Tourmaline

Specifications

The pegmatites are rocks of magmatic origin, which are formed from the liquid residues of the formation of the neighboring granite. Their composition is thus close to that of granite, but their richness in water allowed a good diffusion of minerals and favored the appearance of large crystals. This is how many gems appear, and among them, tourmaline ... It is found in the form of rods triangular base, convex faces.

There are many colours of tourmaline, some frequent as the variety elbaite (colourless, blue, green, pink) and others much rarer as the variety Watermelon (pink in the center, green on the edges, like watermelon ...).

Here are some examples :

The black tourmaline, very bright, is opaque and sometimes has blue, green or brown shades.

Rubellite, as the name suggests, is bright and deep red.

The Afghan tourmaline of the Kunar Valley is peachy and soft green.

The indocolite is a deep blue, while the Paraiba Brazilian Tourmaline has a range of bright blue tones, even electric!

Pink tourmaline looks like pink sapphire but at a much more affordable price. Others are yellow, orange, and even gray...

Origin

The majority of tourmaline comes today from Brazil. But depending on the colours and varieties, these stones can come from Afghanistan (indicolites), India, Madagascar (rubellites), Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Burma, Russia (sibérites) or Thailand. There are even some crystals in France but they are not used in jewellery.

Virtues

It is undoubtedly its electrical properties that explain its use in geobiology. Tourmaline is reputed to protect habitats against bad waves, whether technological origin (wifi network, mobile phones ...) or natural, as the harmful areas of the Hartmann network, the electromagnetic grid that would cover the Earth.

The properties attributed to tourmaline vary according to the type of gemstone. The black tourmaline is said to be particularly effective, placed at the four corners of a house, to protect it from a geobiological point of view. It strengthens the muscles, especially the heart. The watermelon version is effective against emotional problems.

Rubellite is thought to help keep the liver healthy, as well as the lymph and joints, not to mention the circulatory system. The blue tourmaline has beneficial effects on the glands like the thyroid, while the green concentrates its benefits on the blood problems (anemia, poisonings).

History

It is nicknamed the gemstone chameleon, which refers not only to the diversity of its tones, but also to the fact that it has often been confused with other gemstones.

Known in Europe since the early eighteenth century, it was identified by the naturalist Buffon in 1759. The Empress of China Tzu Hsi, who ruled from 1860 to 1908, adored the pink tourmaline and reserved the entire production of the Stewart Mine, Southern California!

Tourmaline has piezoelectric properties, that is, it charges electrically under stress (pressure). It is also pyroelectric, which means that it charges static electricity at its ends when it is heated.

Its presence in soils is sometimes a precursor to the formation of a gold deposit. The tender pink tourmaline is often offered, mounted on a ring, on Valentine's Day.