“These gems have life in them, their colors speak, say what words fail to.” - George Eliot said these powerful words for gemstones which are true even today. Each gemstone has a unique color and speaks about its beauty in its own way. One such gemstone, tourmaline, is known to be a very versatile gem that is utterly distinguished and adored because of its beautiful hues and shades. Just like sapphires, tourmaline come in a variety of colors. In fact, tourmaline has one of the widest range of colors for any gemstone species.
Pink tourmaline itself comes in a wide range of shades - from light pink to pinkish red variation. Tourmaline is its own mineral, and the presence of various elements such as aluminum or iron is what creates its different colored varieties. Pink tourmalines gain their color from the presence of the trace element manganese. This mineral tourmaline is very rare, especially pink tourmaline, because of this rarity it has become highly sought-after by the collectors around the world.
Types of Tourmaline
Some varieties (or species, as they are often termed) of Tourmaline are well known all over the world.
- Schorl Species: Brownish black to black variety of tourmaline falls under schorl.
- Dravite Species: Dark Yellow to Brownish Black tourmaline
- Elbaite Species: The bright color variety of tourmaline falls under elbaite
Symbolism
The October birthstone: Pink tourmaline has garnered a lot of popularity recently and is said to be a symbol of compassion and wisdom. It has been long associated with unconditional love and friendship; it is also said to promote a relaxed, peaceful and joyful state of mind.
For centuries now, pink tourmaline has had a huge significance in different cultures in various forms and is said to bring different virtues to its wearer. There are many different beliefs etched to this gemstone:
- A dutch scientist claimed that if a tourmaline is wrapped in a silk cloth and placed against the cheek of a feverish child, it would induce sleep.
- In Africa, tourmaline was once used as a stone to awaken one from “the dream illusion”.
- Alchemists prized the gem. believing it to be related to the philosopher's stone because of its pyroelectric function. This was claimed to be the material that could offer enlightenment, give spiritual power, reconcile opposites, and turn base metals into gold.
- Tribes in Africa, Native Americans, and aboriginal cultures in Australia have all used the stone as a talisman to protect them from all perils in current times.
Facts
- Tourmalines are sometimes called the “Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) Magnet”. Due to their pyroelectric characteristics, they can both attract and repel hot ash.
- The term tourmaline is derived from a Sinhalese word “Toromalli” which means something small taken from the earth.
- Tourmalines also possess the characteristics of being Dichroic. This means that when the gemstone is held at different angles, its shades can vary in intensity or change overall appearance, due to lighting.
Pink tourmaline scores 7.5 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness making it one of the hardest gemstones. The durability and hardness of pink tourmaline makes it a very popular choice to be set in jewelry, particularly engagement rings. The pink gemstone will be able to withstand the wear and tear of everyday life and not lose its luster ever!
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