Tourmaline are mixed crystals of complex aluminum-borosilicate varying in their composition. This variance produces a startling array of colors. Not only the wide range of colors characterizes this gemstone, but it also shows a remarkable dichroism.

In an ancient Egyptian legend, Tourmaline displays such a unique variety of colors because on the way up from the earth’s heart to the sun, it traveled along and gathered the colors of a rainbow. It is often referred to as the “Rainbow Gemstone”. The name Tourmaline actually derives from a Singhalese expression “tura mali”. This means “stone of mixed colors”. Tourmalines can be red, green, blue, and yellow. They can even be bi- or multi-colored. Some Tourmalines change color in artificial light, others display chatoyance. Every tourmaline is unique, and thus this gemstone suits a wide range of personalities and tastes.

Deep red Tourmaline which does not change color in artificial light is named "Rubellite”. If the color changes it is a “Pink Tourmaline”. Blue Tourmalines are called "Indigolith”, "Dravite” is a golden-brown to dark brown Tourmaline, and black Tourmalines are known as "Schorl”, and are believed to ward off harmful radiation. "Verdelith” is the green Tourmaline, but if the greenness is caused by traces of chromium, the stone is “Chromium-Tourmaline”. Paraiba Tourmaline, a gemstone showing a vivid deep blue to bluish green, was found for the first time in1987 in the mines of the Brazilian state of Paraiba. Yellow Tourmalines are generally from Malawi. There are many more varieties of bi- and multi-colored Tourmaline as well. For example, slices taken from Tourmalines with red heart and green border are called a "Watermelon-Tourmaline”; slices with a clear heart and a black border are called "Moor’s head –Tourmaline”.

Tourmaline has often been said to have a lasting effect on love and friendship.

Depending on the angle of view the color will be different or at least show different intensity. The deepest color always appears along the main axis, a fact that the gemstone cutter has to keep in mind when cutting the stone. This gemstone is excellently suited for wearing and is uncomplicated to care for, since all Tourmalines show a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs’ scale.

There are important occurrences of Tourmaline in Brazil, in Sri Lanka and South and Southwest Africa. Other occurrences are situated in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Tourmalines are also found in the USA, first of all in Maine and Utah. But although there are rich occurrences of Tourmalines all over the world, good qualities and fine colors are only rarely offered on the market. Therefore, then, the price range achieved by Tourmaline almost matches its wide range of colors.

Not only designers are fascinated by Tourmaline because of its incomparable wealth of colors providing unlimited inspiration. Scientists are also intrigued due to its astonishing physical characteristics: by heating and subsequently cooling down Tourmalines will be charged up. The stone will then show positive charge at one end, and negative charge at the opposite pole. This is termed "pyro-electricity”, according to the Greek word "pyros" denoting fire. Pressure will also lead to the stone’s charging, and in the course of discharging the plus- and minus-poles will alternate, so that the stone will show vibrations similar to Rock Crystal, but much stronger. The Dutch, who originally brought Tourmaline to Europe, already knew about this effect long before it was subjected to scientific study. They used heated Tourmalines to extract the ashes from their meerschaum pipes and named the gemstone "Aschetrekker”.