A natural stone, black tourmaline features high contents of ions, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Amongst the different colors of the tourmaline stone, black is one of the most common and popular.
Also called Schorl, black tourmaline is one of the most popular stones used in spiritual practice. It is mainly used for protection, including psychic protection and EMF protection. Thus, it is usually recommended for anyone living or working in challenging and uncomfortable places.
The black tourmaline works as an “etheric vacuum cleaner”. It cleans and clears all negative energy and cleanses your auric field. In addition, the purification that this stone provides users is excellent for anyone struggling with excessive anger, unwanted thoughts, and anxiety.
Meaning
The name of this stone consists of 2 words. Of course, we all know that Black means its color. But, most people will wonder about the meaning of the word Tourmaline.
The black variety of this stone is just one of the group of carious colored stones that all have a similar structure. However, its meaning is wrong when you go back to the origin of its name.
The word tourmaline came from the regional terms in Sri Lanka. It is based on “tumali”, a Sinhalese word that means “yellow Zircon”. But, this name has since changed a bit to the modern word Tourmaline.
The current name’s use began due to a mistake, when a batch of the stone, labeled “Turmalin” was sent from Sri Lanka. For some reason, they liked the name and started to use it and got stuck.
Properties
Physical Properties
The look and appearance of natural pieces of this stone are the same, irrespective of its color. It has the presence of vertical striations, furrows, or ridges on the stone.
Other than black, tourmaline also comes in pink, red, green, blue, and watermelon varieties. This proves that the tourmaline stone family really has a rich variety. Each color can enhance or add something to your life. But, they offer the same blessings and protections, regardless of the color.
Black tourmaline is a pyroelectric stone. This means that it produces electricity when it becomes heated. In addition, this stone is also piezoelectric. It is capable of storing electrical charge.
Given these properties, it is definitely a powerful stone. It provides plenty of protection benefits for your overall well-being and health.
Metaphysical Healing Properties
Strong Grounding Stone
As mentioned before, black tourmaline is an electrical stone. This makes it a strong grounding stone. It offers a connection between the Earth and the human spirit. It has a positive energy that lines up the energy hubs of the body and provides a curing light all the way through.
The stone also helps encourage a sense of power and self-confidence. It allows a clearer, stronger, and more objective opinion about yourself and the world. Also, it empowers those who work in perplexing environments. Or proves useful when facing a challenging and difficult situation.
Balancing Chakras and Protection
Black tourmaline is used by several stone healers to harmonize and balance the root chakras. These connect with the sensation of safety and grounding.
Black tourmaline is considered one of the strongest protection stones. As a matter of fact, this stone helps protect you from Electromagnetic Fields such as cell phones and computers. It gives good protection against noise and radiation coming from electrical gadgets.
Ward Off Nightmares
If you are one of those people who experience a lot of nightmares and are unable to sleep more often due to your lucid dreams, then a black tourmaline crystal should help you with that.
Since tourmaline contains traces of iron, this stone can actually help fight off nightmares. This allows you to have a more peaceful, restful sleep.
In addition, since it alters or changes negative energy into a positive one, it helps improve the vibration of the air. So, when placed in your bedroom, black tourmaline can help you sleep better and wake up more refreshed.
Keeps You Calm and Collected
There are times when you need to be around negative people who just drain your energy. And sometimes, it can get really hard trying to keep a positive attitude with these kinds of people.
In such situations, black tourmaline can help you stay calm and collected. This is because of its soothing properties and grounding effects.
And to those people who need to deal with problems such as anxiety, recurrent worrying, pessimism, OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder, stress, and fears, a black tourmaline stone can help reduce symptoms.
Clear Negativity
Black tourmaline stone is one of those beneficial healing crystals that can help offer protection and the elimination of negative energy.
When placed in your office or home, this healing stone works like a sponge. It absorbs all the negative energy surrounding the area. It also works as powerful protection which helps prevent bad energy from getting into your mind.
Not only does black tourmaline help absorb negative energy, but it can also transform these energies into positive ones. This helps boost your mental and physical wellbeing.
Black Tourmaline In Jewelry Uses
Black tourmaline in jewelry means versatility.
Tourmaline jewelry is not only popular, thanks to its high quality, shiny look, and attractiveness. It is also revered as a “magic stone” that is capable of protecting the individual who wears it.
Not only that, black tourmaline crystals in jewelry don’t just increase their value. It also helps enhance the look of the jewelry piece.
Tourmaline of all colors is transformed into gems for jewelry. Black is the most common. Blue, green, red, and multicolored varieties are the most popular.
Black tourmaline can be used as a large pendant stone in earrings, rings, and bracelets. Meanwhile, the lesser quality of stones is cut into cabochons and polished into beads used in pendants and necklaces.
Where Does Black Tourmaline Come From?
