Tourmaline

Tourmaline is found in many places in the world including Brazil and Sri Lanka, but Africa is the top producer. The name Tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words 'tura mali', meaning ‘stone with mixed colours'. Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colours, supposedly because on their long journey up from the centre of the Earth, they passed over a rainbow. It’s this spectrum of vivid hues that makes Tourmaline jewellery so attractive. No two Tourmalines are exactly alike and it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, said to render them firm and long-lasting. Tourmaline is a semi-precious stone for the month of August and the zodiac sign of Virgo (Aug 22-Sep 22).