Pink Tourmaline is the alternate birthstone to Opal for the month of  October.  It is also considered the gem for poets and teachers.  Tourmaline occurs in many colors but pink is the rarest. The pink stone comes in a range of shades from pale pink to a reddish pink. The name Tourmaline is thought to come from Sri Lanka where many beautiful gems were called Turmali.

  
Although it was only introduced to Europe several hundred years ago, it was known and used in other parts of the world, such as China, for centuries.  In fact, ancient carvings of objects made out of Tourmaline by the Chinese are in museums today which gives an indication of how durable the stone is.  While there are many myths about the power of the stone, what is true is the pyroelectric effect of Tourmaline.  That is, if the stone is rubbed or heated it acquires an electric charge and attracts tiny lightweight objects like dust.

Tourmaline is found throughout the world with lovely pink specimens found in California and Maine.

Clean Tourmaline with a soft cloth.