The Beauty of October's Tourmaline Birthstone
|
Time to read 14 min
Content
Tourmaline birthstones and why October? Colors of Tourmaline Value of tourmaline Cuts or shapes most loved Historical and cultural significance Metaphysical properties and healing Exploration for tourmaline gemstones Authentic tourmaline and imitations Most important historical tourmaline Frequently Asked Question
What make tourmaline stand out among birthstones and why does it represent October?
October has two birthstones: opal and tourmaline. This multicolored gemstone finds its origin in the Sinhalese word "turmali," which means "stone of different colors."
-
What is truly striking about tourmaline as a gemstone is how much its singular mineral species can vary by color. Unlike other gemstones, which usually predictably come in one or a few different colors, tourmaline can be found in almost all colors of the rainbow. Even more remarkably, one crystal can contain more than one color within it; the so-called 'watermelon' variety of tourmaline showcases the green hues on an exterior and pink hues through its body mass.
The association with October can be traced back to the early 20th century, when the American National Association of Jewelers designated one of the two birthstones of October in 1912. This designation comes from the fact that it was rapidly gaining popularity in the tourmaline jewelry sector and was being found in California and Maine during the late 1800s.
-
The physical characteristics of tourmaline are what make it completely different from all other precious stones. For example, tourmaline gets electrically charged through heating or through pressure, showing a kind of pyroelectricity and piezoelectricity properties. In the 18th century, the Dutch used tourmaline to clean their tobacco pipes as the heat turned them into the magnetic attraction of ash particles.
The optical attributes of tourmaline also make the stone all the more charming. It exhibits a very strong pleochroism, with colors which vary when seen from different angles. This, in turn, makes it a headache and a joy to the gem cutter who must choose the crystal's orientation in such a way as to reveal its brilliant color.Being 7-7.5 on Mohs' scale makes it quite durable for every day but softer so that it can be easily designed when compared with gems such as diamond and sapphire. This versatility in design is rapidly gaining popularity amongst jewelers in the contemporary fashion world.
What colors does Tourmaline come in and what causes these changes
Tourmaline has one of the broadest color spectrum's among gemstones; the variety also gives an idea of the complexity of its structure. This variety is attributable to differences in chemical composition and trace elements within the crystal structure.
This is the prominent color variety:
- Green tourmaline (Verdelite): Generally colored by iron, titanium.
- Pink and red tourmaline (Rubellite): Usually colored by manganese.
- Blue tourmaline (Indicolite): Often colored by iron, titanium.
- Black tourmaline (Schorl): Iron-rich.
- Watermelon tourmaline: It shows pink at the center and green on the outer surface.
- Paraíba tourmaline: Neon blue to green with copper as the colorant.
- Bi-color and tri-color tourmaline's: Exhibit clearly divided color zones
The chemical formula of tourmaline is most complex and can allow for nine different chemical elements that typically substitute for the aluminum or boron in the crystal structure.
That substitutions in the right molar proportions cause tourmaline to come in the largest variety of colors. It is trace elements present during formation which determine the ultimate color of the crystal.
The Paraíba tourmaline, however discovered in the late 1980s in Brazil, is among the most precious and sought-after gems.
- Its deep neon blue or green hues, produced from copper that travels to the gem's crystal structure on its optical travels, can awe prices greater than those of a diamond in the same size category. Another rare and precious type is chrome tourmaline, due to the element chromium and martial smaragdite chromium green color caused by it.
These stones have two or more colors appearing in their structure, generally changing when the chemical environment changes during crystal development, resulting in distinct color zones. This process works watermelon tourmaline while other bi color varieties of two or more colors display the nature of the artist.
value of tourmaline relate as compared to other precious stones used in jewelry making
Tourmaline's rates differ prominently in the gems market compared to other precious and semiprecious forms. Generally quite inexpensive compared even to gemstone varieties available as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, but this is only true if some of the rare varieties of tourmaline are violated.
The tourmaline's' relative value is highly dependent on color, clarity, and the element of rarity.
- On the top of the value scale, Paraíba tourmaline is indisputably palpable in terms of price-fixious blue-green tone running in electric signals that fetch tens of thousands of dollars per carat. Their values are created from the rarity of these stones and the vivid, neon-like colors they produce where copper is present.
