This study characterizes natural black, blue, dark green, light green and pink tourmalines from granitic pegmatites of the Mata Azul Pegmatitic Field in central Brazil. The differences were assessed by applying electron-microprobe analysis as well as Mössbauer and optical spectroscopies. Mineral chemistry data show an increasing Mn/(Mn + Fe) atomic ratio as follows: black (0.01-0.02), blue (0.04-0.05), dark green (0.09-0.21), light green (0.33-0.42) and pink (0.68-1.00). The Mössbauer spectroscopy results show the presence of Fe 2+ (doublets with isomer shift (δ): 1.04-1.15 mm/s) for the black, blue, light green and dark green tourmalines. Fe 2+ is found in three different environments that are identified by quadrupole splitting (Δ) of 2.38-2.49 mm/s for the first, Δ = 2.13-2.34 mm/s for the second, and Δ = 1.54-1.71 mm/s for the third. The black sample spectrum has an additional fourth doublet (δ = 0.78 mm/s, Δ = 1.22 mm/s) that is assigned to an electron delocalization between Fe 2+ and Fe
3+. In the studied samples, the black color results most likely from high absorbance in all the visible spectra caused by Fe