Can you believe it’s already mid-October? As this month flies by, we want to stop and take a look at one of October’s two birthstones: Tourmaline. 

As the story goes, it was somewhere in Brazil in the 1500s where a Spanish conquistador uncovered a green tourmaline crystal and mistook it for an emerald. The misconception persisted for 300 years until scientists recognized it as a distinct mineral species. 

Tourmaline mines are found domestically in Main and California and abroad, including sites in Madagascar and Brazil. Tourmalines boast a very complex chemical composition and one of the broadest color ranges of any gem species. Distinct healing properties are often associated with a particular hue. Some of the most popular types are buergerite (black), canary (yellow), cat’s-eye (forest green with cat-eye slits), indicolite (light blue), and watermelon. Pink tourmaline, associated with compassion and gentleness, is the color one of October’s two birthstones. 

Scroll down for some of our favorite pieces, and click here to see all of this season’s most beautiful Tourmaline picks:

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