Different colors of tourmaline are not that easy to get and some are even called rare stones. But, the black variety of tourmaline is rather easy to get. They are extremely common it can be found in various locations.
Black tourmaline can be found in the United States, Africa, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Australia, and Pakistan.
How Much Is Black Tourmaline Worth?
For tourmaline stones, the more common forms can be fairly inexpensive. While the more exotic, rarer colors can go for a really high price.
And black tourmaline or Schrol, is one of the least expensive tourmalines. This is due to their easy availability and are commonly used as gemstones. Jewelry using such stones can go under $20, but, the more quality stones can fetch up to $100 per carat.
Where to Buy Black Tourmaline?
Usually Etsy or Amazon is a good idea. Etsy is the leading online global marketplace of handmade, vintage, and creative goods. Amazon is one of the largest global online marketplaces. Both of them are reliable and easy to find your favorite items there.
How to Identify Black Tourmaline?
Black tourmaline is a stone that is easy to identify. It has a hard and chunky structure and has visible striations running up and down its body. It comes in various forms, which can be confused with other stones or by itself. But, it is relatively easy to identify thanks to its unique form and growth.
In addition, tourmaline stones almost always have some inclusions. This is due to the fact that tourmaline is formed in a wet environment. These stones may even have small bubbles with water inside. Such bubbles are not perfectly round and some air-filled. So, if there are no inclusions, then it is probably not a Tourmaline.
Also, when identifying black tourmaline, look for the tell-tale sign of pleochroism. Looking at the stone from every direction, there should be a slight change in color (even in black), depending on the viewing angle.
Lastly, you can do a scratch test to identify a tourmaline. A sharp needle should be able to scratch hard plastics or glass, but, not tourmaline. These stones are really hard and won’t scratch that easily.
How to Use Black Tourmaline?
Black tourmaline should always be worn on the left side of the body. This is due to the fact that energies enter the body through the left side. Thus you will have to guard and protect that entrance.
If you wish to protect your family while traveling, then you can wear the black tourmaline stone on your right side. So when you are sitting right beside them, it is on their left side and protecting them from negative energies.
If you want, you can also wear it around your neck, hanging over the solar plexus part. Another way is to have a chunk of tourmaline in your pocket. But, if you are not always careful, then the stone would fall out every now and then and you might end up losing it.
Meanwhile, if you spend long hours using your cell phone or working on your laptop, then it is best to keep a medium to large-size black tourmaline close. This helps clean your zone of all unhealthy and disruptive electromagnetic fields.
How to Cleanse Black Tourmaline?
Although we’ve mentioned that black tourmaline does not need regular cleansing, it does not mean that you don’t have to do it.
When working with tourmaline, it is crucial that you know that this stone is actually not a self-cleansing stone. Just because it transmutes the negative energies it absorbs.
Tourmaline still absorbs detrimental negativity and energy. And will hold it within its crystalline structure. So, if you do not cleanse it, black tourmaline will stop working, effectively.
Cleansing a black tourmaline can be done in several ways.
The most common way is burying the black tourmaline completely in a container filled with a concentrated form of salt such as dry sea salt. Leave it for a few hours or even overnight. After that, remove it from the container and throw away the salt. This is because the salt has absorbed the negativity out of the stone.
In addition, you can also soak the stone in salt water overnight. That and with a clear intention of releasing any detrimental energies, entities, negative thought patterns, and inharmonious energy that it has absorbed. But, before doing this cleansing method, you need to make sure that the stone is not vulnerable to water damage.
Either way, the almighty salt is a really strong tool in any type of spiritual cleansing and clearing ritual. It is always suggested that you keep a bottle of it around.
A dull black tourmaline can also be cleansed by placing it in a glass bowl filled with spring water and a few drops of Crab Apple Bach remedy. Allow it to sit for a day to cleanse and clear the stone from all the negative energy.
For most people, it is more important to energetically clean and clear a black tourmaline of negative energy to charge them. If after cleaning it does not feel like its energy is shining as bright as you first used it, then you need to recharge it.
You can recharge it in 2 ways. Place it outdoors in direct sunlight on a clear day or under the light of the Full Moon.
Once your stone is fully charged, its vibrational properties should be activated. Then, you can start benefiting from its incredible energy again.
Compared to Other Similar Gemstones
Black tourmaline is a pretty common kind of stone but has strong benefits. It is usually used alone or combined with other healing crystals for better healing results. And since it is a common stone, most people would tend to confuse it with other gemstones. So, here are a few comparisons of black tourmaline with other similar crystals.
Black Tourmaline vs. Black Obsidian
Black obsidian is a volcanic glass, featuring a more fire element to it. Meanwhile, black tourmaline of an electrical stone. Both gemstones provide high protection against negative energies. They also have great grounding properties and work with Root Chakra.
