Tourmaline is a family of minerals, and its related specimens come in variety of colors and have alternative names. Schorl, elbaite (also a group, consisting of rubillite, indicolite, verdelite, achroite) and dravite are most commonly used in jewelry.
Schorl is the most common of all and therefore most affordable in price.
Radiant blues and striking neon green Paraíba tourmaline specimens are the most valuable. Price per carat of some Paraíba crystals is 2-3 times higher than diamond’s price.
A legend says that tourmaline took a long journey up from the center of the Earth. It traveled across the rainbow and absorbed every color of it. Thus, tourmaline crystals can be thought of as droplets of a rainbow itself.
Tourmaline is October birthstone. It’s considered to be a lucky stone at all times for people born in October. It’s also believed that birthstones increase their healing powers during their assigned months, and therefore every individual needs to own all 12 gems and alternate wearing them monthly.
Tourmaline is an 8th Anniversary gemstone.
Zodiac: Virgo, Libra.
Associated Chakras (depending on color): Muladhara (base or root chakra), Anahata (heart chakra), Vishuddhi (throat chakra) and Ajna (third eye chakra)
The seven Chakras are arranged along the spinal cord, from bottom to top:
- Muladhara
- Svadhisthana
- Nabhi-Manipura
- Anahata
- Vishuddhi
- Ajna
- Sahasrara
- Red tourmaline (Rubellite) is commonly used to balance Muladhara, or the root chakra and Anahata, the heart chakra. It helps to gain the courage to overcome issues that hold the heart hostage, such as abusive relationships and negative work situations, and to recognize how and why they come to be in one’s life. It helps to overcome survival issues and achieve financial independence. Rubellite brings strength, courage, and conviction to endeavors that are based on love. This stone is very good in healing relationships and emotional wounds in ones life. Rubellite can assist one in finding courage and strength to face and change challenging situations.
- Pink tourmaline opens and brings a higher vibration to the Heart Chakra. This stone is most associated with love and other matters of the heart, and is the purest of the Anahata stones. It helps stimulate feelings of joy, happiness, love and relaxation. This stone is one of the strongest stones in helping to calm oneself and relieve stress in your life.
- Black tourmaline (schorl) guards against radiation and environmental pollutants, and is highly useful in purifying and neutralizing one’s own negative thoughts and internal conflicts, and turning them into positive, usable energy. Ancient magicians relied upon schorl to protect them from earth demons and their spells. Today this stone is still revered as a premier talisman of protection, a psychic shield deflecting and dispelling negative energies and destructive forces. Black tourmaline grounds root chakra (Muladhara) to the Earth energies, providing further enhancement of one’s well-being. Muladhara is the foundation of physical and spiritual energy for the body. When the root chakra is in balance, the physical body regains its strength and stamina, and the spiritual energy is rekindled in the form of security and sense of one’s own power. It often leads to independence and spontaneous leadership.
- Green tourmaline (verdelite, chrome dravite) is also centers its energies around heart chakra. It is the masculine counterpart to the feminine energies of pink tourmaline. It can help enhance stamina and vitality in physical activities and can evoke courage and strength. Verdelite energy is used to resolve blockages and to re-balance the heart chakra, helping us understand our own needs and emotions clearly. Green tourmaline fortifies the nervous system and is beneficial to the eyes, thymus, ductless glands and the immune system. It is a useful detoxifier. Green crystals may help in treating the intestines and chronic bowel diseases, and in weight loss.
- Blue tourmaline (indicolite) is a crystal of the throat (Vishuddhi) and third eye (Ajna) chakras. Vishuddhi is a voice of the body, and Ajna is the center of our perception and command. Blue crystals activate and balance these chakras, stimulating the need for spiritual freedom and clarity of self-expression. Indicolite, especially in darker shades, increases access to higher levels of intuition. Blue tourmaline soothes for sleep and quiets the mind. It may be used to reduce claustrophobia and panic attacks, and is beneficial for hyperactive children. Blue tourmaline is a powerful healer for sadness and grief, and coming to terms with buried emotions or memories from the past when there is no possibility of justice. It is especially helpful in healing childhood trauma, injury or abuse, and assists in overcoming insomnia or nightmares.
- Dark yellow, champagne and brownish-black tourmaline (dravite) is known to be helpful with family issues. Dravite is also said to promote practicality and stability with its grounding vibrations. This stone is associated with the root (Muladhara) and heart (Anahata) chakras, and is great for grounding and aligning the aura. Physically, champagne tourmaline is great for self-healing, and has been credited with purifying the blood, healing bowel ailments, and stimulating physical regeneration of ailing or diseased organs, including intestines and skin. Dravite is also being used for help with addictive and self-destructive behaviors.
- Watermelon tourmaline belongs to an elbaite variety. It presents pink, white and green colors in one crystal and combines powers of each color. This combination is considered a super activator of the heart chakra. Watermelon tourmaline easily evokes a rainbow of positive emotions that can easily clear and lighten your own energy field. While pink tourmaline is associated with the emotions, green Tourmaline is beneficial in one’s physical being. Together they link to the higher self, and are believed to bring genuine vibration of happiness and lightness of being.