any gemstone species. Sometimes as many as
two or three colors exist in the same cut stone.
Tourmaline is also known under different names:
The "rubellite" is red, sometimes with a violet tint.
Fine "chrome" tourmaline has a beautiful rich
green color. "Indicolite" ranges from very light to
dark shades of blue, violet-blue, and
greenish-blue.
The name'Tourmaline' has its origins in the
Sinhalese word'Turmali", which means mixture.
Originally, native miners applied this term to
mixed parcels of gems when they didn't really
know what the stones were.
Tourmaline is one of the accepted binhstones for
October and the accepted anniversary gemstone
for the eighth year of marriage. A "rainbow'
bracelet of 30 or more tourmalines, each one a
different color, is an ideal gift for these
occasions!
To clean, immerse in a jewelry cleaner or use
lukewarm soapy water and a small bristle brush.
Do not use a home ultrasonic machine. Protect ft
from scratches and sharp blows.
As part of the normal fashioning process, many
tourmalines are heated to permanently improve
their color and appearance.
Tourmalines are found mainly in Brazil, Sri Lanka,
Africa and the U.S.