Description
Tourmaline (quartz) is a group of minerals, all cyclosilicates. The minerals in this group share a characteristic chemical formula: AX3Y6(BO3)3 Si6O18(O, OH, F)4. The A can contain calcium or sodium. The X can be aluminum, iron, lithium, or magnesium. The Y is normally aluminum, but can also be chromium or iron. Some potassium can exist in the A position, manganese can be in the X, and vanadium can be found in the Y, but these elements are not commonly found in tourmaline group formulas. Tourmaline occurs in pegmatites, metamorphites, magmatites, and alluvial deposits. Although tourmaline was known in the Mediterranean region since ancient times, it was not introduced into Western Europe from Sri Lanka by the Dutch until 1703. They named the new gemstone with a Sinhalese word “Turmali,” meaning “stone of mixed colors.” Rubellites were traditionally used as gemstones – they were used by artists as talismans, believed to enhance their creative powers. Tourmalines have certain unique properties.
