Rubellite belongs to the Tourmaline family with pinkish to red tones. However, not all Red Tourmaline stones are called Rubellite. Only the most vivid and most saturated stones get this name. The name Tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese word ‘tura mali’ meaning ‘mixed colored stones’. Rubellite earned its name from its striking similarity to Rubies. Their hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs Scale and the fact that they have no cleavage are the reasons they make ideal stones for jewelry. Rubellites are mined from many places around the world, but most noticeably, from the USA, Brazil and Africa.