Tourmaline stone - meaning, physical and magical properties, who suits and unique photos of the stone

Tourmaline is a unique semi-precious stone, which is credited with magical and healing properties. Outwardly, it resembles a watermelon slice. According to the mythology of Ancient Egypt, tourmaline is a gift from the Sun to the Earth. Because of the colorful coloring, it was called the gem of the rainbow.

Story

Jewelry inlaid with tourmaline was very popular among the rulers of Byzantium. The gem was brought from the Ceylon Islands to Amsterdam by Dutch sailors at the beginning of the 18th century.

The name of the term "tourmaline" is due to its unusual multi-colored color, magical properties and the ability to attract ash.

Legendary tourmalines

This gem was considered the best gift for monarchical persons. The most legendary gem was considered a copy in the form of a bunch of grapes - "Caesar's Ruby". According to legend, it was given to Caesar by Cleopatra. Some time later, traces of the jewel were lost. She wandered from country to country for a long time and in the 18th century came to Gustav VIII, who presented her as a gift to Catherine II.

Initially, this gem was considered a ruby.

It was only in the 20th century that jewelers determined that it was Burmese pink tourmaline.Today, the semi-precious stone is the property of the Diamond Fund of Russia.

The second known artifact is a 500-fold tourmaline in the crown of Anna Ioannovna.

Description

Tourmaline is a group of crystalline minerals that have three prismatic facets. They have a beautiful glossy sheen and unusual color.

The stone has a stable charge, which is why it is called an electrical mineral. This property was first discovered by the Curies. The key feature is that its charge is similar to the radiation of the cells of the human body.

Another distinctive feature of the jewel is hemimorphism - an asymmetric cut at the ends.

Physiochemical properties

The composition of the mineral is variable, it includes at least 25 elements. The main color of the gem depends on the predominance of any impurity.

The mineral has a complex chemical formula in several variations, each of which corresponds to a particular variety of gem. The main elements are boron, magnesium and aluminosilicate.

The density of the stone does not exceed 3.26 g/cm3. Mohs hardness is 7–7.5. Most of the mineral is transparent, but there are also cloudy specimens. The crystal lends itself well to processing and has a glossy surface.

A separate discussion is worthy of the color palette of the gem. Minerals of all colors of the rainbow are found in the deposits. In addition, some specimens have pronounced pleochroism.

The natural mineral has a number of physical properties, due to which the importance of tourmaline stone in medicine is difficult to overestimate:

• Warming up.
• Ionization.
• Infrared radiation.

Mining sites

Valuable samples of the mineral are mined in the tracts of Brazil and Sri Lanka. There are deposits of stone in Afghanistan, America, China, Africa and Madagascar.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, deposits suitable for the extraction of tourmaline remained only in Transbaikalia and on the Kola Peninsula. The Ural deposits are practically depleted.

Application area

Depending on the application, the stone can be of several types:

• Jewelry. For the production of jewelry, pure transparent stones are used. A wide color palette of crystals allows you to create a unique decoration for a man or woman. Tourmaline goes well with gold, silver and cupronickel frames.
• Technical. The stone has found wide application in optics and the electronics industry. Tourmaline chips are used to increase the refractoriness of various coatings. For technical purposes, artificially grown crystals can be used.
• Medical. The gem is able to have a complex healing effect on the body. It is used in air ionizers, medical heaters and other devices. For these purposes, raw material rejected by jewelers is used.
• Decorative. The mineral is used as a decorative element on clothes and accessories, for the manufacture of figurines and other interior details.

Varieties

There are over fifty varieties of this attractive stone.

The properties of tourmaline depend on its palette and transparency.

Green

A fairly common variety, individual specimens of which obtained from different tracts may differ in palette and cost. It has healing properties: eliminates anxiety, normalizes sleep and the nervous system.

Paraiba

A bright and expensive mineral, which got its name in honor of the Brazilian state of the same name, in which the deposit is located. It has a wide range of colors from rich emerald to pale blue. This variety of tourmaline helps to gain peace of mind.

Rubelite

A gem that has a delicate color range from red to pink. Deep red and ruby ​​specimens are considered especially valuable. It has sedative properties and the ability to drive away negative emotions.

watermelon

An amazingly beautiful stone that combines shades of green, white and red. With its structure and color palette, it resembles a watermelon slice. Gives its owner the ability to empathize, sympathize and reach agreement in conflict.

Chameleonite

A stone that has the ability to change color. Under a directed stream of light, the lamp becomes red-brown, and in sunlight - olive.

Sibirite

A variety of stone, rich raspberry or red-violet hue. Deposits for its production are located in Russia.

Indicolite

An instance of dark blue. Relieves headaches and improves hormonal levels.

Schorl

It is black in color due to its high iron content. The unusual properties and significance of the tourmaline stone were appreciated by psychics and other adherents of magical knowledge. In their opinion, he is able to create a special energy field around his owner. It protects a person from physical healing and mental influence.

Less popular varieties include:

• verdelite (dark shades of green);
• achroite (has no color);
• dravite (brown-yellow);
• chrome tourmaline (emerald).

Collectors especially value polychrome specimens that combine zones of different colors.

Contraindications

Despite the proven therapeutic effect of the mineral, there are specific contraindications for its use:

• pregnancy or breastfeeding period;
• increased body temperature;
• children under the age of 12;
• tendency to bleed;
• hemorrhagic stroke;
• thyroid pathology.

In the presence of allergic diseases or a pacemaker, careful use of the mineral is necessary.

How to recognize a fake

People have long been able to grow this gem in the laboratory. Due to the complexity and high cost of the process, synthetic tourmaline is created only for technical purposes. Most often, glass is given out as a natural gem.

There are several signs that allow you to evaluate the authenticity of tourmaline:

• A gem of natural origin cannot be scratched.
• The natural mineral is electrified. After heating and rubbing the stone, hair and pieces of paper stick to it.
• It has a non-uniform color, pleochroism and birefringence.

An artificial gem is devoid of magical and healing properties.

Features of care

Tourmaline jewelry is quite easy to care for. It is enough to wash them once every couple of months under running water of warm temperature. It is not recommended to use abrasives, steam and other aggressive methods for cleaning.

Tourmaline and zodiac signs

According to astrologers, each sign of the zodiac "curates" a stone of a certain color. Who is tourmaline suitable for?

• Capricorn is a green or black stone. It will help to reveal the existing potential and relieve the harmful dependence on alcohol and drugs.
• Scorpio is a black specimen.It has a beneficial effect on the psyche and calms the nerves.
• Sagittarius, Aquarius - a mineral of a blue hue. It has the ability to neutralize strong emotions and gives peace of mind.
• Libra, Aries, Leo - green or pink tourmaline. These stones allow you to achieve harmony, relieve temper and stubbornness.

Astrologers are not able to reach a consensus on the issue of quick-tempered Scorpions and Aquarius. Some believe that the gem will smooth out the negative character traits of the representatives of these zodiac signs, while others recommend refraining from wearing it.

Young people are advised to give preference to bright transparent gems in combination with ruby ​​or alexandrite. The positive qualities of tourmaline are most pronounced when set in a gold setting. Due to the powerful energy potential, the mineral is not recommended to be worn constantly.

Tourmaline is a multifaceted crystal that is in high demand among people of the creative profession, jewelers and ordinary connoisseurs of beauty. And this is despite the fact that the cost of some gems is estimated at fabulous amounts.

Photo of tourmaline stone