Tourmaline

An Introduction to Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a semiprecious, opaque stone that comes a wide variety of shades, everything from colorless to true black, from pastel pink to fuchsia to ruby. It can even be found in teal and green, often combining with pink tourmaline to create what is lovingly known as “watermelon tourmaline.” Tourmaline inherited its’ name from the Sinhalese word “turamali,” which translates to “stone of many colors.” Because of its vast collection of colors, plenty of other gemstones can be confused with Tourmaline. One such example of this confusion is a prized possession of Catherine the Great - the "Caesar's Ruby" - gifted to her by King Gustav III of Sweden. In 1922 it was discovered to be, rather than a Ruby, a 52-carat Rubellite, or Red Tourmaline.

Tourmaline is often used as a stone of protection and grounding, but it can also stimulate creativity. This gorgeous gemstone was a popular prized possession for creative artists and poets, ranging from the Renaissance through the Victorian Era. It was rumored that Shakespeare possessed Tourmaline jewelry to aid with overcoming writer’s block!

One surprising fact about Tourmaline is that this gemstone, along with Quartz, was used by the Curie Brothers to prove the piezoelectric effect. In 1880 Jacques & Pierre Curie found that, by wiring a tourmaline or quartz crystal to a recording meter & striking it, they could produce an electric signal. Then they found that squeezing it resulted in the same effect. What was happening was that the crystal was turning the energy of the strike or squeeze into electricity - it was transducing. These findings led to the creation of technologies such as Sonar, using a crystal transducer, which was implemented by the U.S. Navy as early as 1919, and throughout WWII to help determine the depth of enemy submarines.

No matter what Tourmaline color you choose, this precious gemstone can aid in protecting you by creating a shield around your physical body and aura. Beyond this, you will also feel your energy lighten as you release any negativity and stale energy that's been dragging you down. Also a great heart healing gemstone, with your Tourmaline crystal near your heart, you can step out into the world, knowing that you are cared for and knowing that the Universe has your back!