Tourmaline- Birthstone of October

Those born in November have two very interesting and beautiful gemstones to choose from. The birthstone for October are tourmaline and opal. Read this article to learn more about Tourmaline and the fascinating varieties of this gemstone prevalent in Southern Africa.
Tourmalines have the widest range of colours of any gemstone. The colour range of tourmaline includes the full spectrum of pale hues, and deep shades, from deep reds to orange, pale peach, vibrant to light pinks, intense blues and greens to
to browns and black.
Rubelite is the name for pink, red, purplish red, orangey red, or brownish red tourmaline.
Indicolite is blue or greenish blue.
Schorl is black.
Verdalite is green, as is chrome tourmaline.
Tourmaline crystals can also display more than one colour in the same crystal.

Tourmaline occurs in large crystals. Beautiful large tourmaline gems are set in striking cocktail rings, complemented by diamonds, for relatively low prices. Large crystals are also carved into sculptures and ornate bottles in China.

These earrings showcase Paraiba tourmalines. These are a greenish-blue reminiscent of Carribean seas, and derive their name from the source: Paraiba in Brazil. Paraiba colour is caused by the presence of copper in the mineral.
The first recorded green tourmaline crystal was documented in 1554.
Interesting fact: Tourmaline becomes electrically charged when heated and also when pressure is applied to the crystal.