Tourmaline

Tourmaline is the brightest of all gems. It comes in a variety of colors, among which pink, red, green, blue and colorful are its most famous gemstone colors. 
 

History of tourmaline 

Somewhere in Brazil in the 1500s, a Spanish conqueror washed dirt with green tourmaline crystals and mistook the stone for emeralds. His confusion continued until scientists recognized tourmaline as a unique 19th-century mineral. The confusion about the identity of the gems is even reflected in their name, which comes from toramalli, which means "mixed gems" in Sinhala, a language in Sri Lanka. 
It is good to understand why it is so easy to confuse tourmaline with other gems: only a few gemstones match the dazzling color of tourmaline. From rich reds to pastel pinks and pinks, from rich emerald greens to lively yellows and dark blue, this gemstone has an unparalleled palette of colors. 

The 19th-century tourmaline was called the American gem. Although tourmaline was originally from the United States, the largest tourmaline market at that time was in China. Many pink tourmalines from San Diego, California, were shipped to China because the Empress Dowager Cixi in China particularly liked this color. At that time, craftsmen carved tourmaline in snuff bottles and other items embedded in jewelry. The miners' dependence on Chinese trade was so great that after the collapse of the Qing administration in 1912, the tourmaline trade in the United States also collapsed. 

Origin of tourmaline 

Important tourmaline occurrences lie in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and the USA (California and Maine). Several African countries have become major gemstone producers in recent years, notably Madagascar, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria and Malawi. 

Use of tourmaline 

Tourmalines in different colors are processed into gemstones for jewelry processing. However, the most popular are red, green, blue and colored gems, especially watermelon urine. Tourmaline is used in bracelets, rings and earrings. The pink and green tourmalines contain tiny inclusions in some places, which cause a strong cat-eye-effect when polishing. This stone is usually cut into a convex circle and referred to as "Cat's Eye Tourmaline". Some tourmalines are also carved into decorative figures and sculptures. 

Tourmaline is the birthstone of October and the gem of the eighth anniversary.