In crystal lore, green tourmaline is the stone people keep for luck and a growing purse. It is traditionally linked with the heart and with prosperity.
Silicate (tourmaline group) · Elbaite (tourmaline)
Green Tourmaline
Turmalina verde
- Palette
- Green
- Mined in
- Brazil, Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.0–7.5 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- 1913
- Named for
- Sinhalese tōramalli, a word for carnelian stones
- Also sold as
- verdelite, green elbaite
- Intention
- Abundance Love
- Looking for
- Prosperity Luck Love Joy
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Green tourmaline is often sold as natural, but small cracks are sometimes filled with resin and some tourmaline is heated or irradiated to improve color. Ask the seller what was done to a faceted bead.
Not in our pieces now
191.87 CARATS
The world's largest cut tourmaline is a 191.87-carat bluish-green Paraiba stone, shown in Montreal in October 2009.
TŌRAMALLI
The word tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese toramalli, a name tied to carnelian stones.
WATERMELON
Some tourmaline crystals are green at one end and pink at the other, or green outside and pink inside, and are called watermelon tourmaline.
What it is
A clear to translucent gem mineral in green, from pale mint to deep forest. Rough pieces form slender, striped crystals; as beads it is usually small and faceted. Some stones look a different shade of green when turned, because the color changes with the viewing direction.
What gives it its color
Green tourmaline (verdelite) gets its color from iron, chromium or vanadium in the crystal; the strongest greens, called chrome tourmaline, come from chromium or vanadium.
Where it comes from
Green tourmaline comes from Brazil (especially Minas Gerais and Bahia), Nigeria, Mozambique, and chrome-bearing green stones from the Umba Valley area of Tanzania and Kenya.
In history
Dutch East India Company ships brought colorful Ceylonese tourmalines into Europe in great quantities. Two college students found the first American gem tourmaline on Mount Mica, Maine, in 1821, and a 1972 pocket at Dunton Quarry in Maine yielded about two metric tons.
What's said about it
Gardeners have their own habit with it. Some keep a piece in the shed or by the plants, which fits its leafy color.
An old legend says tourmaline crossed a rainbow on its way up from the earth and picked up every color. That is why the family of stones is so varied.
It is hard and clear enough for daily wear. People usually choose a bracelet or necklace, or tuck a piece in a wallet.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, on a necklace, in a wallet or cash box, or in a garden shed or with plants.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, green tourmaline is paired with the heart 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, on a necklace, in a wallet or cash box. People reach for it when they want prosperity, luck, love, 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.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacCapricorn
BirthstoneOctober
Anniversary8th
ElementWater
Also calledverdelite, green elbaite
Care
- Hard enough for everyday wear (Mohs 7 to 7.5), though a sharp knock can still chip a faceted edge.
- Clean with warm soapy water and a soft cloth, then dry.
- Keep away from sudden heat and from steam.
- Store apart from harder stones so the polish stays clear.
How to tell what you have
- Green tourmaline looks different shades of green as you turn it and is hard (7-7.5). Green glass, green quartz and chrome diopside are the usual look-alikes, and many green tourmalines are weakly pulled by a strong magnet while glass is not.
What sets the price
Price follows the green (a clean bluish green or vivid chromium green is worth the most, dark olive green much less), how free of visible flaws the stone is, and size; large clean stones cost far more for their weight than small ones.
Rules and sourcing
Small cracks in green tourmaline are sometimes filled with resin, and some is heated or irradiated to improve color. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose fillers, irradiation or heat.
Questions people ask at our table
What is green tourmaline?
It is the green form of tourmaline, a boron silicate mineral. The green gem material is usually the elbaite species, sometimes sold as verdelite.
Is it natural or dyed?
Green tourmaline is a natural gem mineral. Pink to red stones are often heated to improve color, so ask the seller whether a particular strand has been.
How is it different from green aventurine?
Green aventurine is a quartz with tiny sparkly flakes and is not see-through. Green tourmaline is a separate mineral, usually clearer and harder.
Where does it come from?
Brazil is the best-known source, with more from Africa (Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, Madagascar) and from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Can I wear it every day?
At Mohs 7 to 7.5 it handles daily wear well. Like most faceted gems, it can chip if struck on an edge.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
Stay in the loop
Sign up to hear about new product drops, upcoming events, and the latest from Peritik. No spam, just the good stuff.