In crystal lore, black tourmaline is one of the first stones people reach for when they want protection. It is traditionally associated with grounding and with a sense of being steady and secure.
Silicate (tourmaline group) · Tourmaline (schorl species)
Black Tourmaline
Turmalina negra
- Palette
- Black
- Mined in
- Brazil, Mozambique, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.0–7.5 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- 1562
- Named for
- the Saxon village Schorl, now Zschorlau
- Also sold as
- schorl, shorl, iron tourmaline
- Intention
- Protection Calm
- Looking for
- Protection Grounding Clearing negativity Calm
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Black tourmaline beads are usually sold natural. The bead trade lists them with no dye or heat.
Not in our pieces now
95% OR MORE
Black tourmaline, called schorl, may make up 95 percent or more of all the tourmaline found in nature.
CEYLONESE MAGNET
Tourmaline was once nicknamed the Ceylonese Magnet because heating it made it attract and then repel hot ashes.
7 TO 7.5
Schorl rates 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
What it is
An opaque, glossy black stone, often with fine lengthwise striations when raw and a dark satin or glassy shine when polished. It is schorl, the iron-rich member of the tourmaline family and the most common kind. Bead-sized pieces are usually plain black and can be mistaken for black onyx, obsidian or black glass.
What gives it its color
The black comes from iron: tourmaline rich in iron (the sodium-iron kind called schorl) is black to bluish-black or deep brown.
Where it comes from
Schorl is named for a village in Saxony, Germany; tourmaline in general comes from Brazil, Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the United States.
In history
Black tourmaline, called schorl, was already named before 1400 for a Saxon village with a tin mine, and Johannes Mathesius first described it in print in 1562. Dutch East India Company traders later brought Ceylonese tourmalines to Europe as curiosities, and 19th-century chemists used cut tourmaline to polarize light.
What's said about it
People keep it on a desk, in the car or by the bed, and some wear it as an amulet or carry it in a pocket.
Europeans in the 1700s called tourmaline the ash puller, because a warmed stone drew up ash and then pushed it away. That curiosity gave the family a name before it had any lore.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in a pocket, on a desk, or by the bed.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, black tourmaline is paired with the root chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, in a pocket, on a desk. People reach for it when they want protection, grounding, clearing negativity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraRoot
ZodiacCapricorn
BirthstoneOctober
Anniversary8th (tourmaline)
ElementEarth
Also calledschorl, shorl, iron tourmaline
Care
- Hard but brittle; avoid hard knocks and drops.
- Clean with a soft cloth and lukewarm water with a little mild soap, then dry.
- Keep away from sudden temperature changes and ultrasonic cleaners.
- Store apart from harder gems such as sapphire and diamond.
How to tell what you have
- Black tourmaline is schorl, the iron-rich kind of tourmaline. It is hard, 7 to 7-1/2 on the Mohs scale, and often has fine lengthwise lines.
- Tourmaline builds up a small electric charge when heated or squeezed, which is how labs recognize the family.
- Black glass and other black stones can look the same, so a seller who cannot name the stone is a warning sign.
Questions people ask at our table
What is black tourmaline?
It is schorl, a sodium-iron tourmaline that makes up most of the tourmaline found in nature. It is a natural mineral, black because of its iron.
Is black tourmaline the same as obsidian or black onyx?
No. Obsidian is volcanic glass and black onyx is banded chalcedony that is usually dyed. Black tourmaline is a crystalline mineral, often striated.
Is it natural, or can it be glass?
The mineral is naturally black and needs no dye. Black glass is sometimes sold under stone names, so ask for the material to be named.
How is it different from the pink and green tourmalines?
They are other members of the same family, colored by different elements. Black is the plain iron-rich kind, while pink and green are elbaite.
How do I look after it?
Wipe it with a soft cloth. It is hard, but it is brittle, so keep it from hard knocks.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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