Tourmaline, the birthstone for the month of October, is an amazing semi-precious gemstone that comes in a rainbow of colors including pink, red, green, yellow, blue, violet, brown and black.
The root of the name is from Sri Lanka, where 'toramalli' in Sinhalese means "a mixed-color precious stone," or 'turamali' which means "something small from the Earth."
The color of tourmaline is determined by the type and quantity of metal it contains, as it's made from aluminum borosilicate mixed with a variety of different metals including iron & magnesium. It's a fascinating gemstone as it can also vary it's color within the same tourmaline mineral rock if there is more metal toward one end!
Another interesting fact is that tourmalines can be electrically charged when heated or rubbed vigorously. When this happens, the stone develops both a positive and negative end, and like a magnet, dust as well as small pieces of paper are drawn to it. In the 1700's, Dutch traders used charged tourmaline to clean ash from their tobacco pipes. They called the mineral rock "aschentrekker" which means 'ash puller'.
Tourmalines provide many benefits to the wearer, and its properties vary slightly, depending on the color of the gemstone. Find out the meaning of each tourmaline color below:
Green tourmaline: Also called Verdelite, it provides healing energy for the heart and body. The green tourmaline color represents life energy, living, thriving and growing. Green tourmaline supports masculinity, courage, and strength.
Blue tourmaline: Also called Indicolite. Blue tourmaline provides peace and tranquility, and is connected to calmness, clarity, communication, and an increased sense of responsibility.
Pink and Red tourmalines: Also called Rubellite. Red & pink tourmaline provide life-force energies, imparting love, joy, vitality, and a zest for life. It revitalizes romantic relationships.
Black tourmaline: Also called Schorl, provides protection while energizing the body. It can help protect the body from environmental pollutants and radiation while neutralizing negative thoughts & internal conflicts. It transforms negative energies into positive energies.
In addition to strengthening the mind and body as it transforms negative energy into positive energy, tourmalines impart powerful healing and protection energies.
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