Beautiful ring with facet cut Tourmalines in subtle setting.

The mineral tourmaline (quartz) is a member of the cyclosilicate group. All of these minerals have the same chemical formula: AX3Y6(BO3)3 Si6O18(O, OH, F)4. 'A' can be calcium or sodium, 'X' can contain aluminum, iron, lithium, or magnesium, and 'Y' is usually aluminum but can also be chromium or iron. Sometimes the 'A' position contains potassium, 'X' can contain manganese, and 'Y' can contain vanadium, although these elements rarely appear in tourmaline group formulas. Tourmaline is found in pegmatites, metamorphic, igneous rocks, and alluvial deposits. Known in ancient times in the Mediterranean region, tourmaline was not introduced to Western Europe until 1703 from Sri Lanka by the Dutch. They named the new gemstone "Turmali," a Sinhalese word meaning "stone of mixed colors.". Rubellites were traditionally used as gemstones and served as talismans for artists, as they believed it would enhance their creative abilities. Tourmalines have unique properties. They are piezoelectric, meaning that when a crystal is heated or squeezed, different electrical charges are created at each end, creating an electrical potential. When an external electrical potential is applied to the crystal, it vibrates. The minerals are pleochroic, meaning that the crystal appears darker when viewed along its longest axis than perpendicular to it. The four most common and well-known tourmaline minerals vary in color and transparency. Elbaite is transparent and a prized gemstone. Schorl, rich in iron, is the most common mineral in the tourmaline group and is black and opaque. It forms mainly in pegmatites, the very slowly cooling gangues of magma. The two other tourmalines that are commonly found are...