The first tourmaline, discovered in 1703 in Sri Lanka, was transparent. Hence, the gemstone was first used as imitation diamond. However, gradually it became clear that tourmaline possessed some amazing qualities of its own. For instance, it was observed that tourmaline crystal warmed by sunlight demonstrated the mysterious ability to attract and repulse lightweight objects. Moreover, although bronchial ailments are generally common among miners, workers in Brazilian tourmaline mines were found to suffer fewer such illnesses.
Scientists have long been intrigued by the unique electrical and magnetic properties of tourmaline. The inventor of the lightning rod Benjamin Franklin possessed at least one tourmaline stone which he apparently used in his experiments. In 1880, Pierre Curie, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics (with his wife, the famous Marie Curie), discovered with his brother Jacques, a mineralogist, that tourmaline carries a weak electric charge when it is heated (pyro-electricity) or when pressure is applied to its surface (piezoelectricity). Later, research in Japan confirmed that tourmaline carries a faint but constant electric charge, which is why tourmaline continues to be known as “the electric stone,” especially in Asia. Japanese researchers also found that no matter how small tourmaline is ground or crushed, it is still capable of conveying an electric current. This helps explain the effectiveness of the tourmaline granules in Ki Flow Ion Therapy Jewelry.
Read more about the beneficial effects of tourmaline here.
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