Tourmaline refers to a group of minerals that belongs to the family of silicates, most tourmalines have a pink tint which is explained by continuous natural irradiation due to their granite environment. Tourmaline is an insoluble material in acid thanks to its very particular chemical composition. The name tourmaline comes from Sinhalese which is the official language of Sri Lanka and it means stone with mixed colors.
What is the history of the tourmaline?
Tourmaline has been appreciated for centuries, without people necessarily knowing what stone it was, it was often confused with precious stones such as emerald or ruby. The first time that this stone was recognized dates from the 19th century when scientists took a closer look at it and differentiated it from other precious stones.
Where are the tourmaline deposits located?
This mineral is very common in magmatic and metamorphic rocks as well as in high-temperature hydrothermal veins, it is found in the form of rods having a triangular base and convex faces. Its deposits can be found all over the world on the 5 continents but the first mines were exploited in the United States. The most important producing country today is Brazil, it can also be found in France but these crystals are not used in jewelry.
What are the Properties of tourmaline?
The color of this stone varies depending on the type and amount of metal it contains. Tourmaline colors can range from brown to yellow to blue, red, purple, and black. There is also green tourmaline and pink tourmaline. Watermelon tourmaline is two-tone: it is pink in the center and green on its outer ends.
Unique reflection of light
The color of the same gem can vary if it is composed of several different metals on one of its ends, it is very pleochroic, its color changes according to its angle of observation which is a very interesting quality for the jewelry. The rarest tourmaline is undoubtedly the cat's eye tourmaline which owes its name to a unique reflection of light on the gem which gives it the appearance of an eye, it exists in a very wide variety of colors but is distinguished from other stones by its exceptional purity and transparency when exposed to light. The lighter Tourmaline gems can pair very well with light metals like white gold or silver while the darker ones go best with yellow or black gold. Tourmaline was previously used to clean pipes and then pyroelectric properties were discovered which made its use interesting for certain electrical devices. Indeed, when heated or rubbed vigorously, it becomes electrically charged. For example, this material is found in hair straighteners to eliminate static electricity. It also neutralizes harmful waves such as those from mobile phones. It is of course also used in jewelry because it has many attractive colors.
What are the Benefits of tourmaline?
According to lithotherapy, black tourmaline is a stone that goes very well with pink quartz or rock crystal to meditate or to ward off negative energies from one's home. Brown or black tourmaline is associated with the root chakra, its properties are excellent for facilitating one's body's relationship with the Earth and grounding oneself in reality when worn as jewelry.
What month of birth does tourmaline correspond to?
Tourmaline is the birthstone for those born in October. It is a stone of creativity that brings artistic inspiration and calms tormented spirits. It also brings emotional comfort and clears destructive patterns.
To which wedding anniversary correspond the weddings of the tourmaline?
Tourmaline weddings are celebrated after 52 years of marriage. This energizing stone is perfect for restoring energy to your couple after so many years. She would have the power to make feelings noble and absorb negative waves in relationships.
Color
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Colorless, pink, red, yellow, brown, green, blue, violet, black, multicolored
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line color
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White
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Hardness
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7-7.5
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Density |
2.82-3.32
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Cleavage |
Indistinct
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Break
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Uneven, slightly conchoidal, splintery
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Rhombohedral crystals
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Elongated primes with a triangular section with rounded sides, longitudinal streaks.
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Transparency
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Clear to Opaque
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Refringence or index of refraction
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1.614-1.666
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Birefringence
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From -0.014 to -0.032
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Dispersion
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0.017 (0.009-0.011)
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Pleochroism
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Red tourmaline: sharp, dark red, light red Brown tourmaline: sharp, dark brown, light brown Green tourmaline: strong, dark green, green-yellow
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Absorption spectrum
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Green Tourmaline: 497, 461, 415
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Fluorescence
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green or none
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