Uses of Tourmaline

Tourmalines exhibit various characteristic properties, some of which are exceptional. Tourmaline is the name conferred to a group of related minerals which have essentially the same crystal structure. In spite of having same crystal structure, these minerals vary considerably in chemical composition and in some of their physical properties. Tourmaline, one of the well-known crystal healing stones, is actually a very complex aluminum borosilicate. It belong to the class cyclosilicates.

Different Uses of Tourmaline

• Tourmalines are utilized in making hair care products such as dryers and hair straighteners. They come with negative ions and far infrared rays (FIR) which help improve the quality and appearance of your hair. They work great for frizzy hair. Styling tools that use tourmaline ensure smooth and shiny hair.
• Many scientific and technological uses of tourmaline are known worldwide. Some tourmaline crystals can be charged with electricity easily by applying pressure to the crystal in the direction of the vertical crystal axis. The electrical effect is called 'piezoelectricity', and this characteristic property has many uses in pressure measuring equipment and other scientific applications.
• They counteract negative energies and help to get rid of fear and grief. They also enable you to concentrate and communicate in an effective way. A tourmaline acts like a detoxifying agent.
• These crystals promote relaxation of the body and the mind. They help stabilize the mind, improve your understanding, boost your self-confidence and increase your psychic energies to a great extent.
• Some tourmalines also display pyroelectricity, which is produced when the crystal is heated rendering a positive charge at one end of the crystal and a negative charge at the other.
• Black tourmaline works as a natural insecticide. When buried in garden, it promotes healthy growth of plants and crops. Tourmaline powder is used to create a fertile artificial soil for plants.
• Watermelon tourmaline promotes fast recovery from emotional problems. As it has a combination of red and green colors, it has all the properties of pink and green tourmalines. It works in the same way as pink and green tourmalines.
• Black tourmaline neutralizes negative forces and protects you from negativity of both people and electrical/magnetic fields. It sharpens your wits, raises your energy, improves your vitality and offers emotional stability. The electromagnetic properties of black tourmaline help relieve the pain of arthritis.
• It is said that tourmaline strengthens your immune system.
• It imbues you with positive thoughts. It can offer you sound sleep.
• It is believed that it brings good luck when rubbed.
• Green tourmaline are used to avail success, prosperity and peaceful sleep.
• It is believed that blue tourmaline enhances one's communication skills, intuition and spiritual perspective.
• It is said that pink tourmaline jewelry inspires love, spirituality and creativity. It offers wisdom and it can enhance your willpower.
• Like other healing stones, tourmalines also help treat infectious diseases, arthritis, anxiety, blood poisoning and heart disease.

Types of Tourmaline

Buergerite, chrom dravite, dravite, elbaite, feruvite, foitite, liddicoatite, olenite, povondraite, schorl and uvite are the eleven distinct mineral variations of tourmaline, based on their chemical compositions. People generally know these precious stones by the specific colors or color combinations they exhibit, such as rubellite tourmaline for pink to red shades. Blue tourmalines are called indicolite and tourmalines showing concentric color zoning with pink-red cores surrounded by green are known as watermelon tourmaline. With bare eyes, it is difficult to identify some of the species of tourmaline, for example, elbaite and liddicoatite may look exactly the same. Usually laboratory analysis is required to determine the exact tourmaline species.

The common classification is based on colors only, for example green tourmaline, black tourmaline, etc. The metal ion (Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ti and Cu) in its crystal structure determines the color of the stone. When these ions absorb light or when there is some interaction between these ions, we are able to see the color of tourmaline. They occur in all colors from brown to yellow (magnesium based) and from blue to black (iron based). Green is the most common color of tourmaline. Some tourmalines naturally have thread-like tubes or cavities which usually are parallel to the length of the crystal. These cavities when occur in sufficient number, are responsible for producing a chatoyant effect that yields a 'cat's-eye' when cut into a cabochon gem.

Tourmaline gemstones are mainly found in Sri Lanka, California and Brazil. Pertaining to numerous tourmaline characteristics, the stone is used in a variety of products. Tourmalines of all colors are converted into gems for jewelry, but the red, green, and multicolored tourmalines are the most popular. Some of them are also carved into ornamental figures and carvings. Uses of tourmaline are numerous as tourmaline is the most varicolored of all gemstones.