ROCK & GEM FIELD GUIDE: Tourmaline
BY RICHARD GROSS & PAM FREEMAN
T ourmaline is a generic term that encompasses a group of minerals that is a favorite among mineral collectors and commonly used as a gemstone. Tourmaline gets its name from the Sri Lankan words tur mali which means stone of many colors. Ancient Egyptians believed tourmaline grabbed all the colors of the rainbow as it worked its way up through the earth.