TOURMALINE

Tourmaline is one of the most varied and complex gemstones found on earth. It is extremely attractive and usually has fine attributes for high quality jewelry grade stones, these gemstones usually consist of at least dozen or more elements that all work in concert to create the beautiful hues that Tourmaline can come in. This mineral has been known to man for millennia, however newer colors have been found in the last one hundred years. These stones are primarily made from lithium, aluminum, borate and silicon, from here on it can have plenty of other trace elements. Tourmaline is found mostly in volcanic pegmatites, but can also be found in alluvial and eluvia deposits. The colors that are available for Tourmaline range the color spectrum and include pink, red, brown, blue, yellow, etc. Tourmaline comes from the Singhalese word tourmali which means mixed stone. Besides being a wonderful gemstone for jewelry, it has been used in the past for medicinal and mystical purposes. For instance, in ancient and medieval times, it was thought that Tourmaline would make one intellectually sharp and that it would help an individual with creativity. It is also said to help a person resist greed and to be a calmer, happier person. Mining for Tourmaline can occur in many regions around the world and it is currently known to be found in several hundreds mines. Certain colors can be mistaken for specific types of gems. However, under closer examination, Tourmaline can usually be detected. If you are looking for a high quality stone that comes in an assortment of very beautiful colors, check out Tourmaline.