In the tourmaline stones group, blue tourmaline stands out as one of the more beautiful and beneficial ones. It's a stone with many interesting properties and healing capabilities.

The Physical Properties of Blue Tourmaline

Rated 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, blue tourmaline is a relatively hard stone with an irregular fracture. One of its most interesting physical properties is that it can be electrified quite easily by heating and subsequently cooling or rubbing.

Tourmaline stones can vary greatly in colour, but blue tourmaline comes in various shades of blue and turquoise. It also differs in transparency, so one of the stone's most prominent features which are especially visible in the darker stones is dichroism. Blue tourmaline can be synthetic, but that variety is only used for research purposes.

The History of Blue Tourmaline

Tourmali was a generic Ceylon term used for coloured gems, which is the name that stuck with this precious stone ever since the Dutch began importing it from Sri Lanka to Europe in 1703. However, blue tourmaline was known in the Mediterranean region since antiquity, so it is indeed a stone with a long history. It's also known as indicolite, which is the name that refers to its beautiful blue shade.

The Lore of Blue Tourmaline

Tourmaline was a stone of legend in many ancient civilizations, including Egyptian, Roman and Indian. Egyptian myths claim that tourmaline comes from the center of the Earth to pass over a rainbow and gather all of its colours. The Romans believed blue tourmaline was the stone of relaxation and tranquil sleep. It's also a stone used frequently in shamanic traditions of the Native American, Aboriginal and African tribes, who believed it had protective properties and could awaken the dream of illusion.

The Metaphysical Properties of Blue Tourmaline

As a crystal of the throat and third eye chakras, blue tourmaline is said to be able to connect you more strongly to higher levels of intuition as well as amplify your psychic abilities. However, most crystal enthusiasts find that blue tourmaline helps them feel more responsible and come to terms with their flaws and weaknesses, which allows them to nurture honesty.

As the Romans believed, blue tourmaline is a crystal of peace, as it can facilitate tranquility and relaxation. Meditation with blue tourmaline is emotionally healing and helps you let go of any negative emotional bonds.

Physical healing becomes more comfortable with tourmaline as the clarity it provides you can help identify the underlying cause of an illness or disease. It's also said to be quite useful in dealing with throat, lung, esophagus and thyroid issues. Pulmonary and immune systems are strongly affected by blue tourmaline, and it's also said to be useful against headaches, insomnia, and sinusitis.

One of the most potent antiquity stones, blue tourmaline wins hearts with its gorgeous colour and the ability to heal our body, mind and soul. It's a beautiful stone that is undoubtedly going to remain relevant in crystal healing and continue building upon its already impressive lore.