How To Tell if Black Tourmaline is Real (Info, Tips, and Tricks)

Black tourmaline is a beautiful crystal that is commonly used in spiritual practices.

This article will help you assess whether your black stone is genuine tourmaline or not.

How To Tell if Black Tourmaline is Real (EXPLAINED)

Initially, one of the easiest ways you can check yourself to see if it is genuine by scratching its side with a knife.

Black tourmaline is a hard stone, and if it can be easily scratched by a knife, it is likely not a real black tourmaline.

Black tourmaline has a Mohs hardness of 7-7.5, because the stone is so hard, it should be difficult to scratch.

While you can perform this quick test yourself, the most reliable way to find out if your piece of black tourmaline is real is to bring it to a gemologist.

The gemologist will examine your stone, tell you if its genuine or not and give you additional information about that particular crystal.

What is Black Tourmaline and How is it Created?

Black tourmaline is a silicate mineral containing boron.

During its creation, the molecules form it into geometric patterns.

It is the most common type of tourmaline, accounting for approximately 95% of all naturally occurring tourmaline.

Black tourmaline is also called Schorl.

It was named after the German village where it was mined as far back as 1400 AD.

Black tourmaline is formed deep underground after incredibly hot liquids with minerals in it begins to cool down.

Black tourmaline is considered to be a semi-precious crystal.

Black tourmaline has a high concentration of iron and it also has high magnetic properties.

Since black tourmaline is extremely plentiful, it is not generally considered to be a particularly valuable crystal.

Therefore, people can purchase black tourmaline crystals for an affordable cost.

However, there are pieces of black tourmaline that are particularly large or fine and those pieces can be expensive.

Where is Black Tourmaline Found?

Tourmaline is found in granite and metamorphic rocks and then mined for it to be sold to consumers.

It is also possible for black tourmaline to be embedded in clear quartz.

Black tourmaline and other types of tourmaline are present and plentiful in a number of locations around the world, including:

Brazil
Tanzania
Nigeria
Kenya
Madagascar

Mozambique
Malawi
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Indonesia

Sri Lanka
India
United States

What do People Use Black Tourmaline For?

In ancient times, magicians used black tourmaline to protect them from demons when they would cast their spells.

Today, it remains one of the most popular and widely used crystals.

Practitioners believe it becomes electrically charged when it is heated or when a person rubs it between their hands.

Black tourmaline is a very popular crystal in the new age and metaphysical communities.

People with these spiritual beliefs utilize black tourmaline for a variety of purposes and feel that it is a very powerful crystal with a great number of benefits and uses.

It is among the most popular crystals used for protection and it is thought to be effective for people who battle anxiety, anger, and unwanted thoughts.

Black tourmaline is recommended by believers for absorbing negative energy.

They think it is a wonderful crystal to have present in the home or the workplace.

Additionally, black tourmaline is thought to be effective for protection and grounding.

Black tourmaline is often worn to instill self confidence and help the wearer face difficult situations.

It is often associated with the zodiac signs of Libra and Capricorn, although it can be useful and beneficial to all zodiac signs.

Additionally, black tourmaline is believed to:

Provide protection during rituals
Aid in meditation
Soothe panic attacks
Strengthen the sense of smell
Treat motion sickness

Balance and activate both the left and right sides of the brain
Aid in detoxification of impurities in a person’s body
Connect a person’s energy to the earth
Cleanse and refresh the aura

Help the owner with psychic problems
Aid in releasing anger and feelings of unworthiness
Give the owner peace of mind and encourages optimism

Black tourmaline can be worn or just kept in its natural form to pass along its benefits and healing properties to the person who owns it.

Black tourmaline has also been recommended for people who use electronics for long periods of time, since it is thought to block electromagnetic waves that are produced by cell phones, laptops, tablets, televisions and other electronic items.

How to Identify Black Tourmaline and How to Tell if Black Tourmaline Is Real?

How to Identify Black Tourmaline:

While it is true that the best way to identify a black tourmaline and to determine if it is genuine is to visit a gemologist, there are other ways that an everyday person can identify these crystals.

Keep reading to learn these helpful tips and tricks.

1. Tourmaline typically has rounded, smooth edges. If the edges on your crystal are sharp and angular, it is probably not a black tourmaline.

2. Most tourmaline crystals have a triangular or hexagonal section. Tourmaline often resembles a pencil with a narrow and long 6-sided shape. It might even taper towards the end. If your black tourmaline crystal doesn’t have these shapes and characteristics, it is probably not tourmaline.

3. There should be thin grooved lines on the crystal. These lines might remind you of how grain in wood might appear. These lines are one of the main characteristics of the appearance of tourmaline and they should typically be visible to the eye without a magnifying glass.

How to Tell if Black Tourmaline is Real?

If you don’t want to visit a gemologist to determine the authenticity of your tourmaline, remember that you can do a scratch test with a knife at home.

If the stone is able to be scratched, it is probably not tourmaline.

Conversely, if the stone scratches the knife or dulls the black tourmaline, you are almost certainly holding a genuine tourmaline crystal.

How to Tell if Black Tourmaline is Synthetic?

If your black tourmaline can be scratched or doesn’t change color slightly when placed under an artificial light, it is more than likely a synthetic creation.

Throughout this piece we’ve explored the origins, properties and uses of Black Tourmaline and you have a new trick of being able to show others if a piece of black tourmaline is real or fake!