size: 23 x 6 mm weight: 1.88 grams material: 18k white gold gemstones: natural neon pink tourmaline 1.25ctw each Notes from the Curator These pear-shaped pink tourmaline earrings set in 18-karat white gold fall within the spectrum of intense "neon" pink hues associated with high-quality material from deposits in Mozambique, Madagascar, and Brazil. The deposits yield both clean and included stones, with some displaying the highly prized neon-pink hues. The coloration of rubellite is primarily due to the presence of manganese (Mn³⁺) within the elbaite tourmaline structure. In Imperial China, pink tourmaline—especially rubellite—was highly prized during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). Empress Dowager Cixi, who held a central role in the court for several decades, had a particular fondness for this stone and had many jewels and funerary ornaments set with it. The pear or teardrop shape seen here, with its tapered point and rounded base, is a classic cut for pink tourmaline drops, chosen to maximize light return through the crown while preserving carat weight in elbaite crystals that often form in elongated prisms. White gold is the favored mount for pink and red tourmalines in contemporary settings; its cool neutrality brings forward the gem's true pink saturation without the warmth that yellow gold can lend.