Tourmaline Description

Tourmaline, often called “The Receptive Stone” is an absolutely brilliant crystal.  Its charm comes from its wide range of radiant colors and healing properties, and it can be found in various locations on the globe.  Legend states tourmaline was created from the mesmerizing energies of the rainbow, offering joy, generosity, and illumination.  Its colors vary from black, brown, green, pink, red, yellow, blue, watermelon and blue green.  Its color variation spans more than almost any other gemstone.  Tourmaline can be shiny, opaque, or transparent with a vitreous luster and is extremely durable with a 7-7.5 rating on the Mohs scale.  This crystal is a master in its mental healing capacity.  It allows us to recognize when it is safe to love and tells us when it is time to release past sorrows and trauma.  When dealing with others, its energies allow us to act with compassion, wisdom, flexibility, and mindfulness.  Tourmaline is an excellent stone for the broken hearted; it cleanses, purifies, and transforms any negative thoughts and emotions into positive ones.  In times of turmoil, tourmaline will help to point out the culprit, find solutions to issues, and enlighten the path to take moving forward.  While different colors of tourmaline have their own unique set of healing properties, in addition to those above, tourmaline works with all the chakras from the root to the crown.  Tourmaline balances the meridians of the body and clears the aura.  It is a wonderful stone for inner healing, encouraging universal love at every turn as it dispels disruptive feelings and emotions.  If you are looking to truly understand yourself and others, live with compassion and empathy, tourmaline is a crystal you want to have by your side. 

History

Known for centuries as “schorl” the name tourmaline didn’t come about until 1703.  Early history of the crystal shows the name “schorl” was in use early before the name tourmaline.  The namesake “schorl” was given by the town in Germany, Zschorlau.  This village had a nearby mine where black tourmaline was found.  The name tourmaline originates from the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) words “tura mali” meaning “unknown gemstone of mixed colors”.  In 1703, a specimen of the gem arrived in Amsterdam from Sri Lanka and at that point, it was realized to be a different stone.  Tourmaline is a crystalline silicate mineral group in which boron is compounded with a variety of other minerals including aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium.  Like feldspar, garnet and mica, tourmaline is not just one mineral, rather it is a group of closely related minerals.  It is also documented that green tourmaline was discovered in the 1500’s in Brazil by a Spanish conquistador, however, he confused it with the emerald at the time.  Tourmalines were also discovered by Dutch traders in the late 1600’s or early 1700’s, with the first discovery in the United States in 1822 in the state of Maine by Elijah Hamlin and Ezekial Holmes.  California’s first deposits were found in the late 1800’s.  Much of this tourmaline was shipped to China to be carved.  Soon after this, many Brazilian deposits of the crystal were discovered, and Brazil continues to be a top producer of some of the finest tourmalines.  Brazil still holds the record for the world’s largest Paraiba tourmaline weighing 191.87 carats.  American tourmaline gemstones spiked in popularity when minerologist George Kunz sold green tourmaline from Maine to Tiffany and Co. in 1876.  Tourmaline is highly coveted for jewelry making due to the gem’s durability, range of colors, and beauty.  The most common color is black while the bright blue green varieties with traces of copper (Paraiba), watermelon, chrome, and pink being the rarest varieties.  There is a good chance that tourmaline has a much richer history than documented because it is likely that the gem was confused with other gemstone varieties making historical references hard to come by.  Russian crown jewels from the 17th century contained various tourmalines.  William Shakespeare had a wonderful collection of tourmaline jewelry as he believed tourmaline aided him in overcoming writer’s block.  Writers of the Renaissance used tourmaline in their talismans for this same reason.  The last Empress of China, Dowager Tz’u-hsi, coveted pink tourmaline.  At her death, her head was laid on a pillow carved of pink tourmaline.

Tourmaline also possesses pyroelectric and piezoelectric capabilities.  The piezoelectric effect is the generation of an electric voltage upon application of mechanical stress, while pyroelectricity relates to the generation of electrical charge upon heating or rubbing.  Due to this unique property, it is used in pressure devices, in sonar apparatus, and in other gauges that detect and measure pressures.  Its demand increased during World War II as an increase of pressure gauges was needed for submarine sonar and other needed equipment that was instrumental.  Tourmaline crystals can often exhibit polarity, which means it has a different charge at either end of the crystal that creates natural magnetism. 

