Pink Tourmaline: Meaning, Symbolic Properties and Care

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Pink tourmaline, often called rubellite when it tends towards red, is a transparent elbaite with delicate pinks. A durable gem, but sometimes heavily included.

Key points

Colours	soft pink to vivid pink, red-pink (rubellite)
Mineral family	elbaite, lithium tourmaline (borosilicate)
Mohs hardness	7 to 7.5
Origin of the name	elbaite: Elba island (Italy); tourmaline: from a Sinhalese word
Notable deposits	Brazil, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Myanmar, Russia
Possible treatments	heating, irradiation, filling of fractures
Birthstone	October (together with opal)

What is pink tourmaline?

Pink tourmaline is an elbaite, the tourmaline species most used in jewellery. Its formula contains lithium, aluminium, boron and sodium. Its hardness of 7 to 7.5 makes it a durable gem. Depending on the intensity, one speaks of pink tourmaline (light tones) or rubellite (deep pink to red, sometimes purplish): some professionals reserve the latter name for red shades only.

The pink colour comes largely from traces of manganese, enhanced by natural irradiation over geological time. Elbaite takes its name from Elba island in Italy, where it was first described. The finest stones come mainly from Brazil (Minas Gerais), Mozambique, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Myanmar or Russia (a pink-to-red variety, known as siberite, was found in Siberia).

Traditional symbolism

Like all pink stones, pink tourmaline is associated in modern tradition with tenderness, self-love and peaceful relationships. It is offered as a gift to accompany a period of gentleness or openness. In the language of stones, it is often compared with the more common rose quartz, but in a transparent version.

These are modern associations, with no proven effect, which do not replace medical support or psychological help.

Traditional correspondences

Element	Association cited
Chakra	heart
Element	water, sometimes earth
Signs	Libra is most often cited; views differ
Birthstone	October (tourmaline and opal, depending on the list)

See the heart chakra and the October birthstones.

How to use it

As a ring, pendant or earrings for an elegant piece.
As beads or cabochons for a bracelet or necklace.
As a raw crystal or a striped rod in a lovely colour, to display or to give.
Held in the hand during a moment of calm breathing.

For a first purchase, a small stone or a translucent cabochon is a good way to discover this gem without a large budget. If you give a piece of jewellery, slip a short note into the box explaining how to care for it: the pink of a fine tourmaline deserves a few simple precautions, such as storing it away from harder stones and taking it off before housework or sport. A stone keeps for a long time when it is treated with care.

If you like symbols, you may place it near a photo, a letter or an object that matters to you, without expecting any particular effect from it: it then serves as a focus for your attention, and that is already a great deal.

Care and cleansing

Pink tourmaline is solid, but some stones have many fractures, sometimes filled with oil or resin. Clean it with lukewarm water and mild soap, then dry it thoroughly. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, steam and solvents if the stone is included or filled. Very prolonged intense light can fade some pink tones; as a precaution, store it in the shade.

For symbolic cleansing: gentle smoke, moonlight. See cleansing and recharging your stones.

Treatments and imitations

Heating: common for lightening or refining the tint of a tourmaline.
Irradiation: some pink elbaites owe their colour to colour centres created by radiation, whether natural or in a laboratory.
Filling of fractures with oils or resins: a known practice, which must be disclosed.
Imitations: pink glass, dyed rose quartz, synthetic spinel or corundum; rose quartz is often more milky, while tourmaline is more translucent or transparent.

A very saturated, flawless pink at a low price calls for caution: find out the exact nature of the stone.

How to choose it

Look for an even colour, good transparency and few visible inclusions. Transparent pink tourmalines cost more than rose quartz, but less than ruby or spinel; rough crystals and translucent cabochons are more affordable. Pair it with green tourmaline (watermelon tourmaline combines both), with rose quartz or with morganite. For the basics: choosing and caring for your stones.