- Rubellite (pink to red) tourmaline's in high quality and chrome tourmaline's (vivid greens) in fine quality follow the example for a premium price, especially if the stones are large and clean. Often they stand against medium-quality rubies and medium-quality emeralds in terms of price per carat.
Green, blue and bi-colored tourmaline's generally fall in the middle price range.
- Their worth is a function of the intensity of color, the clarity, and the quality of cut. On some level, these more available kinds of tourmaline would be pegged at relatively low prices, comparable to semi-precious stones like aquamarine and tanzanite or high-quality peridot.
-
Size is paramount in determining the value of tourmaline, as larger stones would ordinarily elicit considerably higher prices per carat. Unlike diamonds, whereby small stones well-cut, may command best prices, in case of tourmalines, larger sizes come with better price-tags, especially in rarer colors.
Good toughness makes it suitable for all forms of tourmaline's jewelry, thereby enhancing market value and utility. Its hardness of 7-7.5 permits it to be worn in rings and in pieces that will be exposed to daily wear and tear, albeit with extra care over sapphires and diamonds.
On what cuts or shapes these days we could call the most loved when it comes to tourmaline gems
The fact that tourmaline's have beautifully quirky pleochroic nature in their crystal structure imposes a slightly different thinking on gem cutters on how to interpret this gem.
- The most popular cuts in modern times permit the tourmaline to exhibit both its natural beauty and optical correctness. The apple shape of the long hexagonal crystal structure often dictates the initial cuts to be given.
A rectangular ole cut gemstone is amongst a top recommendation for development of tourmaline jewelry. The step-cutting occasion a chance to bring the stone's naturalistic crystal formation into some focus, consequently helping keep the carats, while it plays up the color zoning and pleochroism to give the charm to the gemstone. The modern lines and geometrical nature of the cuts will go hand-in-hand with the simple tendency of tourmaline to form elongating prismatic shape.
Oval cuts are also counted among it; young stones, especially on bigger ones. This shape gives really good light return and make the gem look even more elegant and well-loved. A very gentle and long-shaped oval is a pretty good cut to help blend the color transitions of its zoning's together than other angular cuts, especially in the case of tourmaline.
- Cushion cuts work well in both traditional and contemporary contexts, which can explain why they are increasingly gaining in popularity. These facets circle the corners in the square-cut stone, producing the gem's fire and brilliance while being weight efficient in the rough. As concerns, the cushion cuts seem to bring much life back to dark tourmaline's due to their perfect and agreeable reflections of light.
Thereof, more elongated tourmaline crystals align marquise and pear shapes for pendants and earrings. The cuts are great for a striking presentation that focuses on the neck or face while respecting the natural proportions of the stone.Modern cutting techniques equipped with fantasy cuts and custom shapes also reveal the inherent qualities of tourmaline. As examples, concave cutting enhances light play and creates unique effects, especially rings with tourmaline of lighter colors.
What are the historical underpinnings and cultural significance of Tourmaline
Birthstone October tourmaline has a quite long history, which is due to its existence in different cultures over different centuries, all having different interpretations of the stone's worth. Legends among the ancient Egyptians said that Tourmaline passed through a rainbow on its way to the surface from the heart of the earth, and this was said to account for the various colors of the stones.
- In the Tang Dynasty of China (618-907 CE), the significance of tourmaline was keenly nurtured and practised through the amassing of distinctive wearables such as snuff bottles and other embellishment tools. Empress Dowager Cixi revered pink tourmaline so much that by the late 1800s, she began to establish trade contacts with the mines in California, causing significant development of American tourmaline deposits.
At the turn of the 18th century, European investigation and scientific explanations about tourmaline grew significantly. When Dutch traders discovered its pyroelectricity-in essence, its ability to attract hot ash while they cleaned their pipes-made the discussion flip, it was given the name "Cylinder Stone," and this was the reason why the gem caught the curiosity of the naturalist of that day.
- In North America, Native American tribes never ceased to incorporate tourmaline into their spiritual and healing practices. These peoples thought that each color of tourmaline could confer different protective and psychic properties.
The discovery of Brazilian stones in the 16th century in mining exploration and settlement was a major breakthrough in the mineralogy of Tourmaline history. The occurrence of Paraíba Tourmaline in the 80s beckoned a new age in gemology, probably the most euphoric time in gem trade history.
