The word Tourmaline is elicited from the Sinhalese word "tōramalli" which belongs to a wide group of crystalline silicate mineral groups and encloses boron compounded with numerous elements such as iron, lithium, aluminum, potassium, etc.
Tourmaline primarily comes in black color but you can easily find tourmaline gemstones in a vast array of colors and some stones come even in bi-color and tri-color. Tourmaline is a fabled stone across the world and its bewitching appearance is second to none. Tourmaline gemstone is also hailed for its spiritual and astrological significance which we will discuss in the later sections.
Tourmaline is principally found in granite and metamorphic rocks. Tourmaline is one of the most durable minerals and is also found in a dainty amount in sandstone and sedimentary rocks.
Tourmaline is extensively mined in most of the regions in Brazil and numerous African countries like Madagascar, Tanzania, Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, and Nigeria. It is also mined in a restricted manner in Asian countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
Tourmaline has different names in different languages and countries. Tourmaline in Hindi is called Toomalain, Tourmaline in Afrikans is called toermalyn, and Tourmaline in Spanish is called turmalina.
Let’s discuss the chemical composition of Tourmaline.
Tourmaline has a mind-boggling chemical composition mostly comprising silicate minerals. The chemical formula of Tourmaline is XY3Z6(T6O18)(BO3)3V3W.
Physical Properties of Tourmaline:-
| Specific Gravity: | 3.06+0.20−0.06 |
|---|---|
| Density: | 2.82 - 3.2 |
| Mohs Scale: | 7.0-7.5 |
| Refractive Index: | 1.635–1.675 |
| Dispersion: | .017
|
| Luster: | Vitreous |
| Optical Properties: | Double Refractive |
Price is never a concern when you earnestly and passionately want to buy something. However, those who don’t want to make a dent in their pockets but still covet to own a dazzling piece of Tourmaline.
The price of Tourmaline vastly varies with the change in color, carat size, clarity, origin, and cut. If we talk about the exact price of tourmaline price in India, the per carat price begins with 1000rs ($12 USD) per carat to 1.5 lakh ($1815 USD) per carat. Here’s the catch; green color tourmaline with higher carat weight usually prices more than dark color Tourmaline stones like black or violet. In addition to that, Tourmaline gemstones belonging to Brazilian & African regions are always high in value as the stones elicited from mines there are unrivaled in quality.
The meaning of Tourmaline stone is easy to decipher as it is not a traditional birthstone but many Astrologers consider this stone as an October birthstone. People who are born in the month of October should wear this riveting stone and people with the Zodiac sign Libra can also wear this stone.
It is advised to wear Tourmaline under the guidance and supervision of an eminent Astrologer as wearing this enigmatic gemstone at the wrong time and on the wrong finger can bring catastrophic effects in your life. Moreover, Tourmaline stone is well known for its healing, metaphysical, spiritual, and emotional benefits. Many prominent astrologers firmly believe that the different color variants of Tourmaline crystals have a profound impact on the different body Chakras and are supposed to reinvigorate the body’s vitality and aura.
Tourmaline comes in a humongous, magnificent, and beguiling range of colors and sizes. Let’s have a glance at some of the most sought-after ones.
1.Black Tourmaline - As the name suggests, Black Tourmaline is an opaque to mild transparent natural stone and is black in color because of the presence of boron compound in the chemical composition. Black Tourmaline comes in a plethora of startling black hues from mild black to lush black. Subsequently, Black Tourmaline is available in abundance at a pocket-friendly price.
2.Green Tourmaline - By miles, Green tourmaline is one of the finest and highly revered types of Tourmaline in existence. From pale green to lush green, green tourmaline prevails in a wide range of hues, texture, and cut. If we go by the Astrological significance, Green tourmaline is considered exemplary to heal heart-related issues because its healing and spiritual properties are second to none.
3.Paraiba Tourmaline - Without any doubt, Paraiba tourmaline stone is the undisputed king of all Tourmalines, the reason being its jaw-dropping glossy appearance and rarity in occurrence. Paraiba tourmaline occurs only in Brazilian and Nigerian mines which limits its production but the demand stays all-time high. As Paraiba tourmaline gemstones are quite exorbitant, one should buy this gemstone only from certified gemstone sellers or dealers like Navratan to avoid any deceitful activity.