Metaphysical Properties  

·         Grounds Spiritual Energy

·         Clears and Balances the Chakras

·         Creates a Protective Shield Around the Body

·         Protects During Rituals and Spiritual Practices

·         Good for Use When Scrying

·         Clears the Aura

·         Attracts Inspiration, Compassion, Tolerance, and Prosperity

·         Encourages Universal and Self-Love

·         Disperses Emotional Pain and Trauma

·         Balances the Hemispheres of the Brain

·         Illuminates Solutions to a Problem

·         Balances the Body’s Meridians

·         Acts as a Natural Insecticide for Plants and Gardens

·         Encourages Growth of Crops

·         Aids in Understanding of the Self and Others

·         Promotes Self-Confidence

·         Diminishes Fear

·         Transmutes Negative Thought Patterns to Positive Ones

·         Enhances Energy Flow

·         Dissolves Disruptive Feelings

·         Inspires Creativity

Physical Healing

·         Treats Paranoia

·         Helps Overcome Dyslexia

·         Releases Tension

·         Balances Male and Female Energies

·         Strengthens Stamina and Energizes

·         Heals the Physical Heart

·         Detoxifies the Body

·         Aids the Immune System and Nervous System

·         Strengthens Bones and Teeth

·         Relieves Heartburn, Headaches, and Muscle Pain

In addition to the properties listed above, the following colors possess these additional attributes:

Blue Tourmaline 

·         Encourages Spiritual Freedom and Self-Expression

·         Aids in Psychic Awareness

·         Promotes Visions

·         Encourages Fidelity and Ethical Behaviors

·         Brings Blocked Feelings to the Surface to be Healed and Dissipated

·         Assists in Developing an Inner-Sense of Responsibility

·         Promotes Living in Harmony with the Environment

·         Creates Drive to Achieve Goals and Aspirations

·         Helpful for Insomnia

Clear Tourmaline 

·         Counters Anger and Resentment

·         Relieves Stressful Thoughts

·         Calms and Balances the Mind

·         Aids in Connection to the Inner-Self

·         Clears Insecurities

Brown Tourmaline 

·         Grounding

·         Aligns the Etheric Body

·         Encourages Community Spirit

·         Comforts in Large Groups of People

·         Heals Dysfunctional Family Relationships

·         Strengthens Empathy 

Green Tourmaline 

·         Helpful for Chronic Fatigue

·         Aids in Visualization

·         Promotes Tenderness

·         Creates Openness and Patience

·         Attracts Prosperity and Abundance

·         Overcomes Problems with Father Figures

·         Quiets the Mind

Purple Tourmaline 

·         Heals the Heart

·         Produces Loving Consciousness

·         Connects Root and Heart Chakras

·         Increases Devotion

·         Promotes Intuition and Stimulates the Pineal Gland

·         Strips Away Illusions

·         Useful for Past-Life Healing

·         Reduces Depression and Releases Obsessive Thoughts

Red Tourmaline 

·         Promotes Understanding of Love

·         Increases Sociability and Extroversion

·         Instills Compassion and Devotion

·         Encourages Tactfulness and Flexibility

·         Balances Extreme Aggression

·         Increases Stamina and Endurance

·         Provides Joy, Openness, and Emotional Stability

·         Fosters Inner Strength and Wisdom

·         Unites Heart and Body in Love and Passion

Pink Tourmaline 

·         Aphrodisiac that Attracts Love

·         Inspires Trust in Love

·         Assists in Gaining Self-Love

·         Disperses Emotional Pain and Old Destructive Feelings

·         Heals Inner-Chaos

·         Cleanses and Synthesizes Love with Spirituality

·         Promotes Humanitarianism

·         Fosters Listening and Understanding

·         Overcomes Anxiety

·         Attracts Absolute Love and Friendship

Yellow Tourmaline 

·         Enhances Personal Power

·         Opens up Spiritual Pathways

·         Benefits Intellectual Pursuits and Business Affairs 

For Black Tourmaline and Watermelon Tourmaline:  Full Detailed Descriptions are under “B” and “W” on the A-Z Page

Chakras

·         Third Eye (Blue)

·         Throat (Blue)

·         Sacral (Brown)

·         Root (Brown)

·         Heart (Pink, Purple, Green, Heart)

·         Solar Plexus (Yellow)

·         Crown (Clear) 

Proper Care 

To cleanse Tourmaline, use warm water, mild soap, and a soft cloth to dry.  Tourmaline is an excellent stone for daily wear due to it being one of the more durable stones.  To charge, place in the full moonlight for a few hours, or place on or next to Selenite for spiritual cleansing and recharging.  You may also pair with clear quartz to give it an extra boost.  Avoid leaving colored tourmalines in the sunlight for prolonged periods of time, as this could fade the color.  However, tourmalines are durable, and are a great choice for daily wear.