| Tourmaline is a crystal distinguished by its three | | | | States near Paris, Main in 1820. Two students |
| sided prisms, which no other common mineral | | | | taking a shortcut home they came upon an |
| has. Tourmaline will come in a wide variety of | | | | uprooted tree with dozens of green tourmaline |
| colors. Iron will give tourmaline a black or brown | | | | crystals near the roots. Tourmaline was the first |
| coloration, magnesium are brown to yellow, lithium | | | | gemstone commercially mined in the United |
| rich crystals will display blue, green, red, yellow or | | | | States. This gemstone has also been found in |
| pink. | | | | other areas of Main such as Newry Hill, Mount |
| According to Egyptian legend tourmaline gets it | | | | Mica and Plumbago Mountain. Currently most of |
| color when it passes over a rainbow on its | | | | the old mines are open to collectors for a fee. |
| journey up from the center of the earth and that | | | | The Himalaya Mine in San Diego County, California |
| is why it is often referred as the gemstone of | | | | allows treasure hunters to search for tourmaline |
| the rainbow. Multicolored and bi-colored | | | | gemstones. For a fee of $75 the prospectors |
| tourmaline are the norm and very rarely found in | | | | will have access to the mine tailings area all day |
| the clear or colorless form. Watermelon colored | | | | long. Fill up your bucket from the mine and then |
| gemstones are green at one end and pink at the | | | | take your potential treasures to the screening |
| other, hence the name. | | | | area and sift through the rubble for the |
| Tourmaline is a crystal distinguished by its three | | | | gemstones. |
| sided prisms, which no other common mineral | | | | The Himalaya Mine will also sell you a bucket of |
| has. Tourmaline will come in a wide variety of | | | | tailings to take home for $50 to $100, depending |
| colors. Iron will give tourmaline a black or brown | | | | on the quality of tailings. You may also purchase |
| coloration, magnesium are brown to yellow, lithium | | | | a bag of Pocket Mud on the internet for |
| rich crystals will display blue, green, red, yellow or | | | | $20 plus $10 for shipping, so you can screen at |
| pink. | | | | your leisure. |
| Tourmaline is found in pegmatite veins within the | | | | The underground mine consists of five miles of |
| underlying bedrock that is at an angle of about 45 | | | | steep passages that were dug over the last 100 |
| degrees to the center of the earth. Two main | | | | years so there is plenty of tailings you can sift |
| geological features, granite and marble, have the | | | | through. If you decide to dig at the Himalaya |
| ability to form tourmaline crystals. Only about 5 | | | | Mine you will need to bring a shovel, bucket, |
| percent of the gemstones found are of gem | | | | gloves, hat and a ¼ inch screening stand. |
| grade quality. | | | | In 1989 a vivid blue color tourmaline was found in |
| Tourmaline will change it electrical properties when | | | | Brazil. It was given the name Paraiba tourmaline |
| it is heated. It becomes lightly magnetized and it | | | | and is in such popular demand that price was soon |
| has been used in the Netherlands to attract ashes | | | | over $10,000 per carat. Almost every color can |
| and could be used to clean out pipes. This | | | | be found in Brazil but the blue is still the number |
| gemstone has a hardness rating of 7 to 7.5 thus | | | | one must have. A cut and polished gem quality |
| making it a good candidate for jewelry. It can | | | | tourmaline from the United States can demand up |
| withstand years of wear but you may want to | | | | to $1,000 per carat. |
| avoid steam cleaning or heat. | | | | Happy treasure hunting. |
| Tourmaline was first discovered in the United | | | | |