FreeShip- Tourmaline Crystal Chunks, Black, Approx 0.5mm to 15mm- (Prompt rebate on orders with 3 or more FreeShip items!)

CLICK THE "LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ITEM" LINK JUST BELOW TO READ THE FULL DESCRIPTION FOR THIS ITEM.
*************************************************************
PROMPT REBATE ON ORDERS WITH 3 OR MORE “FreeShip” ITEMS! WANT TO KNOW YOUR TOTAL REBATE BEFORE PURCHASE? CONTACT US!

These are tourmaline crystals in relatively small pieces. Tourmaline is considered a birthstone for October, which has two listed gems, the other being Opal. It is also considered semi-precious. But transparent and deeply colored tourmaline is a valuable and recognized gemstone that can be found in most jewelry stores. A popular variety is called "watermelon" tourmaline which is green on one end and pink on the other; the older, stricter definition would be pink in the center and green on the outside, with the two colors overlapping in the center and divergent on the tips. As usual the deepest, richest colors bring the highest price, pale colors are most common and less expensive. Tourmaline is often found in an elongated prism-like shape when mined and so when you see gemstone quality tourmaline in a jewelry store it's often in what's called an "emerald cut" which simply means a rectangular shape. In gemstone-speak, tourmaline is the "rainbow gemstone" because of all the colors it can be. Tourmaline is brittle, has a mohs hardness of 7.5 (harder than quartz which is a 7). The names for some of the colors are "rubellite" for the red variety, "indicolite" for the light blue to blue-green variety, and "verdelite" for the green variety (see below for the black and brown varieties).
Tourmaline is an especially complex crystalline boron silicate mineral which can have associated elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium that contribute to its colors. The most common tourmaline is "Schorl", a black tourmaline named after a German village where it was mined in the 15th century. Another common one is "Dravite", a brown tourmaline.
From the "interesting facts about" division of the internet, we find that:
--Because of the richness and clarity of its colors it wasn't until the nineteenth century that it was recognized as a separate stone distinct from emerald, ruby, sapphire, or topaz for which it was mistaken for.
--The prime locations to unearth tourmaline include Afghanistan, Russia, Burma, the United States (California and Maine), and Madagascar.
--Tourmaline is believed to strengthen the body and spirit, especially the nervous system, blood, and lymphs. It is also thought to inspire creativity and was used extensively as a talisman by artists and writers.
--Tourmaline is the Zodiac sign of Leo and the accepted gemstone for the 8th wedding anniversary (although another source I found says it is the sign of Libra.
--Tourmaline got its name from the Singalese word tourmali, which means "mixed stones
--Tourmaline is typically found in granite pegmatites, and is most often found with metamorphic rock.
--In 1989, in Brazil, miners discovered a tourmaline unlike any that had been previously seen.
This new type of tourmaline, which soon became known as Paraiba tourmaline, came in incredibly vivid blues and greens, due to copper sulfate added to a tiny amount of gold as coloring agent.
--Tourmaline has an unusual 3-sided (prism) crystalline structure called "trigonal". Its crystal "habit" is parallel and elongated.
----The most interesting fact to me is this surprising rarity I stumbled upon, among "interesting facts" :
--Like quartz, tourmaline is associated with electricity, being "piezoelectric"; that is when stressed mechanically by striking, vibrating, or bending, it will generate an electrical charge, a net voltage because its crystal molecular structure is deformed. But tourmaline does quartz one better. It is also electromagnetic, being "pyroelectric", it will generate an electrical field around it when heated, which like piezoelectricity, is caused by heat deforming its crystal molecular structure.

Wikipedia has a good article on tourmaline. The following information was pulled from their article:
Tourmaline comes in a variety of colors. Iron-rich tourmalines are usually black to bluish-black to deep brown, while magnesium-rich varieties are brown to yellow, and lithium-rich tourmalines are almost any color: blue, green, red, yellow, pink, etc. Rarely, it is colorless. Bi-colored and multicolored crystals are common, reflecting variations of fluid chemistry during crystallization. Crystals may be green at one end and pink at the other, or green on the outside and pink inside; this type is called watermelon tourmaline, which if clear can be of gemstone quality. Some forms of tourmaline are dichroic; they change color when viewed from different directions. Opaque black schorl can have high magnetic susceptibilities due to high concentrations of iron. Dravite species such as green chromium dravite and brown dravite are diamagnetic. A handheld neodymium magnet can be used to identify or separate some types of tourmaline gems from others. Tourmaline is distinguished by its three-sided prisms; no other common mineral has three sides. Prisms faces often have heavy vertical striations that produce a rounded triangular effect. If you are inclined towards the metaphysical, and [don't] brush away descriptions of crystal pseudoscience, tourmaline is said to have protective qualities, purification, and grounding.
Other sources having information on the above mentioned "crystal pseudoscience", terminology that Wikipedia uses above (ha! shame on you, Wikipedia!):

Black tourmaline is said to be the most powerful of all the colors that tourmaline can come in, specifically, that it can repel anxiety and stress.
From a site that discusses crystal metaphysical properties in more detail (I forgot to copy the source name!):
"Black Tourmaline
Physical Healing Properties--
Don’t let the lack of vibrant hues make you think that black tourmaline is lacking in the power department! The physical healing correspondences of black tourmaline are profound. It helps to purify the body from toxins, heavy metals, and environmental pollutants. Specifically, black tourmaline has many health benefits depending on how it is used, such as:
-Improvement of circulation
-Promotes a healthy mood
-Helps to detox from heavy metals and environmental pollutants
-Supports weight loss and reduction of bloating
-Supports a reduction of anxiety and stress
-Supports disengaging obsessive behaviors
-Supports a healthy immune system...
Often the line between physical and metaphysical healing properties is blurred. It will continue to be so while science continues to uncover what mystics and ancient healing practices have always known: there is no difference between the two. On the spiritual and emotional level, black tourmaline grounds your energy, opening up the connection between the Earth and your spirit.