Tourmaline, Mixed, Natural, Faceted Off Round, One 8mm Strand

Tourmaline, Mixed, Natural, Faceted Off Round, 8mm.

This price is for one strand 15 to 16 inches long. 

8mm faceted off round strands have 32 to 36 pieces.

Tourmaline is a crystalline boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone. Somewhere in Brazil in the 1500s, a Spanish conquistador washed the dirt from a green tourmaline crystal and confused it with emerald.  This confusion continued until scientists recognized tourmaline as a distinct mineral species in the 1800s.   The confusion about the stone’s identity is even reflected in its name, which comes from “toramalli”, which means “mixed gems” in the language of Sri Lanka. 

The tourmaline holds the record for one of the most colorful gemstones. The tourmaline is also known as the "Rainbow Gem" because is the only gem that can come in every color.

Tourmaline crystals are found in the United States, Southern California, Connecticut, and Maine.  Outside of the USA it can be found in Brazil, Madagascar and Russia and many parts of Africa and Asia. 

Tourmaline is the state gemstone of Maine.

Hardness 7-7.5 

This is a natural stone that has had no treatment other than cutting, drilling, and polishing.

The source of these beads is Brazil and they are cut, drilled and polished in China.