SCHORL

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COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS BLACK TOURMALINE, the min-eral schorl is a species of alkali tourmaline. It is the most abundant type of tourmaline on Earth. It is also known as iron tourmaline because of its iron-rich content. Specimens can be quite large with prismatic crystals stretching out over several yards. Sometimes found as crystal inclusions in clear quartz, called tourmalinated quartz, black tourmaline is used occasionally in modern jewelry and was once a popular mineral to set into Victorian mourning jewelry.

In gem therapy, black tourmaline is thought to be a protective gem, keeping negative energies at bay. Physically it is believed to flush the body of toxins and stress. It is thought that the somewhat rare double-terminated varieties enhance the flow of energies.