Tourmaline comes in a wide variety of colours. For a long time mistaken for more famous precious stones such as ruby or emerald, this stone all the qualities to be considered as one of the references in the world of gemology. Through this guide, we explain why!
Before that, let’s look at the history of the tourmaline and its origins.
The history of tourmaline
From 1602, the Dutch East India Company, a trading company, sailed to the four corners of the world. It is because it took the first maritime routes to Sri Lanka that the first tourmalines arrived in Europe.
Often confused with coloured zircons, it was in 1700 that this stone was given the official name of tourmaline.
The colour of tourmalines reminded people of the colour of rubies, and the stone quickly became popular. The last empress of China sparked the obsession and interest surrounding pink tourmaline.
Like most stones, tourmaline was quickly attributed a number of virtues and powers.
This stone was meant to have the power to protect and symbolise youthbut also to calm anxiety or to provoke creativity.
The origins of tourmaline
Tourmaline is a stone that can be found in the four corners of the globe. From Africa to Asia to the Ural Mountains in Russia and even in a number of European countries.
The main countries for the extraction of tourmaline are Brazil and Sri Lanka.
Did you know that?
Tourmaline is called "the stone of mixed colours" in Sinhalese, the language of Sri Lanka.This is a testament to the way in which tourmaline comes in a wide range of different colours.
A Sinhalese legend tells that when the stones came down from the sky to the earth, they took on their special hue as they passed through a rainbow.
The main characteristics of tourmaline
Tourmaline is a group of minerals from the silicate family, a group of crystals related to garnet. At between 7 and 7,5/10 on the Mohs hardness scale, it is a stone particularly suitable for jewelry, even when worn on a daily basis.
The main characteristics of tourmaline are:
—— Its colours
Tourmaline is a mineral with a wide colour spectrum, up to 7 shades! Therefore it is a stone which is rarely presented with only one uniform colour, the rough stone is often multicoloured (except the black tourmaline).
The most famous tourmalines are green or pink and the rarest are the so-called Paraiba tourmalines of a neon blue.
At Gemmyo, we only offer pink tourmalines in our permanent catalogue. However, it is possible to make a specific request for another colour by contacting our customer service department for a 100% custom-made creation! Also be sure to watch out for our limited editions with atypical stones: who knows, the tourmaline may be featured in a short-lived collection!
Please note: The great variety of colours in tourmaline makes it necessary to name the stone with its associated colour. Thus, we say a green tourmaline, a black tourmaline or a pink tourmaline... This is not the case with ruby for example, which is necessarily red!
—— An electric stone
Apart from its colour, tourmaline has a very particular characteristic. It is a stone that has "piezoelectric" effects. This means that when it is heated, electricity appears on both sides.
This characteristic will not be of any use to you in your everyday life, but it shows the almost magical character of certain stones!
FAQs
—— "What is the quality of your tourmalines?"
Our tourmalines are AAA quality, the highest quality available for a coloured stone!
Find out more about the AAA quality.
—— "Where do your tourmalines come from?"
At Gemmyo, all our tourmalines come from Brazil! One of the countries known and recognised for the beauty of its coloured stones.
—— “With which metal should tourmaline be matched?"
We recommend that you pair the pink of the tourmaline with a metal like white gold or platinum!
In general, small tourmalines of 3 mm and especially 2 mm don’t have much colour, and therefore it is not advisable to pair them with yellow gold or black gold on which the stones will not be able to express their colour very well. However pink tourmaline goes well with rose gold which enhances its colour.
—— "What is the occasion for giving a tourmaline?"
Tourmaline is the birthstone of the month of October and is also traditionally given on the 8th and 52nd wedding anniversaries. It is said to be associated with the astrological sign of Scorpio.
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