Open classification: gems, ornaments, crystals, tourmalines, metallurgical minerals.

Tourmaline-Tourmaline

Chemical composition: na (Li, al) 3al6 (bo) 3si6o 18 (oh) 4.

Trilateral crystal system

Hardness 7.5

Specific gravity 3.06

Refractive index 1.62- 1.64

Origin Brazil, Sri Lanka, Madagascar

Tourmaline, also known as tourmaline, comes from the ancient Sinhalese word Turmali, which means "mixed gem". Legend has it that tourmaline originated in 1703. In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, several children played with stones brought back by Dutch navigators, and found that these stones not only had strange colors in the sun, but also were surprised that they had the power to attract or repel light objects such as dust or grass clippings. Therefore, the Dutch call it a lime stone. Until AD 1768, the famous Swedish scientist Ringnes discovered that tourmaline also has piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity, which is the origin of tourmaline's name. Up to now, tourmaline is commonly used in science to measure the change of luminous intensity and pressure. At the beginning of World War II, it was the only substance that could judge the pressure of nuclear explosion. Now, it is widely used in the optical industry.

In China, the word tourmaline first appeared in the classic "Shiya" in the Qing Dynasty: "The name of Biya Yao was recorded in China, but it was not published in detail. The Qing Dynasty canon says: Do concubines use Biya Ding? Yunnan people say: than easy to thank, than easy; Uji is also Bixia Creek. People in this world are called Biya, or Bibi, but there is no question about the origin of this name. If it is a foreign dialect, there is no doubt about it. In later historical documents, we can also find names such as arsenic, tourmaline, bixiaxi, and broken evil gold. And the tourmaline we are talking about now is the common name of our jewelry industry. Legend has it that tourmaline is also the favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi. According to historical records, in the funeral of Empress Dowager Cixi in the Qing Dynasty, there was a lotus carved by tourmaline, weighing 3,628 yuan (about 5,092 grams), and a pillow made of watermelon tourmaline, which was worth 752,000 silver at that time.

In addition, in Japan, some Japanese institutions believe that tourmaline is very popular in Japan, because it has pyroelectricity (meaning that it will generate charges at the two poles when the temperature changes) and piezoelectricity (pressing the C-axis direction of tourmaline will generate charges at the two poles), so it can produce magical curative effects and improve natural healing power.

For precious stones, tourmaline is the name of the ethnic group, but under the classification of GIA (Gemo Logical Institute), tourmaline can be divided into red tourmaline, green tourmaline, indigo tourmaline, Schor tourmaline, red tourmaline, water green tourmaline, two-color tourmaline, watermelon tourmaline and cat's eye tourmaline. Fourteen kinds of tourmalines, such as tourmaline, alexandrite tourmaline, hectorite tourmaline, chrome tourmaline and Paraiba tourmaline. Almost all tourmalines with gem-grade value are produced from pegmatite granite, and tourmalines are widely distributed. However, most of the tourmalines on the market now come from Brazil, and some are from Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Italy, California and Myanmar, and even Xinjiang and Yunnan in Chinese mainland.

1768, the famous Swedish scientist Ringnes discovered that tourmaline has piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity, so tourmaline is also called tourmaline. Names such as "Bi Xia Xi" and "Broken Evil Gold" can also be found in China's historical documents, and tourmaline is also the favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi in the Qing Dynasty. Tourmaline's powerful free energy can improve ability and self-confidence, and its special energy absorption can attract the high-quality frequency of love and friendship.

It is said that tourmaline crystals have as many as 15 colors, mainly colorless, rose red, pink, red, blue, green, yellow, brown and black. Among them, the top grade is transparent and shiny blue, fresh rose red and pink plus green composite color. Tourmaline has been loved by people since ancient times because of its bright color, variety and high transparency. Tourmaline is one of colored gems after diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. The appearance of tourmaline, like other crystals (in fact, like all gems and jewels), is based on the evaluation and selection of color luster, transparency, inclusions, defects and weight. However, due to the brittleness of tourmaline, attention should be paid to avoid collision when wearing it.

At present, the price of tourmaline in Paraiba is the highest. This special neon-red-blue-green gemstone was first discovered in 1989 in San Jose de Baatar, a small village in Paraiba, Brazil. Because of its difficulty in mining, small crystal and unclear mineral rights, disputes have continued in recent years and the price has remained high, especially in Japan. The retail price of high-grade tourmaline can reach $20 thousand per carat. Recently, a new Paraiba tourmaline mine was discovered in Parejas, Rio Grande do Norte, about 40 kilometers away from the old mine in Brazil, so the price soared again at the urging of the market. As for the tourmaline market in Taiwan Province Province, red and green (commonly known as watermelon tourmaline) are still the best sellers. Among them, the red tourmaline produced in Nigeria is the best-selling commodity in the market; Tanzanian tourmaline contains chrome green, which is as bright as emerald and is also very popular.