4.Rubelite - It would be right to say that Rubelite comfortably sits at the top of the cream-quality tourmalines. Its deep reddish and purple colors can spellbind any gemstone lover and rubellite will continue to hold its value because of its dazzling hues.
5.Pink Tourmaline - The eye-pleasing lush and light pink colors of pink tourmaline is extensively used in making drool-worthy and swanky jewelry pieces. Taking into account its astrological significance, wearing pink tourmaline vehemently impacts the chakras near the heart and in between the eyes. Moreover, pink tourmaline is crazily popular among Gen-Z and millennials because of its exquisite and groovy appearance.
The immense benefits of Tourmaline stone are inexplicable in words yet we will state some of the pivotal benefits that come with wearing a Tourmaline gemstone.
1.In terms of benefits, tourmaline stone resembles opal to a great extent. It is highly revered like other mammoth gemstones and it always rides high in demand at every corner of the world.
2.If you are struggling to sleep carefree like a baby, tourmaline is the stone that will gobble all your stress and help you sleep like a free bird.
3.Suffering from despair, anger, depression, and lack of willpower? Wearing Tourmaline will cut down everything negative from your life as tourmaline's healing properties are incredible.
4.Tourmaline improves immune power and willpower by leaps and bounds by cleansing the blockages caused by negative energy.
5.In combination with an ornament like a Necklace, Tourmaline can take care of heart-related issues like nothing else.
6.Wearing Tourmaline can also sky-rocket your spiritual growth and helps to touch those realms of consciousness that you can only dream about.
7.Tourmaline healing properties suppress the jealously related issues and establish trust and firmness in your relationship.
A plethora of factors influence the quality of Tourmaline and the principal ones are cut, clarity, origins, carat weight, and color. Tourmaline is a fabled gemstone and known for its unparalleled brilliance and quality.
Tourmaline gemstones are available in an exhilarating color and size range. Therefore, it is imperative for any person to stick hard to defined parameters that determine the quality of Tourmaline stones. Let’s talk about all the parameters one at a time.
Color: We have already stated in the above section that Tourmaline primarily comes in black color but it can also range from orange to yellow, pink, peacock color, green, violet, blue, and other hues. However, the intriguing part is pale-colored Tourmalines stones are always higher in demand in comparison to quite dark color Tourmalines.
Therefore, always go for slightly light-colored, glossy, and brilliance-oozing Tourmalines as they are of pristine quality, always remain high in value, and are rare to find.
Cut: Like Tanzanite, Tourmaline also possesses a pleochroism effect which makes the cutting process bothersome. A well-cut Tourmaline stone that has its shine and brilliance maintained is always the hot favorite of every Tourmaline lover. One of the best aspects of Tourmaline stone is they are available in a huge range of cuts and whimsical shapes that separate it from the rest.
Clarity: Unquestionably, clarity is one of the most influential factors in determining the quality of a Tourmaline stone. According to distinguished gemologists, tourmaline is one of the cleanest gemstone types and its flaws are not visible with unaided eyes. The higher the clarity, the more the value of this gemstone increases steadily. Generally, green tourmaline has the highest clarity score, and other types like Rubelite or Watermelon tourmaline have the lowest clarity score. Moreover, the quality of tourmaline is inversely proportional to the number of inclusions. The higher the inclusions in the stone, its quality decreases drastically.
Carat Weight: Tourmaline’s quality and value have a direct relation with carat weight. The bigger the size of the tourmaline stone, the higher its value goes up. The price increases significantly with the increase in per carat
Origin: Though Tourmaline is available in numerous countries of South America, Africa, and Asia, The Bahia and Minas Gerais regions of Brazil produce the rarest, huge color range, and the unmatched quality of Tourmalines. African countries like Nigeria and Tanzania are also well-known for giving some of the finest green color pieces of Tourmaline of all time.
