Black Tourmaline: Everything You Need To Know

Crystals have become ever more popular in modern culture, and there are countless people around the world who praise the benefits that they purportedly bring, and implement their powers within daily aspects of their lives.

One such mineral is black tourmaline. But what exactly is black tourmaline, and what benefits does it have?

Black Tourmaline Everything You Need To Know

What Is Black Tourmaline?

Black tourmaline is commonly found in the species of tourmaline known as the schorl family – due to its dark gray/black hue – and took its name due to the location it was found in, namely the village of Zschorlau, located in Saxony, Germany in 1400 AD. 

Found during this time within the various tin mines in the region, black tourmaline was a commonly found mineral – second only to cassiterite. 

Where Can It Be Found?

Along with central Europe, black tourmaline can be found in many regions around the world – including the United States, Africa, Brazil, and Pakistan. 

As such, black tourmaline is one of the most commonly found minerals of its kind, which has led to widespread usage in both ancient and modern societies. 

What Meaning Does Black Tourmaline Have?

With regards to the meaning that black tourmaline has, it can be connected to the distinct, dusky black color that it has become synonymous with.

The black color has led it to become associated with the absorption of negative and dark energy – all of which it can absorb without damaging or weakening its own positive energy. 

Because of these abilities, it is widely associated with cleansing and purification – absorbing the negative energy from your being, and leaving you in a purified state of peace and neutrality. 

What Powers Does It Possess?

As such, there are also many purported powers that black tourmaline has – each of them offering a wide range of versatile benefits to the possessor. 

Personal Protection

The healing properties of black tourmaline are most associated with protection against outside dangers and uncertainties – something that has cemented its place as a firm favorite for collectors and proponents of crystal healing. 

By shielding your oh so important energy within the protective forcefield that the mineral offers, you can ward off the unwanted negative energy from other people, bad forces, and the world at large. 

Basically, black tourmaline is the perfect antidote to bad vibes and situations, keeping you feeling pure, neutral, and cleansed of the energies that would otherwise drag you down and make you feel bogged down and depressed. 

Property Protection

However, its negative energy absorbing abilities are not just isolated to the energy that can harm you. It also can be used as a means of cleansing and protecting your home, stopping negative energies from entering your home, and potentially affecting your loved ones – not to mention the overall vibes that you like to keep in your personal space. 

It is also one of the most powerful and suitable minerals for the absorption of electromagnetic radiation naturally given off by the electronics in our home – such as computers, televisions, and other electronic devices. 

Energy Clearing

However, despite being good for personal protection, negative energy can still work its way into your home and life. 

For this reason, black tourmaline is also good for clearing and cleansing the negative energy from yourself, your family, and your home, ensuring your space is pure, and continues to operate at the highest frequency possible. 

By willingly releasing these negative energies from your person into the stone itself, you then have the best possible chance at inner happiness, and freedom from things like depression and anxiety – as well as other detrimental side effects caused by negative energy. 

This clearing ability cleans out your mind, your body, and your soul, ensuring you are as pure as can be – thus giving you the best defense against negative vibrations, and acting as a magnet for negative vibrations and energies that might otherwise permeate the sanctity of your home or being. 

How To Use Black Tourmaline

When it comes to using black tourmaline, there are many ways you can utilize and operate the stone to work best for you and your loved ones. 

Wear As Jewelry 

One common way for people to protect themselves on the go is to wear black tourmaline jewelry – either in the form of rings, bracelets, or pendants. 

Wearing these in the outside world ensures that you are constantly protected as much as possible from the negative energies of other people, the stresses of everyday life, and the dangerous vibes that one encounters in the real world. 

Carry A Stone

Alternatively, if jewelry is not your thing, then why not carry a small protective stone with you somewhere on your person? 

This could be in a disused pocket in your clothing, in your purse, or somewhere else where it will not be disturbed or accidentally lost. 

This is one of the best ways to reap the benefits of black tourmaline, without making it a part of your outfit, and means that you are protected wherever you go, and whatever you’re doing. 

Fill Your Space

Another way to effectively utilize the protective qualities of black tourmaline, is to bring it with you into the various spaces you inhabit in your daily life. 

This means you of course have some in your home, but also in places like your car – where protection is important – and even your place of work, where you could keep it in your desk drawer, sit it atop your desk during the working day, or keep it an otherwise safe space so that you are protected and purified all day long. 

Intentions For Black Tourmaline

Of course, there are also various intentions – or phrases – that you can say to imbue your black tourmaline with more power, and to make it clear to the universe what it is you need the stone to do. 

For Protection

For protective purposes, you could use the intention ‘protect me and my home’. This is the best way to direct the positive energies in the stone, as well as the protective capabilities, to best work their magic, and to serve their desired purpose. 

For Energy Clearing

Alternatively, for energy clearing purposes, you could use the intention ‘I release all unwanted energy’. This is the best way to forcibly release all negativity from your being, and will leave you feeling refreshed, empowered, and cleansed for the rest of the day. 

What Are The Physical Properties? 

The physical properties of black tourmaline can be seen in both its coloring, the formations it can be found in, and the feel and angles it possesses. 

The most common color is black, although it can be found in paler colors, with white streaks, or with a slight translucent appearance. However, all of these provide different leaves of protection, as well as other qualities that are beneficial.

It is a hard stone, with 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale, the crystal composition is hexagonal, and the chemical composition is: 

(Ca, Na, K [vacancy]) (Li, Mg, Fe+2, Fe+3, Mn+2, Al, Cr+3, V+3)3 (Mg, Al, Fe+3, V+3, Cr+6)6 ((Si, Al, B)6028) (BO3)3 (OHO) 3 (OH, F, O). 

What Are The Metaphysical Properties? 

As well as protecting you, your family, and your home against negative energy, black tourmaline is also a great defense against accidents, misfortune, sickness, and everything else that has the potential to bring depression, bad luck, and unhappiness into your lives. 

It is also a good way of grounding you against the weight of the world, which can at times become unbearable for some. This really is the best way of making your own space feel like a personal sanctuary, where you can come home from work, decompress, and purify your mind, body and soul for the next day. 

Because of this, it also promotes clear headedness, lightheartedness, and an overall sense of inner peace that can be great for those prone to stress, depression, and anxiety. 

What’s more, it is also known for promoting good luck, which can be useful for financial reasons, as well as interpersonal. 

For these reasons alone, black tourmaline really is your friend, offering protection, comfort, and calm to your home – as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing ornamental component to any space. 

What Other Varieties Are There? 

While the black tourmaline is the best known variation of this mineral class, there are other variations that can be found – both in the natural world, and at your local crystal dealer. 

This stone can be found in most colors, however the most commonly seen are brown, green, pink, red, yellow, blue, blue-green, and watermelon – a strangely alluring combination of pink and green. 

While all variations possess the general properties of protection akin to all tourmalines, each individual color also has its own distinct benefits to the possessor – meaning that you can cater your crystals to specific mental, physical, emotional, and indeed spiritual needs you and your loved ones might have. 

Final Thoughts

And there we have it, everything you need to know about black tourmaline, and the properties, meanings, and powers that it has. 

It’s true that black tourmaline is more than just a pretty stone, and there are countless people all around the world who believe in the purported healing benefits it has to offer. 

So if you are looking for a crystal to improve your wellbeing, then why not embrace the power of black tourmaline?

Andrea Daehma