Tourmaline

Tourmalines were yet another gem that spent years being confused with other gem types. In the 1500s, green tourmaline was misidentified as emerald and continued to be until the 1800s, when it was tested to be a different mineral type. The confusion is reflected in the gem’s name coming from “toramalli,” which means “mixed gems” in Sinhalese. To achieve the wide variety of colors, boron compounds with elements like aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, and more. The hue most commonly found is black or green but can also range from colorless all the way to violet and occur as bi-colored or even tri-colored. Due to the magnetizing properties of tourmalines, they have been used for a variety of experiments and were used in the 19^th century to polarize light by shining rays onto a faceted surface. Tourmaline is believed to strengthen stamina and a strong resonance with divine love, diminish fear, and create a powerful flow of energy.