Tourmalines
name comes from the
Sinhalese word for
turmali, which means
"mixed."
Occurring in more colors
or combinations of
colors than any other
gemstone variety found
in nature, this gem
lives up to its
name. Perhaps this
is why ancient mystics
believed tourmaline
could encourage artistic
intuition: it has the
palette to express every
mood.
Dark
blue, blue-green, an
green tourmalines are
occasionally heated to
lighten their
color. Red
tourmalines, also known
as rubellites, and pink
varieties are sometimes
heated or irradiated to
improve their
colors. Heat and
irradiation color
enhancement of
tourmalines is
permanent. The
pink tourmaline is the
birthstone for the month
of October.
