Tourmaline ( /ˈtʊərməlɪn/, -/iːn/ TOOR-mə-lin, -leen) is a crystalline boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone and the gemstone comes in a wide variety of colors.

According to the Madras Tamil Lexicon^[3] the name comes from the Sinhalese word “thoramalli” (තෝරමල්ලි) or “tōra- molli”, which is applied to a group of gemstones found in Sri Lanka. According to the same source, the Tamil “tuvara-malli” (துவரைமல்லி) and “toramalli” are also derived from the Sinhalese root word. This etymology is also given in other standard dictionaries including the Oxford English Dictionary.

History[edit]

Brightly colored Sri Lankan gem tourmalines were brought to Europe in great quantities by the Dutch East India Company to satisfy a demand for curiosities and gems. At the time,^[when?] it was not realised that schorl and tourmaline were the same mineral, as it was only about 1703 that it was discovered that some colored gems were not zircons.^{[citation needed]} Tourmaline was sometimes called the “Ceylonese [Sri Lankan] Magnet” because it could attract and then repel hot ashes due to its pyroelectric properties.^[2][4]

Tourmalines were used by chemists in the 19th century to polarize light by shining rays onto a cut and polished surface of the gem.^[5]

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