Raw Tourmaline Gold-Plated Pendant

Raw Tourmaline Pendant

Brazilian Handicrafts:

Discover our range of handcrafted stone necklaces from Brazil, combining the natural elegance of the stones with local craftsmanship. Each necklace is carefully crafted to showcase the beauty of the minerals. The finishes are made from brass for a golden effect. Our necklaces are available with 45 cm leather cords. Steel clasp. You can also purchase the pendant on its own.

Tourmaline:

Tourmalines come in a wide variety of colours. The name derives from the Sinhalese word ‘Turmali’, meaning ‘stone of mixed colours’. It has often been mistaken for other gemstones. In Brazil, green tourmaline was long mistaken for emerald during the colonial era. Some crystals have a colour that creates an effect known as ‘watermelon tourmaline’, with a pink interior and a green exterior. The rarest and most expensive variety is the Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline, which is an intense blue. Pink tourmaline was particularly prized by Tzu Hsi, the Chinese Empress (1860–1908). It is said that she owned a large collection of them. It also adorns the Russian crown jewels. Tourmaline possesses unique properties that have intrigued scientists for centuries. Over 2,300 years ago, the philosopher Theophrastus wrote about the ‘lyngurion’—probably a tourmaline—which had the property of attracting small objects such as straw, ash or pieces of wood when heated. This characteristic, known as pyroelectricity, results from the creation of an electric charge on one side of the mineral and an opposite charge on the other side when it is heated. This ability led the Dutch in the 18th century to name tourmaline ‘asshentrekker’ or ‘ash-puller’. Furthermore, certain tourmaline crystals can generate an electric charge when pressure is applied along their principal axis. This phenomenon is known as piezoelectricity. This property has found numerous applications in pressure-measuring equipment, including that used in submarines and other military equipment. Tourmalines are complex silicates that form in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Their varied chemical composition results in a wide range of colours. Impurities and inclusions often play a role in the colouration of tourmalines.
The main sources of tourmaline are: Brazil, Mozambique, Madagascar, Nigeria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Namibia, Pakistan, the USA, Russia, Kenya…