Butterfly Filigree and Blue Topaz Ring

About the charms

Lithium Crystals anyone? You won't be flying a Starship Enterprise on these, but the major component of Green Tourmaline is Lithium. And, yeah! It makes you feel good.

Tourmaline is a Ring Silicate, or cyclosilicate - that means the molecules form in a circular structure, which terminates in a trigonal crystal.

The colors of tourmaline are varied based on the elements available at the time they crystallize. They all have silicon, aluminum, and boron, but derive color from other elements such as sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, chromium, vanadium, fluorine and sometimes copper. An abundance of chromium will produce green crystals. Manganese produces pink tourmaline. Changing conditions create the bi- tri- and "watermelon" type tourmalines which form when the preferred element is depleted during crystallization, and a secondary element creates a new color that overgrows the first.

When sliced crosswise, the crystal displays a unique color-zoning.

When heated or rubbed, tourmaline acquires an electric charge. It's called pyroelectricity - a scientific but very magical property. It was highly prized by alchemists in search of the philosopher's stone.

It is a metamorphic rock, found in pegmatite deposits throughout the world. Tourmaline was the first commercial gemstone mined in the US, with a discovery at Paris, Maine, very nearby me! Another world famous location is in Newry, Maine, literally just down the road from me. I have collected stones, specimens, and crystals at many locations like these in Western Maine.

The tourmalines used here are from World locations, as Maine crystals have become much sought-after, and extremely expensive.

There are famous tourmalines in the Russian Crown Jewels, which were thought to be rubies. There is also a State of Maine tourmaline necklace, which now resides at the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum in Bethel.