The name Paraiba tourmaline originally refers to a specific, and specifically rare, gem: a copper bearing tourmaline first discovered in the late 1980s in Paraiba state, Brazil, prized for a neon blue to green glow unlike any other gemstone. Related copper bearing material was later found in Nigeria and Mozambique, and all of it is still generally sold under the Paraiba name.
Genuine Paraiba tourmaline is exceptionally rare and correspondingly expensive, since it depends on a specific trace element (copper) that most tourmaline deposits simply do not contain, including the pegmatites of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The term "Paraiba colour" or "Paraiba like", which you will see used honestly in our own listings, describes tourmaline that displays a similarly vivid, electric blue to green hue without necessarily containing copper or coming from one of the confirmed copper bearing localities. It is a description of the colour, not a claim of origin or rarity equivalent to genuine Paraiba material.
Whether the vivid colour in a given specimen comes from copper or another trace element combination typically requires laboratory testing to determine with certainty, which is why reputable sellers describe this material by colour rather than asserting it is the rare Brazilian, Nigerian, or Mozambican variety.
See our Paraiba Tourmaline collection for examples of this striking hue.