Tourmalinated quartz is natural clear quartz with black tourmaline needles grown inside it. It is not dyed, and it is a different stone from rutilated quartz, which holds golden needles. We do not carry it.
Quartz with tourmaline inclusions (silicate) · Quartz
Tourmalinated Quartz
Cuarzo turmalinado
- Palette
- Clear Black
- Mined in
- Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Pakistan, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.0 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- the black tourmaline needles it contains; tourmaline comes from Sinhalese tōramallī
- Also sold as
- tourmaline in quartz, black tourmaline in quartz, tourmalated quartz
- Intention
- Abundance Protection
- Looking for
- Luck Prosperity Clearing negativity
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Tourmalinated quartz beads are usually sold natural. The bead trade lists them with no dye or coating.
Not in our pieces now
95%
Schorl, the black iron-rich tourmaline, may make up 95 percent or more of all tourmaline in nature.
TORAMALLI
The word tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese toramalli, a general name for carnelian.
CEYLONESE MAGNET
Dutch traders called Sri Lankan tourmaline the Ceylonese Magnet because heated crystals attract and then repel ashes.
What it is
Clear to milky quartz with black needles of tourmaline grown inside it. The needles run in straight bundles or cross in every direction, so every bead looks different. It is natural quartz, not dyed.
What gives it its color
The black needles are black tourmaline, an iron-rich tourmaline, inside clear quartz.
Where it comes from
Tourmalinated quartz is found in pegmatites; Minas Gerais in Brazil is the first source named, along with Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Pakistan and the United States (Colorado, California, Maine).
In history
Tourmalinated quartz is clear rock crystal holding needles of black tourmaline. Quartz crystal has a long carving tradition: it lies in Irish passage tombs such as Newgrange, was the most common material for engraved gems and crystal vases in Europe until the mid-19th century, and Milan, Prague and Florence were Renaissance crystal-cutting centers.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, it is kept for luck and for money matters. People also reach for it when they want a space to feel clear of bad moods.
It is usually worn as a bead or cabochon on the wrist, or kept on a desk or in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in a pocket, or on a desk.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, tourmalinated quartz 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 luck, prosperity, 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
ZodiacLibra
ElementEarth
Also calledtourmaline in quartz, black tourmaline in quartz, tourmalated quartz
Care
- Hard enough for everyday wear, but quartz can still chip on a hard knock.
- Wipe with a soft cloth and mild soapy water; rinse and dry.
- Store apart from softer stones so it does not scratch them.
- Avoid sudden hot or cold, which can crack stones with inclusions.
How to tell what you have
- Tourmalinated quartz is clear to milky quartz with black tourmaline needles grown inside it, so every bead looks different.
- The needles sit inside the quartz, not on the surface.
- A dyed or colored bead with no black needles is a different material.
Questions people ask at our table
What is tourmalinated quartz?
Clear or milky quartz that grew around black tourmaline needles, usually the black variety schorl. Both minerals are natural.
Is it dyed or man-made?
No. The black lines are real tourmaline crystals trapped in the quartz. No common enhancement is known for it.
How is it different from rutilated quartz?
Rutilated quartz holds golden rutile needles. Tourmalinated quartz holds black tourmaline needles.
Where does it come from?
Brazil is the main source. Germany, Switzerland, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Pakistan and the United States also produce it.
How hard is it?
About 7 on the Mohs scale, the same as quartz, so it is good for daily wear with ordinary care.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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