Tourmaline – the stone of many colors
According to an Egyptian legend, tourmaline acquired its many colors when it passed through a rainbow on its way from the center of the earth.
The name tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese “thuramali”. This term was used for all colorful gemstones found in Sri Lanka. In Europe, the term was first recorded in writing in 1707.
The most popular colors
Tourmaline comes in a wide variety of colors, and its color spectrum is often compared to a rainbow.
The most popular tourmalines belong to the subgroup of elbaite, which contains the element lithium. The term elbaite comes from the name of the Italian island of Elba, the first place where elbaite was found.
This subgroup includes a wide range of gemstones in different colors. The best known are
- Rubellite: This red gemstone owes its color to the element manganese.
- Verdelith: Due to its green color, verdelite is often confused with emerald.
- Paraiba: Thanks to its bright turquoise color, paraiba is the most popular and most valuable of the tourmalines. It owes its name to its place of discovery in Brazil.
- Watermelon tourmaline: A common color combination is green and pink. Tourmalines with these two colors are often cut into slices. This reveals a red center with a green edge – similar to half a watermelon.
- Indigolite: Depending on the iron and titanium content, this tourmaline appears violet-blue to blue-green.
The most valuable are Paraíbas, followed by Rubellite, Indigolite, Verdelite, Watermelon Tourmaline.
Other Tourmalines
Besides the elbaite, there are many other tourmalines:
- Schorl: This is a black tourmaline that is rich in iron. It makes up about 95 percent of all tourmalines, although most of these stones are not of gem quality.
- It is said that ancient magicians used this black stone as a talisman to protect themselves from negative energy and evil forces.
- Dravite: Thanks to the trace element magnesium, this tourmaline is yellow to brown. The name comes from the site of discovery in the district of Drave, in present-day Slovenia.
Use
Thanks to the many colors, the tourmaline is very popular in jewelry. The red and green tourmaline in particular because they can look very similar to ruby and emerald.
According to the American Gem Society, the tourmaline is the birthstone of October and the stone for 5th anniversaries. The best thing about a gemstone gift for an October-born is that you have a wide selection of different colors. No matter whether your beloved has a preference for red, blue, green or colorful stones, you will definitely find what you are looking for in tourmaline.
You can have the stone made into a piece of jewelry for special occasions by a goldsmith, be it a ring, a bracelet or a necklace.
Properties
The tourmaline is not a mineral, but a very complex group of minerals. These differ in their chemical composition and physical properties.
The respective colors come from different trace elements.
This gemstone can become electrically charged when subjected to heat and pressure, causing it to oscillate and attract or repel dust particles like a magnet.
Thanks to its hardness of 7 to 7.5, it is well suited for making various pieces of jewelry.
Origin & mining sites
At the end of the 19th century, tourmaline deposits were reported in California.
Finds in Paraíba, Brazil, led to a renewed interest in tourmaline in the 1980s and 1990s. The reason for this was its striking color, ranging from neon green to bright blue.
The world's best and most valuable tourmaline specimens also come from this region.
Tourmaline is also mined in Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Mozambique, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the USA - mainly in Maine and California.
Although tourmaline is mined abundantly around the world, it is rarely found in gemstone quality. Due to the wide variety of materials, the price of this gemstone fluctuates almost as much as the color.
Most common cuts
The most popular tourmalines, the elbaite, almost always occur as elongated crystals. Its cross-section resembles a slightly rounded triangle.
This shape of rough stone usually results in elongated cuts, such as the baguette, octagon, emerald or cushion cut.
