Watermelon Tourmaline
Pink core, green rind: a single elbaite crystal that changed chemistry as it grew.
- Family
- Tourmaline
- Formula
- Na(Li,Al)₃Al₆(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₄
- Mohs
- 7 to 7.5
- System
- Trigonal
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Science
Elbaite is lithium tourmaline, the species that carries almost every gem colour. Watermelon crystals grew with manganese early, then iron later, so a slice across the prism shows a pink centre inside a green shell. Cutters sell it as polished slices to keep the pattern.
- Mineral
- Tourmaline (variety)
- Formula
- Na(Li,Al)₃Al₆(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₄
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Mohs hardness
- 7 to 7.5
- Specific gravity
- 3.03 to 3.10
- Refractive index
- 1.624 to 1.644
- Lustre
- Vitreous
- Colours
- Pink, Green
Composition
Na(Li,Al)₃Al₆(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₄. Made of Sodium, Lithium, Aluminium, Boron, Silicon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, with trace Manganese, Iron responsible for colour.
Origin
- BrazilMinas Gerais
- United StatesNewry, Maine; Pala, California
- Nigeria
- Afghanistan
- Mozambique
Filled dots are primary sources
Rarity
Sharp, clean bicolour slices are uncommon; most rough is cracked between the zones.
- 1 Abundant
- 2 Common
- 3 Uncommon
- 4 Rare
- 5 Exceptional
Hardness
Watermelon Tourmaline sits at 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. It will scratch glass and holds a polish in daily wear.
Energy
Associations from crystal-healing tradition, recorded here as folklore. They are not medical claims.
Chakras
- Heart
Element
- Water
Zodiac
- Gemini
- Virgo
- Libra
Planets
- Venus
Properties
- Emotional balance
- Joy
- Reconciliation
- Heart healing
Lore
The first crystals were found in Maine in 1820 by two boys at Mount Mica, the beginning of American gem mining. Tiffany sold Maine tourmaline for decades.
The 1989 Newry find in Maine produced over a tonne of gem tourmaline. Modern practice reads the pink and green as the heart's two colours in one stone.
- PleochroismColour deepens when viewed down the length of the crystal.
- ParaíbaCopper-bearing elbaite from Brazil, the most expensive tourmaline.