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 Tourmaline is
a gemstone which appears in numerous legends, from the thrilling stories about
artful magicians who earthed these gems as an instructional matrix for the generations
to come, to legends about extraterrestrial intelligence that «materialized»
tourmalines on Earth for a superior purpose. Tourmalines are gems with an
incomparable variety of colors. The reason, according to an old Egyptian
legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the
Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colors of the
rainbow.
Another
legend says that once in ancient times far in the Andes mountains tourmaline wands
were molded by the artful magicians. They had all the colors of the spectrum,
from charcoal black to snow white, and were 15 cm long. Only a few people
can lay their hands on these tourmaline wands, and those few can gain access to
the ancient knowledge.
That's the story.
So if you find a long rainbow-colored tourmaline wand....well, you know what to
do.
According
to the «extraterrestrial theory», the tourmaline deposits on Earth are of
extraterrestrial origin. Moreover, it was not a meteorite rain that scattered
on the surface of our planet these amazing rainbow-colored stones, but some superior
life forms have purposefully placed tourmalines on Earth to help the mankind to
progress to a new level of knowledge, the so-called «aquamarine era». Supposedly,
tourmaline will be used to build a rainbow bridge for the human soul to move on
and experience various forms of life.
The name
tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words «'tura mali». In translation, this
means something like «stone with mixed colors», referring to the color spectrum
of this gemstone, which outdoes that of all other precious stones. There are
tourmalines from red to green and from blue to yellow. There are tourmalines
which change their color when the light changes from daylight to artificial
light, and some show the light effect of a cat's eye. No two tourmalines are
exactly alike. This gemstone has an endless number of faces, and for that
reason it suits all moods.
Overall,
there are eleven recognized varieties of tourmaline differentiated by unique
chemical structures. This is a relatively hard gemstone with several very
interesting physical properties. Some stones, when heated, display a property
called pyroelectricity with the stone developing opposite polarities with a
negative charge one end and a positive charge on the other.
Apirite is
a pink tourmaline, a lucky stone of artists, which can inspire, give
confidence, and contribute to the recognition.
Achroite... is
a colorless tourmaline, while rubellite is a variety of red tourmaline, the
most desirable being the ruby red. A good rubellite will have a lively pink to
red colour and these stones are getting more and more popular. Africa and
Brazil are good sources of the red gemstones as well as Madagascar and USA. Red
tourmaline is considered to be «a man's stone», which brings men happiness and
success in love, increases energy and enhances sexual potency.
Indicolite
comprises different shades of blue stones, from the deep blue of sapphire
through blue greens to blue turquoise. A high proportion of these gemstones are
usually very dark in color and a common practice is to heat treat them to
lighten the color and make them more appealing. A violet blue variety known as siberite
is found in Siberia.
Verdalite is
a green tourmaline with the most common colors being a yellowish green or
bottle green. The most valuable and sought after verdalite is emerald or
chromium green. Yellow varieties do exist but they are usually a peachy off
yellow rather than a good sharp yellow. Verdalite is considered to have the
most effective rejuvenating effect. It contributes to the emergence and
retention of creative inspiration, but also cures liver diseases, nervous
disorders and boosts immunity.
Dravite is
a brown yellow or brown orange tourmaline. Darker brown gems are often heat
treated to lighten them up and make them more appealing. Very often these
stones change color when viewed at different angles making them a popular
jewel.
Schorl is the
black variety of the gemstone and in the most plentiful supply is not used as a
gem any longer. However in Victorian times it was a very popular gem that was
worn to mourn the dead.
Chameleonite
is a tourmaline which changes color from olive-green in daylight to red-brown under
artificial light. A multi-colored tourmaline is a symbol of harmony.
Tourmalines
are found in a number of regions throughout the globe, with the best sources
being Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia on the African continent, and
Brazil, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Russia. Within the United States of America, the
state of California is an excellent source. Tourmalines are also found in
Norway, Germany, and Greenland.
In Russia,
there are large deposits of siberites, one of the most precious tourmalines. Academician
A.E. Fersman wrote that «the tourmalines of the Urals... have earned the
highest praise... as the beauty and depth of their cherry-red color is
incompatible with the color of any other tourmaline in the world ...»
Unfortunately,
Russian tourmaline fields, discovered in XVIII-XIX centuries (Urals, Trans-Baikal,
etc.), are almost depleted. However, in 1985, in Trans-Baikal area
in the taiga Zachikoyskaya mountainous area Malhansk pegmatite field was
opened. Today, it is known all over the world, as more than 300 pegmatite lodes
were found there. This filed is mostly known for its rubellites-daurites,
verdalites, polychromatic and cat-eye tourmalines. Some crystals measure 47 by 20 cm.
No wonder
that magical powers have been attributed to it since ancient times. In
particular, it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, and is said to render
them firm and long-lasting. Even after wearing green tourmaline for just one
day, you will feel physically stronger. When a man wears green tourmaline he
will feel stronger, when a woman wears pink tourmaline it will greatly nourish
her feminine nature. Pink tourmaline is a strong protector for both genders.
Prices for
tourmalines range from $25 to several thousand dollars per carat, depending on
the color, hue, size, quality, and purity of the stone. In the fascinating
world of gemstones, the tourmaline is very special. Its high availability and
its glorious, incomparable color spectrum make it one of our most popular
gemstones - and apart from that, almost every tourmaline is unique.
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