Tourmalinated quartz is a rock crystal (or hyaline quartz) that has inclusions of black tourmaline in the form of "threads" that pass through it, hence the name "tourmalinated". Quartz has been known and appreciated since prehistoric times because it is easily available and suitable for use as a tool thanks to its hardness. The oldest name, reported in Greek by Theophrastus in the 4th century BC, is "krýstallos", which means ice. For Pliny, a Latin author of the 1st century AD, "crystallus" is "ice frozen beyond all limits". Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earth's crust and is a significant component of many types of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Tourmalines are a group of minerals belonging to the class of silicates, order of cyclosilicates. The name derives from the Sinhalese turmali which literally means mixed package or stone of various colors. The crystal belongs to the trigonal system, it is prismatic, very elongated, striated vertically and sometimes with unequal development at the two ends of the vertical axis. In black tourmaline the color is given by the presence of iron inside.
Dimensions
Height (cm): 5.1
Depth (cm): 4.5
Width (cm): 8.5
Weight (g): 219
Property
Chemical Formula: SiO2
Mohs scale: 7
Relative Density: 2.65
Crystal System: Trigonal
Metaphysical Corner
In the metaphysical world, tourmalinated quartz, balancing the characteristics of quartz and tourmaline, is considered a highly balanced stone.