Crystal spirituality:

Tourmaline has strong energy, and its main feature is to absorb energy. Because tourmaline has a variety of bright colors, it is easy to make people feel happy, advocate freedom, and broaden their minds and horizons.

Tourmaline can also stimulate creativity, bring endless inspiration and thoughts, calm, clear and concentrated power, make you act properly and go all out, and radiate the frequency of attracting love and friendship.

Tourmaline can also radiate an affinity magnetic field, which naturally attracts more people to your side and melts the gap between people.

Tourmaline itself has a high effect on metabolism and endocrine activities, and it can balance the internal gas field, make the elements of yin and yang opposite easy to combine and merge, and also resolve various conflicts and contradictions between people externally.

Tourmaline, known as "Bi Xia Xi" and "Broken Evil Gold" in China historical documents, is also the favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi in Qing Dynasty.

Tourmaline has a short history as a gem, but because of its bright and rich colors and high transparency, it won people's love as soon as it came out, and it is called a gem with a variety of customs.

There are many tourmaline ornaments in the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty in China. Tourmaline is a popular mid-range gem variety at present, and is known as the birthstone of October.

Tourmaline generates electric charge when heated, so its mineralogical name is "Tourmaline".

Tourmaline is a compound borosilicate characterized by containing B, and its chemical molecular formula is (Ca, K, Na)(Al, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn)3(Al, Cr, Fe, V).

6(BO3)3(Si6O 18).

Tourmaline colors: pink, green, dark blue, sky blue, brown and black are common. The common phenomenon of bicolor zoning is * * *, which can be parallel to the bottom of the crystal or form an annular zone parallel to the cylinder.

The transparency and luster of tourmaline: transparent-translucent-opaque. Glass luster.

Optical characteristics: uniaxial crystal, negative optics.

Luminescence: generally no fluorescence, pink tourmaline has weak red to purple fluorescence under long and short wavelength ultraviolet light.

Optical effect: tourmaline containing a large number of parallel fibers or linear hollow tubes can show cat's eye effect after being cut into arc gems, but the cat's eye effect is usually poor because the tubular inclusions are thick.

mechanical character

(1) cleavage fracture: no cleavage, shell fracture. The cross section is a spherical triangle.

(2) Hardness: 7-8.

(3) Relative density: 3.06 (0.20, -0.60).

Tourmaline can be divided into the following main varieties according to its color.

1, red tourmaline

Because it contains manganese, it is red to pink, with obvious polychromatic color and red to pink. The highest value is tourmaline, which is called "double pink" by the business community.

2. Blue tourmaline

Because of iron, it is blue, and multicolor is from obvious to weak, showing dark blue and light blue.

3. Green tourmaline

Because it contains chromium and vanadium, it is green, with obvious multicolor, light green and dark green. The birefringence is high, usually 0.0 18, and the highest is 0.039.

4. Brown tourmaline

Mostly magnesium tourmaline, with obvious polychromatic color, ranging from dark brown to green brown.

5. Two-color tourmaline

Ribbons (bicolor, tricolor and multicolor) often distributed along the long axis of the crystal, or concentric ribbons, are usually called "watermelon tourmaline" when the infrared is green.

Tourmaline is usually produced in granite pegmatite and albite lepidolite, but tourmaline with gem value is mostly produced in the core of strong albite and lepidolite plagioclase pegmatite.

Tourmaline is mainly produced in Brazil, the United States, Sri Lanka, Russia, Madagascar, Italy and Kenya. Tourmaline deposits in China are mainly produced in Altai, Xinjiang and Ailao Mountain, Yunnan.

The quality of tourmaline can be carried out from the aspects of weight, color, clarity and cutting.

1, color

Rose, purple, green and pure blue are the best, followed by pink, yellow and colorless.

Step 2 be clear

It requires as few internal defects as possible, and the crystal clear tourmaline has the highest price. Tourmaline contains many cracks and gas-liquid inclusions, and is usually used as jade carving material.

3. Weight

The greater the weight, the higher the price.

4, cutting work

Cutting should be regular, proportional and well polished. Otherwise, it will affect the value.

