The word "tourmaline" is derived from from the Sinhalese term “turamali”, which means “mixed colored stones.” It has likely one of the richest and widest color ranges of all gems, and, like garnet, it is actually a group of individual gems/minerals. Tourmaline is actually the general group name of several different minerals with similar atomic structures and chemical compositions. The gemstone family has perhaps the largest band of colors, ranging from colorless to black and every color in between.
Reddish-purple tourmalines are the most valuable and may have brown, pink, and orange gradations. Greener tourmaline are modified by shades of blue, yellow, and brown, with particularly rich varieties selling for more than $100 per carat.
Tourmaline is piezo-electric, which means it will generate a charge if put under pressure; and it is also pyro-electric, which means it will generate a charge if heated and then cooled.
Tourmaline is associated with level-headedness, meditation, and compassion. It was also believed to enable alchemists change base metals into gold.
