The name tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese turamali, meaning “mixture of colours”.
It was used for gems whose identity stone merchants were unsure of, precisely because of the huge variety of tourmaline found in nature and its similarity to other minerals.
Tourmaline is a mineral well known for its ability to support the body’s detoxifying action. Depending on the other minerals it contains, it takes on many different shades, from red due to iron and manganese, to green due to iron and titanium, to blue due to copper and manganese.
Black tourmaline, for example, is traditionally associated with the recovery of vital energy and with relief from aches, and it is believed to support the bones and joints and the immune system.
When heated, tourmaline has the ability to negatively ionise the air and to emit infrared rays with a wavelength between 4 and 14 µm. These rays penetrate the human body and resonate with hydrogen bonds.
In this way they break up the clusters of water molecules, allowing the cells to receive more nourishment and to dispose of metabolic waste.
This helps reduce swelling and water retention.
The negative ions produced are very important for our mood.
These ions increase the amount of oxygen in the brain and consequently increase mental energy and concentration.
Tourmaline is considered one of the main stones for purifying one’s energies and for protection from negative influences in the environment.
It is the stone of grounding with the Earth, absorbing all disharmony, clearing inner blocks and encouraging introspection.
Black tourmaline is said to reduce anxious tendencies and release stress tension.
Negative ions: what they are
The air we breathe is charged with electricity and therefore rich in positive and negative ions. A good balance between them is considered ideal for our wellbeing, with around 1,000–1,500 negative ions per cubic centimetre of air.
In everyday life we spend a lot of time in places full of household appliances, air conditioning, computers and so on, which increase the number of positive ions in the air and create an imbalance. To rebalance the air, more negative ions are needed. Even the famous inventor Nikola Tesla was interested in the effects of ionisation.
Negative ions are naturally abundant near the sea and rocks, near waterfalls, in the mountains and during summer storms: that is why we often feel more energetic and alert in these places. Even a shower, with water breaking against the walls, produces negative ions.
Negative ions in Sauna Smarty
When we spend most of our time between home and office, we have little contact with natural sources of negative ions. In Sauna Smarty, the tourmaline, jade and germanium stones heated by carbon fibre release negative ions during every session, adding a moment of relaxation to the warmth of far infrared.
For a general overview you can read the Wikipedia article on tourmaline.
