Black Tourmaline is a unique-looking crystal recognized for its intense black color and special triangulated and striated facades. This crystal is the symbol of protection.
It delivers clarifying vibrations that help you purify your energy field and alleviate stressful sensations.
The energy transmitted by Black Tourmaline forms around you a powerful yet comforting protecting shield that allows you to regain a sense of stability, security, and self-control.
Therefore, obtaining a genuine Black Tourmaline is the one and the only first step to getting in touch with the healing properties of this magnificent guarding gem.
One crucial thing to help you determine if Black Tourmaline is real is to do a simple scratch test. This stone is a very hard mineral that can not be scratched by a knife. So, if your Black Tourmaline remained intact after getting scratched by a knife or a steel nail then your crystal is genuine.
Keep on reading to explore more signs that will give you a clear idea on how to tell if Black Tourmaline is real.
Table of Contents
4 essential signs to help you tell if Black Tourmaline is real
1. Do a scratch test
This is one of the easiest and efficient ways to determine whether or not your Black Tourmaline is real.
The first thing to be aware of is that Black Tourmaline is a hard stone.
Black Tourmaline scores 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.
So, it is considered a very durable mineral specimen.
Therefore, according to the Mohs Hardness chart, Black Tourmaline should not be scratched by a knife or a steel nail.
If you remark visible cuts on the stone’s surface after you perform the scratch test then the black tourmaline that you have is not genuine.
2. Look closely at the shape of the stone
This identifying method is so easy to perform, you just need to be extra attentive and activate your analytics powers.
The first thing to do is to look closely at the stone’s surface and dissect its outer appearance.
The raw form of the real Black Tourmaline is recognized by long striated shapes that cover the integrality of its surface.
If you touch the surface of the crystal, you feel the long accentuated lines that encircle every surface of this black-colored stone.
The straight lines that decorate the facade of a raw cut Black Tourmaline look like vertically elongated stairs, which is a unique shape that this stone is recognized for.
For the polished tumbled Black Tourmaline crystals, you will notice that even if the outside is completely smooth and polished, you will yet spot some cracks, fissures, and crevices that remain on the stone’s surface.
So, in the case of a real polished Black Tourmaline, the outside of the stone is not perfectly smooth, you will still notice and feel little cracks here and there on its surface.
3. Reflectiveness
Even though Black Tourmaline is famous for its intense and rich black hues, the stone showcases a slight change in color when it is directed towards a source of light.
So, real Black Tourmaline keeps its unique brilliance, so when projected underneath a luminous spot it may show a brownish or sometimes reddish reflection which is due to hematite inclusions.
4. Have an idea regarding the reliability of the crystal retailer
This step is crucial if you are about to purchase a Black Tourmaline crystal.
Doing a quick research on the place you are purchasing from can be extremely helpful in determining if the Black Tourmaline crystal that you are about to purchase would be genuine or not.
In the case of an online store:
You can for example read the reviews of other customers and if they had a good buying experience.
Have an integral look at the online store for example the depth of the information that they are providing for each stone, from where they obtained/sourced theirs crystals …
All of these stated indicators are key to draw a clear vision of the true authenticity of the online store.
Nevertheless, if you want to buy a Black Onyx physically at a real shop, knowing the retailer is a significant requirement.
An authentic shop owner will verify that all the crystals displayed for sale are genuine.
A well-experienced retailer will ultimately know all the answers that you may have about a certain crystal, for instance, Black Tourmaline, and they will provide for you all the data that validates the authenticity of this stone.
If you sense that the retailer just display the crystal randomly and is unaware of basic pieces of information about the crystal, it is then a vital sign to turn down your anticipated purchase.
A trustworthy retailer will normally describe to you their process of purchasing their stones, provides for you information about their suppliers, and will naturally show genuine strong signs of expertise.
Summary
Real Black Tourmaline can not be scratched by a knife, plus the raw form of the stone has vertical striations on its surface and the polished form is distinguished by little cracks on the outside. Next, when it is directed to a source of light, Black Tourmaline displays a delicate reddish reflection.
To share my newfound knowledge, I decided to create a website dedicated to gemstones and crystals. I wanted to provide readers with all the information they need about the stones they are interested in. I wanted to give readers a comprehensive guide to understanding gemstones.
