Tourmaline

Tourmaline Beads: A Force of Nature

Available in an extensive variety of colors with a blend of stunning saturations and grounding properties, tourmaline is a highly revered semi-precious stone. Known to have been found across 8600 locations with Brazil, Madagascar, and the United States topping the list, this stone boasts stunning shades of pink, red, green, blue, and many more. This birthstone of October takes its name from the Sinhalese word “turmali,” which means “mixed colors” and is backed by a rich history through cultures and civilizations that admired its beauty and established its spiritual and protective purpose. Today, it continues to be cherished for its healing properties and charisma that engraves its way into the world of gemology and jewelry making.

Formation and Fabrication

Belonging to the cyclosilicate mineral group, this enchanting stone is a consequence of various magmatic processes and hydrothermal activity. When the magma cools down, elements like boron, aluminum, and silica become concentrated before being crystallized in igneous or metamorphic rocks, leading to their formation. Additionally, when hydrothermal fluids containing minerals and other elements circulate and seep through rocks and cracks, they grow and solidify into tourmaline crystals.

Displaying different colors from different angles, the natural tourmaline gemstone displays pleochroism, which makes each piece unique and vibrant on its own. Apart from its colorful palette, it also possesses a property known as pyroelectricity and piezoelectricity, which implies that the stone gets electrically charged when heated or squeezed, making it valuable in practical and industrial applications.

Additionally, it’s vitreous to resinous luster and a ranking of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale makes it resistant to scratches and durable enough for jewelry making.

Real Tourmaline vs Fake

1. Clarity:

While the real stone exhibits some inclusions and imperfections, the fake seems too perfect to be true.

2. Color:

Natural tourmaline reveals natural shades that might change when viewed from diverse angles. However, imitations might appear bright, unnatural, and consistent.

3. Price:

Authentic tourmaline is rare and pricier than its synthetic counterpart, which is mass-produced and therefore more affordable.

Diversity

Tourmaline encompasses various species based on its color varieties. Let’s take a look at the different types of tourmaline:

1. Schorl:

This brown to black variety is mostly found in countries such as Brazil and the United States. Its deep black color, vitreous luster, and 7 - 7.5 hardness on the Mohs scale make it a popular choice for jewelry making.

2. Elbaite:

Exhibiting multiple colors, cat’s eye effect, color zoning,g and vitreous luster, elbaite is a transparent to translucent stone that symbolizes healing, growth, and transformation.

3. Liddicoatite:

A unique and vibrant variety of tourmaline, liddicoatite boasts a unique color zoning, dramatic patterns, and vibrant crystal structure.

Gems Ocean’s Tourmaline Beads: Making every moment Shine

Crafted with care for you to wear with confidence, Gems Ocean’s faceted tourmaline beads are as enigmatic as they are beautiful. Their spectacular array of colors, styles, and sophistication can be fashioned to create earrings, necklaces, and rings for island adventures and city retreats. Our wide collection includes tourmaline stone beads of different sizes and shapes, such as button, oval, round, cone, tube, coin, drop, triangle, bo,x, and many more.

Buy Gems Ocean’s multi-colored tourmaline beads in bulk at wholesale rates through our website and reap the benefits of our fast shipping network. So, let’s partner together to create magic and meaning!