“This black thing, one of the prettiest of the very few pretty black things in the world, is called Tourmaline.”
Ruskin.
The Tourmaline, written in the 18th century in England as Tumalin, is derived from the Ceylonese TURMALI or TORAMALLI. The first specimens to arrive in London were known as “Brazilian Emeralds,” and they came from Brazil in the 17th century only to meet with an unfavorable reception. In the beginning of the 18th century Dutch merchants began to bring from Amsterdam specimens obtained by them from Ceylon. The Dutch cutters, observing how straw and other particles were attracted to specimens which had been lying in the sunlight, called the stone in consequence Aschentrekker (ash attractor). The Germans called it Azchenzieher, and the French Tire-cendre.
The Swedish scholar Linnæus experimented with the Tourmaline, calling it the “Electric Stone.” M. Lemery, the French Professor, called it the “Magnetic.” The experiments of Æpinus and Lehmann were concerned with the positive and negative energies exhibited by the Tourmaline. These 18th century scholars held that its power of repulsion exceeded its power of attraction. This sensitive stone is affected by weather changes, and it exhibits considerable power when heated—the electricity then developed being termed pyro-electric. Professor W. Goodchild, M.B., etc., details an interesting experiment in dealing with the Physical Properties of Gem Stones:
"A crystal of tourmaline, in heating to 150° C., becomes positively electrified at one terminature and negatively at the other. If now it be suspended by a non-conducting thread it will act as a magnet: on cooling, the charges on the poles reverse, positive becoming negative. If a crystal with such a charge be dusted with a fine mixture of sulphur and red lead, the yellow sulphur will be attracted to the portions charged with positive electricity, while the red lead goes to the negatively charged portions."
This experiment serves to illustrate the attraction of the mind (represented by yellow sulphur), towards the positive pole, and matter (represented by red lead), towards the negative pole, as noted in the philosophical researches of the old alchemists. If in a heated state, the tourmaline be shattered all the little pieces will exhibit the forces of attraction and repulsion so marked in this strange stone. It has been suspected, not without reason, that tourmaline specimens were[were] used by some of the Eastern students of alchemy who held primarily that the substance of the Philosopher’s Stone is Mercurial and that it should be treated with heat, for by that means alone would its use be shown, warmth coming from the Heavens to bless Man, Nature, and the Kingdoms of Nature.
The tourmaline is remarkable also for the variety of its colours, indicated by various and not always appropriate names. SCHORL, the black variety spoken of by Ruskin, was so called according to De Costa (1761) by the German miners. The same writer says “our English miners call them ‘bockle’ and ‘ball’.” The name appears as shirl, schirl (so spelt by De Costa), schoerl, shorl. In the 16th century it was known in Germany as SCHRUL, but later in the 18th century it appears as SCHORL. The name is now becoming unpopular, the simple term Black Tourmaline being preferred. The colourless variety is termed ACHROITE, from a Greek word meaning colourless; pink and rosy red are termed RUBELLITE; indigo blue, INDICOLITE; blue, BRAZILIAN SAPPHIRE; green, BRAZILIAN EMERALD; yellow-green, BRAZILIAN PERIDOT; honey-yellow, CEYLON PERIDOT; red violet, SIBERITE. The brown variety is usually known as Brown Tourmaline, although it has been known and still is known as Brazilian Topaz or Ceylonese Topaz. It is not so hard as the topaz, however, ranging in the scale somewhere between quartz and zircon. The refractive powers are likewise not in agreement, and in Methylene Dioxide the topaz (stone of Mars) sinks, whilst the Tourmaline (stone of Mercury) floats. There are also amber-coloured, cinnamon, lilac, grey, blue-grey, water-green and many beautiful parti-coloured specimens.
It is believed by some students that this gem was known to the ancients by the name LYNCURIUM, which Mr. King believes to be a species of jacinth, Dr. Brotero an orange-coloured hyacinth. Professor Ajasson, believing the name to refer to Tourmaline, suggests that LYN may be derived from the Sanscrit word LANKA, the name of Ceylon, a place where the stone is plentifully found. The general opinion now is that the stone described by Pliny under the name of LYCHNIS is our tourmaline. Pliny writes in his 37th Book on Natural History of the power of the LYCHNIS of drawing straws and fluff towards it when heated by the sun or by the friction of the hand.
The peculiar attractive and repulsive properties of the tourmaline may be compared with the mysteries contained in the caduceus of the wise and ever-restless Hermes. The symbolical snakes which adorn the rod represent knowledge received and knowledge imparted in the hermetic scheme of the Rosicrucians. The tourmaline is symbolical of wisdom, strength of mind, eloquence, learning and the power of knowledge. It is the stone for the author, poet, editor, and teacher. To dream of it means—in harmony with ancient philosophy—success through knowledge in all walks of life.
The tourmaline in all colours is under the zodiacal Gemini.