Tourmalines come in a wide assortment of hues. In fact, tourmaline occurs in a variety of hues of almost every color, making it one of the gem species with the broadest color spectrum.

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Furthermore, some tourmalines reveal chatoyancy, a cat's-eye effect. The eyes of cat's-eye tourmalines are often softer and more diffused than those of fine cat's-eye chrysoberyl. They are most frequently green, blue, or pink in color. This is due to the fact that numerous thin, tube-like inclusions that naturally form during the formation of tourmaline cause the effect.