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Tourmaline is a group of minerals that come in many colors and are used as gemstones. Tourmaline is known for its glassy sheen and wide range of colors.

Color

• Tourmaline can be colorless, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, or black

• Some tourmalines are bi-colored or tri-colored

• Some tourmalines have a cat's-eye effect called chatoyancy

• Tourmaline can have concentric color zoning

Composition

• Tourmaline is a silicate mineral that contains boron and other elements like aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium

• The color of tourmaline is caused by different combinations of these elements

Properties

• Tourmaline has a hardness of 7.5 on the Moh's scale

• Tourmaline is pyroelectric, meaning it becomes electrically charged when heated or squeezed

• Tourmaline is resistant to weathering

Uses

• Tourmaline is used as a gemstone

• Tourmaline can be carved into display pieces

• Tourmaline is the birthstone for October

Location

• Tourmaline is mined in many places around the world, including Brazil, Africa, Afghanistan, the U.S., Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Madagascar, and Nigeria