black color and elongated crystal structure.

Both types can be found in the pegmatite formations of areas like Packsaddle Mountain, adding to the excitement of gemstone hunting in Texas.

Some Great Places To Start

Here are some of the top locations in Texas where you can begin your search for tourmaline. These sites have shown promise for finding this vibrant gemstone and are popular among local rockhounds.

White Creek

Nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, White Creek in Blanco County is a hidden gem for rockhounds seeking elusive tourmaline crystals.

This creek runs through a rocky area filled with large granite boulders and interesting plants. The creek flows northeast for about 15.5 miles, offering plenty of places to explore.

Tourmaline has been found here before, though it’s not as well-known as other gems in Texas. The unique rocks and soil around the creek make it a good place for rockhounding.

You can search for tourmaline in the gravel along the creek bed and near the big boulders. The area’s unique geology, part of the ancient Llano Uplift, has yielded occasional tourmaline finds in the past.

Quitman Mountains

The Quitman Mountains are located in the rugged Trans-Pecos region of far west Texas. This beautiful mountain range stretches for about 24 miles and has peaks that rise over 6,500 feet.

It is characterized by steep, rocky terrain and diverse geology that includes granite, monzonite, syenite, rhyolite, and metamorphosed sedimentary rocks.

The Quitman Mountains were formed during the Laramide orogeny around 60 million years ago, when the collision of tectonic plates uplifted the region. This violent geological history created ideal conditions for the formation of tourmaline.

You’ll mostly find tourmaline in pegmatite veins and metamorphic rocks throughout the mountains. If you enjoy rockhounding, exploring the canyons and valleys of the Quitman Mountains can lead to exciting discoveries of this stunning gemstone.

Badu Hill quarry

Nestled in the heart of Central Texas, Badu Hill quarry in Llano County is a rockhound’s paradise. This gem-rich site sits about 2.3 miles west of Texas Highway 261 on Highway 16.

Tourmaline hunters flock here, drawn by the quarry’s famous pegmatite formations. These rocky treasures date back over a billion years to the Mesoproterozoic era, giving the area its unique mineral makeup.

The quarry boasts large crystal formations, making it a hot spot for gemstone enthusiasts. Tourmaline isn’t the only prize here – you might stumble upon rare earth elements, uranium, or even gold.

The best places to search are in the pegmatite veins and pockets scattered throughout the quarry. Don’t overlook the gravels and creeks – they often hide unexpected finds.

Lone Star Deposits

Lone Star Deposits is located in the northeastern corner of Texas. This area, part of the North Basin East Texas Mining District, is known for its rich iron ore deposits and surprising tourmaline finds.

The geological landscape here is fascinating, featuring a massive blanket-shaped ore body stretching over 10 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide.

Rockhounds can explore the sandstone host rock, formed during the Eocene epoch, which creates an ideal environment for gemstone formation. The deposits’ proximity to the West Gulf Coastal Plain adds to the area’s diverse mineral potential.

While searching for tourmaline, keep an eye out for gravels and creek beds. The area’s history as an iron mining hub adds an extra layer of interest, with hematite, siderite, and goethite commonly found alongside tourmaline.

Packsaddle Mountain

Packsaddle Mountain, a distinctive hill with twin peaks, sits in eastern Llano County, about five miles southwest of Kingsland.

This geological gem is part of the Llano Uplift, a region famous for its diverse mineral deposits. The mountain’s unique shape, resembling a saddle, makes it a standout feature in the landscape.

For rockhounds, Packsaddle Mountain is a treasure trove. Its pegmatite formations are rich in various minerals including tourmaline. These coarse-grained igneous rocks often reveal colorful crystals in their nooks and crannies.

You can find tourmaline in the mountain’s exposed pegmatite veins and rocky outcrops. Don’t overlook the gravels and creeks running through the area, as they often carry mineral specimens washed down from higher elevations.

The mountain’s geological makeup, shaped by millions of years of natural processes, makes it an ideal spot for gemstone enthusiasts to explore and discover.

Places Tourmaline has been found by county

Let’s venture beyond our prime locations and explore the hidden gems on our list. We’ve had success in these lesser-known spots, and they’re worth your attention. We’ll take you on a county-by-county tour of these alternative hunting grounds.