WHEN WAS PARIBA TOURMALINE MINED OUT?

The most likely answer is that Paraíba tourmaline was not mined out at a single point in time. The original Brazilian source in Paraíba became depleted very quickly after discovery in the late 1980s, and recent reports say the stone is still being found in other places, including Mozambique and a newly reported possible source in Ethiopia.

What happened

Paraíba tourmaline refers to the neon blue-green tourmaline first discovered in Brazil’s Paraíba state, and that original deposit was largely exhausted early on because production was small and demand was intense. A 2026 report notes the market is still active and that a potential new source has been reported in Ethiopia, which shows the gem has not simply disappeared from supply.

Best plain answer

If you mean the original Brazilian mine , it was effectively mined out long ago, but not on one exact publicly agreed date. If you mean Paraíba tourmaline as a gemstone category, it is not fully mined out because other sources have continued to appear.

Quick context

• The Brazilian Paraíba occurrence is historically the famous one and is considered depleted.
• Mozambique became an important later source, though one report says a mine there was wrecked after only a few months of squatters taking over.
• A new possible Ethiopian source was reported in June 2026.

TL;DR: the original Paraíba source in Brazil was mined out years ago, but Paraíba tourmaline itself has not been mined out globally.