Metaphysical properties and healing benefits attributed to tourmaline
Throughout history, tourmaline has been linked to so many metaphysical properties and healing benefits that it plays an important role in alternative medicine and spiritual paths. Different colors of tourmaline are believed to resonate with a different chakra and energy center in the body.
Green tourmaline is connected with the heart chakra and thought to physically heal the immune system or circulation.
- Often used in crystal healing practices for detoxifying and strengthening both physical and aura bodies.
Pink tourmaline addresses emotional healing and self-love.
- Practitioners believe that it helps release old emotional patterns and trauma and encourages compassion and gentle healing. It is often recommended for people in grief or relationship challenge.
Watermelon tourmaline is believed to be a stone of wholeness and balance, with its unique collection of colors.
- Their natural evolution from green to pink is believed to be the journey from the heart to higher consciousness, which is the reason they are favored in meditation practices.
Blue tourmaline is considered a tool of communication and is a powerful promoter of throat chakra energy, which lends clarity of expression and creative thoughts.
- Several people who need to speak publicly, or those having to reveal some difficult truths, have found it quite useful.
Multi-colored tourmaline's are often used in chakra balancing because it is believed that multiple energy centers can be dealt with simultaneously with the variety of colors in the crystal.
- The stone is believed to possess certain internal electrical properties which can greatly enhance its potential for healing and, consequently, for energy work.
Exploration of tourmaline gemstones and how are they hit upon
Tourmaline around the world has an interesting mine mapping structure, thereby producing uniquely specific-colored stones. Brazil stands as the leading expanse miner of tourmaline in several key mining areas, yielding various types of tourmaline.
- In the late 1980s, Brazil's Paraíba state took the tiger's skins with the founding of the sought-after copper-containing tourmalines. These indescribable neon blue-green stones changed the gem world forever. The Paraiba area still produces a very limited quantity of these exceptional gemstones despite massive depletions. Also prolific is the mining of various tourmaline colors from Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Norte.
Coming another big time, there is Africa producing tourmaline's from noteworthy deposits in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The copper-bearing tourmaline found in Mozambique similar to the Paraíba variety finds demand in the market. Madagascar also adds a substantial share to the world's tourmaline gems due to its beautiful reds, pinks and greens.
- The United States revels in a distinguished tourmaline mining history, mainly in Maine and California. The discovery of the Mount Mica mine in Maine in 1820 makes it one of the oldest of North America's gemstone mines. California's tourmaline mining businesses thrived in the early 1900s when the Pink Tourmaline was so highly favored by the Chinese empress Dowager Cixi, boosting the work of the miners in a new way.
Well, tourmaline mining is still artless and still a mixture of new and old techniques. The artisanal mining method is followed at various locations, which obviously goes back to operating in some alluvial and shallow deposit sites using rudimentary tools. More mechanized and highly technologically thought mining acts, including earth scarping and geological surveying, are well-favored for detecting commercial positions.
What distinguishes between authentic tourmaline and imitations
- The proper recognition of the identity of a tourmaline is initiated by the proper understanding of certain key characteristics that determine real stones from fake ones. Typically, professional gemologists use numerous tools and check for authenticity, but good news is that enthusiasts can be able to use these--if they pay keen attention to the signs that speak to authenticity, or lack of it.
Still, the tourmaline is strongly pleochroic, showing different hues when viewed from different angles. This optical property is difficult to replicate in synthetic materials. A final determination can be made after observation under the polariscope, but even with the naked eye, color-based evidence of pleochroism might easily be seen by rotating the stone.
-
Inclusions in tourmaline commonly take the form of tubes inside or long hollow channels that run parallel to the crystal's longitudinal axis. The inclusions of indicative internal features to differentiate between this stone and other man-made or imitated natural gems; however, some high-quality tourmaline's can exhibit decently clean digits, most notably in the Paraíba variety.
Another good way to authenticate tourmaline is through its pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties. Natural tourmaline, when heated or rubbed, develops an electric charge that can attract little pieces of paper or heat. Although this test should not be performed on mounted stones, it is a unique property of natural tourmaline only.
Most important historical tourmaline deposits and jewelry items
Ever since antiquity some magnificent tourmaline roughs and pieces of jewelry have lured and tantalized collectors and aficionados on a global scale. These memorable pieces display the gem in its versatility and beauty, along with having borne sway over events in gemological history.
