Minerals

Tourmaline is a mineral of class VIII (silicates). The name tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese word (touramalli), which means "mixed colored stones" and this name was originally applied to a series of stones, mainly zircons. It is also believed that its name may come from the Sinhalese word (turamali), which means (stone that attracts the ashes), which refers to its piropiezoelectric characteristics.