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For centuries tourmalines have
adorned the jewels of royalty. The Empress Dowager Tz'u Hsi, the last
empress of China, valued the rich pink colors above all other gemstones.
The people of ancient Ceylon called tourmaline "turmali," the Sinhalese
word for "more colors." Perhaps this is why ancient mystics believed tourmaline
could encourage artistic intuition: it has the palette to express every
mood.Vivid reds, hot pinks, verdant greens and blues abound in this marvelous
gem variety. Not only does tourmaline occur in a spectacular range of
colors, but it also combines those colors in a single gemstone called
"bi-color" or "parti-color" tourmaline. One color combination with a pink
center and a green outer rim is called "watermelon" tourmaline, and is
cut in thin slices similar to its namesake.
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