Origin
Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Burma, Russia, USA, Afghanistan
USA, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Australia, Italy, Brazil
Color
Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, Brown, White, Colorless, pink
Blue, Green, Brownish, Greenish, Colorless, gray
Element of Planets
Water
-
Specific Gravity
2.85-3.35
3.20-3.26
Fracture
Uneven, Conchoidal
Splintery
Cleavage
Indistinct
{010} perfect
Mohs Hardness
7-7.5
6-7.5
Chemical Composition
Tourmaline is a series of several different minerals with unique chemical formulas. See The chemical formula of Tourmaline for details.
Al 2SiO 5Michael OâDonoghue , Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Luster
Vitreous
Vitreous, Subadamantine, Silky
Pleochroism
typically moderate to strong
Colourless to pale brown to yellow
Transparency
Transparent, Translucent, Transparent to opaque
Transparent, Translucent
Refractive Index
1.614-1.666
1.653-1.685
Crystal System
Trigonal
Orthorhombic
Birefringence
0.014-0.040
0.020-0.022
Clarity
Transparent
Transparent
Neurological
Aids in mental clarity and focus
-
Digestive
Supports digestive health
-
Psychology
Protection
Creativity
Healing
Emotional healing
Emotional healing
Qualities Associated
Protection
Creativity
Tourmaline Vs Sillimanite Fracture
Fracture is an important parameter when you compare Tourmaline and Sillimanite Physical Properties. It is necessary to understand the significance of these properties, before you compare Tourmaline Vs Sillimanite fracture. Whenever a gemstone chip breaks, it leaves a characteristic line along its breakage. Such lines are known as fracture and are used to identify the gemstones in their initial stages of production when they are in the form of rough minerals. Fracture is usually described with the terms “fibrous” and “splintery” to denote a fracture that usually leaves elongated and sharp edges. Fracture observed in Tourmaline is Uneven and Conchoidal. Sillimanite fracture is Splintery.
Tourmaline Vs Sillimanite Luster
A primary knowledge about Tourmaline vs Sillimanite luster is useful in apparent identifications of these gemstones. Luster is the measure of light that gets reflected when incident on a finished cut gemstone. There are two major types of lusters: Silky and Adamantine. Since luster varies between two crystals of even the same gemstone, luster is limited to basic identification criteria. Tourmaline exhibits Vitreous luster. Sillimanite, on other hand, exhibits Vitreous, Subadamantine and Silky luster.