Rough Black Tourmaline (Schorl) Afghanistan
Fine-grade black tourmaline from Afghanistan, a collection of mostly lustrous crystals in a variety of sizes. They have been cleaned but are otherwise untouched.
With so much low-grade black tourmaline on the market, I was very happy to find this quality at a reasonable price.
Larger quantities of black tourmaline are available, but individual crystal sizes will be mixed.
These black tourmaline crystals were individually selected for our collection. This painstaking process allowed us to choose some really nice pieces.
Tourmaline is a relatively hard mineral that doesn't scratch easily. It exhibits poor to no cleavage, meaning it lacks well-defined planes along which the crystal can break. This characteristic contributes to its durability.
Tourmaline breaks with a conchoidal fracture meaning it breaks with smooth, curved surfaces, similar to glass.
Black tourmaline, also known as schorl, is always black and opaque. Although other varieties of tourmaline may be black, they may not be schorl.
The term 'schorl' is believed to derive from the Old German word "schürl," although its exact meaning is not known. It's often thought to relate to 'impurities' because these often influence the colour and properties of tourmaline.
Schorl may also be connected to a village now known as Zorschlau, which has a tin mine where tourmaline is believed to have been discovered.
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