Tourmaline
| Colour | Black, Pink, Green, Clear, Brown, Red |
|---|---|
| Mohs hardness | 7.0–7.5 |
| Lustre | Vitreous, sometimes resinous |
| Streak | White |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Transparency | Translucent to opaque |
| Cleavage | Indistinct |
| Fracture | Uneven, small conchoidal |
| Specific gravity | 3.06+0.20–0.06 |
What is Tourmaline?
Tourmaline is a crystalline silicate mineral group in which boron is compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. This gemstone comes in a wide variety of colors.
How to identify Tourmaline
- Lustre: Vitreous, sometimes resinous.
- Hardness: Mohs 7.0–7.5 — hard enough to scratch glass.
- Streak: White.
- Habit: Trigonal crystal system.
Tourmaline in different forms
Stones often confused with Tourmaline
Frequently asked questions
How hard is Tourmaline?
Tourmaline is Mohs 7.0–7.5 on the hardness scale.
What colour is Tourmaline?
Tourmaline is typically black, pink, green, clear, brown, red (Most commonly black, but can range from colorless to brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, or hues in-b).