Pink tourmaline (rubelite) on Madagascar A quartz (Pebble XL)

Large pebble of pink tourmaline (rubellite) on quartz of approximately 40-60mm
Patterns and colors may vary from one stone to another.

The name tourmaline comes from “turmali” or “turamali” which is in fact a Sinhalese name given to this fabulous stone from Sri Lanka by Dutch explorers at the beginning of the 18th century.

In Sri Lanka, a legend says that tourmaline comes from the sky and during its descent to earth, it crossed a rainbow which transmitted its color variations. Which explains the origin of its name meaning “the stone of a thousand colors”.

In fact, tourmaline has been known for millennia. In the 3rd century BC, we found traces of this stone. In Greece, it was Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) who brought this stone back from these expeditions. However, tourmaline, due to its many colors, has very often been confused with other minerals.

Thus, there are very few legends or myths attached to this stone due to its late identification. However, some tourmalines have piezoelectric properties, meaning they have an electric charge, negative at one pole and positive at the other pole. Tourmaline attracts particles to itself.

When the philosopher Theophrastus (-322 to -288) describes a stone having the ability to attract pieces of straw or pieces of wood to itself, we understand that he is talking about tourmaline. Later in the 18th century, Dutch explorers used tourmaline to clean their pipes because the stone attracted ashes.

For the record, in the 16th century, a Spanish conquistador discovered a green tourmaline in Brazil, which he identified as an emerald. This discovery caused a rush in the Brazilian regions in search of these famous emeralds. The error was corrected in the 19th century and the emeralds were transformed into tourmalines.

Many times confused with precious stones, tourmalines are therefore found in many jewelry, and even in the British crown. We can also mention the Timur Ruby, a 352-carat jewel that was thought to be a ruby ​​until 1851, or the 170-carat Black Prince ruby ​​which is actually a tourmaline.

Tourmaline is causing more and more enthusiasm among connoisseurs and collectors. Thus, the Empress of China Cixi (1861-1908) loved this stone so much that she began to collect it. She asked for sculptures, brooches, watch straps, rings, etc. to be made for her. Today it rests on a cushion of tourmalines.

Tourmaline comes in various shades. They can also be two-tone or multi-colored. There is a wide variety of tourmalines, in different colors, from opaque to transparent, with striated or hexagonal structures. It has a rhombohedral crystal system. It is a magmatic and metamorphic rock which may come from hydrothermal deposits.

Thus, there are several kinds of tourmalines with varied compositions such as magnesium silicates, sodium silicates, iron, clay, fluorides and borosilicate. Tourmalines are actually an entire family of stones, which have the same internal structure, but differ in chemical composition and therefore in color and appearance.

The main deposits are located in Brazil, Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, Burma, Madagascar, India, and the United States.

The tourmaline family has many varieties identified by their own name or by a color. Thus, pink tourmaline is also called “rubellite” because of its strong resemblance to ruby. The name rubellite comes from the Latin “rubellus” meaning “reddish”. Moreover, for the record, in Russia, in the 17th century , a crown was decorated with pink tourmalines which had been taken for rubies.

Belonging to the tourmaline family, pink tourmaline or rubellite is composed of complex silicates of borosilicates, iron, alkalis and magnesium. It also contains a high content of copper and manganese, which gives it this magnificent pink color. Pink tourmaline can be transparent, translucent, or even opaque. It should be noted that its color can change depending on the angle at which the stone is viewed.

It sometimes happens that rubellite has a color close to red, hence its confusion with ruby. In pink tones, we find dravite (light mahogany) and silerite (lilac pink to blue-purple). Pink tourmaline has a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. For comparison, diamond has a hardness of 10, the highest on this same scale. This hardness is particularly appreciated by jewelers in the making of their jewelry.

The main deposits are located in Namibia, etc.

Pink tourmaline is closely connected to feelings of love and tenderness. It emits vibrations to replenish and protect psychological well-being. It promotes introspection and reconnection with one's inner self. Thus, it makes it possible to identify the nature of buried traumas, often linked to childhood and lack of love. The person can then work on these traumas and move forward. She will be able to achieve the goals she has set for herself.

Thus, this stone restores self-esteem and confidence. It provides serenity, harmony and inner peace. It engenders trust in others and can thus develop new relationships without suspicion. She shows compassion and empathy. The person sincerely seeks to help his neighbor in need. Then, this fabulous stone teaches the person to love themselves as they are.

Pink tourmaline is known to soothe sorrows and sorrows. It helps to overcome life's difficulties and negative thoughts. It frees its wearer from anxiety, anguish and unhealthy shyness. Furthermore, it allows him to become aware of his qualities. Then, it brings a feeling of security when the wearer feels vulnerable. It encourages the resolution of conflicts, whatever their nature.