Tourmaline, like most crystals, will have a better luster after being worn, and the crystal will be more transparent. Generally, there will be obvious changes in a short time, so the newly bought tourmaline of the same grade will not be as beautiful as tourmaline for a while.

In addition, tourmaline is also called tourmaline, because the heated tourmaline will have different charges at both ends, which is easy to absorb dust. Therefore, when it is put away for a period of time and worn again, it should be degaussed and purified, and then gently wiped with a soft cloth before wearing it.

People hope that wearing jewelry can bring good luck, so they pin their hopes on precious stones and think that they have certain spirituality.

The spiritual function of tourmaline;

1. Black tourmaline (black tourmaline): The appearance of black tourmaline is dark.

(1). It can effectively eliminate stress, fatigue and polluted air, and improve health and luck.

(2) For people who are easily frightened and have nightmares at night, placing black tourmaline can stabilize the space energy field and ward off evil spirits.

(3) It helps to protect patients from external interference, concentrate on recovering from illness, and enhance the recovery speed.

2. Blue tourmaline (blue tourmaline):

Blue tourmaline, corresponding to the throat chakra and the third eye, is the main communication and sensitivity.

(1). It can effectively enhance communication ability, expression ability and persuasion ability.

(2) For those who are too generous, generous, generous and enthusiastic, they are easy to be used by others and suffer losses. Wearing blue tourmaline can balance this personality.

3. Green tourmaline (green tourmaline):

Green tourmaline, corresponding to the heart chakra, is a gem that can make people happy, happy and satisfied, also known as the stone of wealth.

(1). Green light is the light of wealth, which can make people feel happy and make money.

(2). The green light is easy to make good friends, good relationships and good luck, and it is also easy to get the appreciation of the boss and the help of the nobles.

(3) It can help to eliminate troubles, depression and unhappiness in the heart and bring real happiness and joy, especially for people with depression, autism or easy self-denial.

(4) People who are weak, unwilling and unwilling to do things will help to find the pleasure of work, and will be willing to devote themselves wholeheartedly and go all out to get the satisfaction of self-realization.

4. Rose tourmaline (red and pink tourmaline):

Tourmaline has a wide distribution of red tones, mostly between pink and peach, and a few are deep red like rubies. Its energy makes people warm, unrestrained, cheerful and comfortable, corresponding to the heart chakra, which is extremely pleasant.

(1). Sending a rose tourmaline to the opposite sex is a good way to express your love and win the other person's heart. Wearing rose tourmaline is also easy to attract wonderful love and ideal partner; Or make the feelings between husband and wife stronger.

(2) When others are biased against you, it helps to improve their relationship; When you are indifferent to others, you can enhance their popularity; At the same time, it helps to eliminate a person's inner indifference, aloof, withdrawn and all kinds of abnormal psychology, making people easy to get along with.

(3). For people who often need to deal with the public or work, it helps to spread personal charm and strengthen leadership temperament, which will naturally attract more popularity and gain people's support.

(4) For women who love beauty, it is said that there is also the role of beauty beauty.

5. Watermelon tourmaline (Watermelon tourmaline):

Watermelon tourmaline in a crystal has the characteristics of blue-green infrared. Tourmaline that looks like watermelon. Because of its name, the quantity is scarce, so it is more expensive. It is said that the watermelon tourmaline was placed under the pillow where Empress Dowager Cixi slept.

(1). It helps to eliminate all conflicts, contradictions and complicated feelings in the heart, and makes people have a happy and joyful mood.

(2) People in complex relationships, interest disputes or emotional conflicts will help to resolve myths and see the truth clearly; For men and women who are affectionate, promiscuous and often have emotional entanglements, it is helpful to get rid of multi-party relationships, so that they can feel at ease and find true love.

(3) Public relations personnel, salesmen, shop assistants and receptionists wear watermelon tourmaline, which is helpful for being well-proportioned and versatile, facilitating business promotion, strengthening communication and coordination, handling complex situations and getting a satisfactory result.

The choice of tourmaline: tourmaline often appears in places where crystals are sold, and many people think it is crystal! Actually, it is a gem, and it is a fine gem.

Its color is easy to distinguish, mainly depending on the overall clarity and cotton content. The color is good, transparent and especially bright, which makes you feel like you are oiled!

No gem has such rich color changes as tourmaline. From the Mediterranean region with a long history, as early as AD 1703, the Dutch began to import tourmaline from Sri Lanka to Europe. They named this newly discovered ore Ceylon Tufamall, but the original intention is unknown. According to their colors, they can be divided into the following categories:

1. Colorless or almost colorless. Very rare.

2. Ruby (Latin meaning reddish): pink to red, sometimes accompanied by purple, of which ruby-like color is the most precious.

