Tourmaline meaning & facts
Tourmaline is a birthstone for October. Tourmaline is associated with compassion, balance and emotional healing.
- Birth month
- October
- Colour
- Pink and almost every other colour
- Mineral
- Tourmaline group (boron silicates)
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 7–7.5
- Main sources
- Brazil, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Mozambique
Tourmaline facts
- Tourmaline has one of the widest colour ranges of any gem.
- "Watermelon" tourmaline has a pink centre and a green rim, just like the fruit.
- Its name is thought to come from the Sinhalese word "toramalli", used for mixed coloured gems.
October also has another birthstone: Opal.
Birthstones by month
Frequently asked questions
What does tourmaline mean?
Tourmaline is associated with compassion, balance and emotional healing.
What month is tourmaline the birthstone for?
Tourmaline is a birthstone for October. The other October birthstone is Opal.
How hard is tourmaline?
Tourmaline rates 7–7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, which runs from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).
Gemstone meanings are traditional beliefs, shared for interest rather than as proven properties.