For centuries tourmalines have adorned the jewels of royalty. The Empress Dowager Tz'u Hsi,
the last empress of China, valued the rich pink colors above all other gemstones. The
people of ancient Ceyon called tourmaline "turmali," the Sinhalese word for
"more colors."Perhaps this is why ancient mystics believed tourmaline
could encourage artistic intuition: it has the palette
to express every mood.

Vivid reds, hot pinks, verdant greens and blues abound in this marvelous gem variety. Earth tones
as varied as a prairie sunset are readily available. Not only does tourmaline occus in a
spectacular range of colors, but it is also combines those colors in a single
gemstone called "bi-color" or "parti-color" tourmaline. One color
combination with a pink center and a green outer rim is called
"watermelon" tourmaline, and is cut in thin slices similar
to its namesake.

Dark blue, blue-green, and green tourmalines are occasionally heated to lighten their color. Red
tourmalines, also known asrubellites, and pink varieties are sometimes heated or
irradiated to improve their colors. Heat and irradiation colors
enhancement of tourmalines is permanent.

Occaisonally, some tourmalines may have surface-breaking fissures that are filled with resins, with
or without hardeners. Care must be obserrved with these gemstones. Avoid exposing them
to harsh abraisves and strong chemical solvents.



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