3. zoisite: Yellow, brown to brown (dark brown).

4. Green jade (Italian, Greek, meaning green jade): All colors are green. The most common tourmaline. Colors like emeralds are the most precious.

5. Blue tourmaline (indigo or indirubin): All colors are blue.

6. Sibelli Te (produced in Wulashan): lavender to purplish blue.

7. Black tourmaline Schorl: The color is black, which is very common and is hardly used as jewelry.

Pure monochromatic tourmaline (monochromatic) is very rare. Most crystals have multiple shades or even completely different colors, and usually the colors are displayed in layers. Brazil produces a kind of tourmaline with red inner layer, white inner layer and green outer layer. The tourmaline in South Africa is green inside and red outside. If the inner ring of a tourmaline is red and the outer ring is green, it is called "watermelon tourmaline". These color matching and color changes can be clearly observed after the section of the slice is polished.

Cat's eye tourmaline also exists in many colors, but only pink and green varieties will have strong Chatoyancy, which is due to the inclusion of foreign crystals. Some tourmalines also show slight color changes under artificial light sources.

Recently, color indications often replace the names of tourmaline species, such as yellow tourmaline, green tourmaline and pink tourmaline. When using scientific methods to distinguish tourmalines with different compositions, there are other scientific names as special classification: bainite-tourmaline containing iron; Tourmaline (brown tourmaline)-sodium magnesium tourmaline; Albite-sodium lithium tourmaline; Schorl (black tourmaline)-tourmaline containing iron; Xonotlite-tourmaline containing manganese; Purple calcium magnesium tourmaline.

After heating and subsequent cooling, or applying pressure, or rubbing with silk or wool in dry weather, tourmaline crystals will become charged. In the direction perpendicular to the C axis, one end will generate positive static electricity, and the other end will generate negative static electricity, which will attract some dust particles and even small pieces of paper. This is the piezoelectricity of tourmaline, which is currently used to measure the pressure caused by explosion in air or water. The first Dutch who introduced tourmaline to Europe already knew this effect. They used a heat-treated tourmaline to suck ash from their sepiolite pipe and called it "aschentrekker" (meaning a tool similar to smoking ash).

Tourmaline deposits are usually located in pegmatite and alluvial deposits. Apart from Sri Lanka and Madagascar, Brazil has the highest output. Brazil produces red, green and blue tourmalines. Recently, a special tourmaline named "Paraiba" has been discovered. Its color is different from other gems. It is green with blue, like lake green, and its color is beautiful and special. However, due to the scarcity of production and the high price, it is deeply loved by the Japanese. Mosanbike supplies high-grade red and two-color tourmaline. More mineral deposits are distributed in Angola, Australia, Myanmar (red tourmaline), India, Rhodesia (New Guinea), Namibia, Tanzania, Thailand, Russia (especially in Wulashan and Caucasus, there are purple, red and blue tourmalines) and the United States (California is most famous for red tourmaline, while Maine is red, green and watermelon tourmaline. As for Europe, collectors have found tourmaline in Elba and Switzerland. In addition, tourmaline was introduced to China in the Qing Dynasty, and it was mostly used as a decorative gem on the top of the hats of first-class or second-class officials.

Pink, bright red and green are the most demanding colors, among which red and green tourmalines are the most common and popular, but only the colors with medium depth and bright degree are the best. If the color is too dark or too light, the value will be greatly reduced. Green tourmaline containing chromium is rarer than red tourmaline, and its price is slightly higher. Tourmaline containing chromium will turn red when tested by color filter. Because tourmaline has a strong multicolor, it must be cut. Usually the section is parallel to the spindle center C, but for light tourmaline, in order to get deeper color, the section should be perpendicular to the spindle center C, because tourmaline is dark in the direction perpendicular to the C axis and light in the direction parallel to the C axis.

When heated to about 842-1202450-650℃, tourmaline can produce slight color change: green tourmaline becomes turquoise, and red-brown tourmaline becomes fiery red. Generally speaking, no synthetic tourmaline has been commercialized. Because of its rich and varied colors, tourmaline is often confused with other natural gems. Especially amethyst, andalusite, chrysoberyl, topaz, garnet, emerald, olivine, smoky Shi Ying, ruby and emerald. Synthetic green spinel, pink topaz, idocrase, zircon and some glass imitations. The important identification marks of tourmaline are its high birefringence and strong polychromatic color. Ruby and opal are birthday stones in October.