-
"The Hamlin Necklace" presents as one of America's most illustrious tourmaline jewelry pieces, originating from the early 1900s and made up from tourmaline from Maine. This gorgeous piece was commissioned by Dr. Hamlin and combines a mix of colorful tourmaline's from the mines in Oxford County, Maine. Today it is displayed in the Harvard Mineralogical Museum as a testimony to the heritage of American gemstones.
And the "Rocket Launcher" from the Stewart Mine of California is one of the largest gem-grade tourmaline pieces ever discovered on the continent of North America. This world-class crystal, larger than 8 inches, is pink and shows the perfect crystal formation.
- One of the most important individual specimens of tourmaline is a 191.87 carat Paraiba gem which is one among the largest examples of this rare variety ever discovered been estimated for. The extraordinary neon blue of the stone, which has never been seen elsewhere and its very large size very likely render it undeniable as a major specimen in the history of tourmaline's.
Many well-known tourmaline samples of the Smithsonian Institution, such as a 56.3-carat green tourmaline crystal from Brazil displaying the mineral's ability to form large and clean crystals, show to the world of fascinate with their sizable array of bi-colors and watermelons that very nicely display the colors of tourmaline.
Some of the most impressive tourmaline found in the Chinese imperial collections were those items that were acquired during the Qing Dynasty. Elaborate carved snuff bottles and other ornamental items give evidence of the gemstone's beauty and significance in Chinese historical and cultural contexts.
Collection: The Beauty of Tourmaline Jewellery
Frequently Asked Question
What is the meaning and symbolism of tourmaline as October's birthstone?
Tourmaline, the striking birthstone for the month of October, is an utmost symbol of love and creation unto the lovely tongues. Ancient Egyptian legend insists that tourmaline, traveling upon a rainbow, collected from all its colors. The gem symbolizes promoting emotional healing, fostering creativity, and encouraging the spiritual growth of a person known to possess some fascinating piezoelectric properties. This put into play would release an electric charge when heated or applied with the pressure that was traditionally believed to increase its protective qualities.
What colors does October's tourmaline birthstone come in?
Tourmaline is praised for its astonishing variety of colors and can come in nearly any hue. Pink and green tourmaline's are the most common, while stones are also seen in blue, yellow, red, and brown. Black and watermelon stones are bi colored varieties in between pink and green. Some specimens have been found to contain several colors within a single crystal, and the rarity of a colorful specimen significantly increases its value.
How do you care for and clean a tourmaline birthstone?
Tourmaline usually ranks between 7 and 7.5 on the Moh scale and is thus a fairly durable stone for everyday wear. Clean your tourmaline with warm, soapy water and a soft brush while avoiding harsh chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners. Store solo so that it is not damaged by harder gemstones. Protect it from direct sunlight and sudden temperature changes because these affects its luster.
Where is October's tourmaline birthstone found?
Tourmaline is found in various continents, with significant sources from Brazil, Afghanistan, and Africa. The United States, more specifically Maine and California, produces high-quality tourmaline's. Brazil is well-known for Paraíba tourmaline, Africa for deposits originating from Mozambique, Namibia, and Tanzania, each having unique characteristics in the stones produced.
How can you tell if tourmaline is real?
Authentic tourmaline is recognized by pleochroism (changing coloration with a change in viewing angle) and by its inclusions. Optical properties and refractive indices are determined by professional gemologists using specialized tests. Most natural tourmaline's have identical distinguishing inclusions that the synthetic stones lack, giving a certified gemologist an easy job of identification.
What makes tourmaline special compared to other birthstones?
Apart from its diversity in colors, tourmaline shines in electric properties that are very uncommon among gemstones. While ordinary gemstones can generate an electric charge through only heating or press, tourmaline will get charged by both. Often seen in multiple colors on a single crystal, zoning occurs when the mineral grows in banded color shapes.
With such versatility in several jewelry designs and metaphysical attributes, the stone is highly valued.
What is the price range for October's tourmaline birthstone?
Tourmaline prices fluctuate dramatically according to color, clarity, and size. Price ranges for common varieties typically lie within $50 and $750 per carat. The less common types get considerably higher, such as electric blue Paraíba tourmaline, demanding over $10,000 per carat. Pink and green tourmaline are comparatively modest, ranging from higher-than-average-price bi-color stones.
