Tourmaline has the widest range of colors of all gemstones. The gemstones name comes from the Sinhalese word “toromalli” which means mixed gems. It has been used since ancient times, a carving that appears to be Alexander the Great was carved in India around 200 to 300 B.C. Tourmaline is a birthstone of October.
Tourmaline is formed from hydrothermal activity. Tourmaline crystals are usually found in ancient igneous stone formed by cooling magma.
A few mining locations include Brazil, Kenya, Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Russia, Tanzania, Russia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zambia and even the United States.
Mohs Scale: 7 – 7.5
The Legend about Tourmaline
Once upon a time there lived a hideous evil spirit, who being himself so ugly, was thrown into a terrible rage on seeing anything beautiful. One day while sitting on the edge of the cave in which he lived, he saw a rainbow in the sky above him, and on seeing its varied and beautiful colors, his anger knew no bounds. By the use of an evil spell he captured the many-hued rainbow and carried it into the fissure, where it remained unto this day, and prospectors finding pieces of the broken rainbow, crushed by this evil spirit in his fury, named them tourmaline.
~ Richard Keene, San Diego’s Gem Casket, 1906.