Black obsidian is usually used for personal protection. Meaning, you see this stone as a part of jewelry pieces for wearing. Black tourmaline, on the other hand, is better at protecting space. Since it has strong protection against radiation and electromagnetic fields, black tourmaline is better used as a display for offices or homes to absorb negative energies.
Besides, black tourmaline absorbs and transmutes negative energies from people and from the environment. This means that it does not need regular cleaning and recharging like black obsidian.
Black tourmaline is also used for protection from low vibrational entities and in scrying. It also helps in easing anxiety, shielding yourself from energy vampires, and rebalancing the body. Meanwhile, black obsidian is usually used for self-reflection as well as protection, healing, and grounding.
Black Tourmaline vs. Shungite
Just like black tourmaline, shungite boasts a black color. It is a lustrous and non-crystalline mineraloid made up of over 98 weight percent of carbon.
Surprisingly, though, shungite is a not-so-popular mineral, yet. It is not known in the crystal healing community as a healing stone of a similar dark luster to the black tourmaline. Although not a crystal, the shungite is one of the strongest and most powerful mineral healers there is.
Like black tourmaline, shungite is well-suited for anyone who feels anxious and insecure about others. It helps keep you focused and helps you ignore any opinions of anyone who wishes to drag you down. In the same concept, it helps absorb any negative energy from the people around you, as a black tourmaline would.
Also, both stones are good electromagnetic field protectors. Although some people would argue that black tourmaline is better, it actually depends on what attracts you. Most people swear by the black tourmaline’s EMF-protecting characteristics due to its composition. But, it is not to say that Shunganite can’t do what a black tourmaline does.
Black Tourmaline vs. Black Kyanite
At first look, most people would confuse black kyanite with black tourmaline or vice versa. This is because they look pretty much the same if you don’t take a second look.
To help distinguish the difference, black kyanite will have the appearance of a hand-held fan. And it can range from 1 – 4 inches in size. To be 100 percent sure, most black kyanite also have white crystals growing from it.
Meanwhile, black tourmaline as mentioned before, features ridges, furrows, and vertical striations all over its body.
Just like black tourmaline, black kyanite also has the advantage of never needing to be cleansed and recharged regularly. Both stones can help absorb negative energies from people and the environment and replace them with positive vibes.
Thus, both stones are great for energetic protection and space clearing for homes and office use. Just like tourmaline, you can place a piece of black kyanite in each of the 4 corners of your space. This creates an energetic field of protection.
Black Tourmaline vs. Hematite
Hematite is a common iron dioxide and is widespread in soils and rocks. Unlike black tourmaline, hematite boasts colors in either brownish, grayish-black, orange-red, or with a silvery metallic shine.
In terms of weight, hematite is heavier than black tourmaline. This is due to the fact that hematite is an iron-based stone. When polished, hematite features a hint of metallic glow, unlike black tourmaline.
In terms of energy, both stones are powerful grounding stones. But, most people suggest that hematite is much stronger than black tourmaline. If you can stand its powerful energy, hematite can be worn throughout the day. But, most people find this rather overwhelming.
Black tourmaline, on the other hand, shines in terms of protective energy. As mentioned before, it helps ward off negative energy and provides strong spiritual energy.
This is why black tourmaline and hematite are more commonly put together. When combined in a single jewelry piece, both stones can help provide relief from stress. They also provide protection against negativities while keeping you grounded.
Still, most people would add another stone, called selenite. This trio is sometimes considered the Holy Grail of protection crystal combinations. This 3-way protection helps block, purify, and deflect negative energies.
Black Tourmaline vs. Smoky Quartz
Unlike the dark appearance of black tourmaline, smoky quartz is more of a grey, translucent variation of quartz. It ranges in clarity from almost opaque light black or brownish-gray to almost completely transparent crystal.
Just like other quartz gems, smoky quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal. The only difference is the smoky color. This results from free silicon formed from the silicon dioxide via natural irradiation.
Just like black tourmaline, smoky quartz is popular for its powerful grounding properties. It helps you connect to the energy of the earth. It is also great at removing, blocking, and dissipating trapped or negative energy, clearing away your environment.
Not only that, black tourmaline and smoky quartz are great protectors against EMF. They block and absorb electromagnetic field smog and assist with detoxification on all levels.
Final Words
Being a popular and common stone, black tourmaline has a special spot in every crystal lover’s collection. Not only is it a beautiful stone on its own, but it also makes any jewelry piece stunning and elegant.
Other than its pretty look, most people will look at its beneficial and powerful properties. Black tourmaline is favored by most people suffering from anxiety, stress, and fear. It also makes a great tool to shield you from negative energies from people around you as well as the environment.
And for those who need to work in a stressful office environment with computers and cellphones in every corner, black tourmaline is a must-have crystal. It helps keep all those radiations at bay and provides you with a healthier body and well-being.
