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CHAPTER XXXV.
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TOURMALINE.
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HE
Dutch are said to have introduced Tourmaline into Europe, from Ceylon.
The first written history of the stone is found in a book published at
Leipzig, in 1707, called " Curious Speculations of Sleepless Nights." It is mentioned also in the catalogue of a
collection of stones sent over from Ceylon to Leyden in 1711. For many
years small quantities only of this stone were sent to Europe, and the
German Jews were almost its only purchasers.
Few
minerals present greater complexity of chemical constitution than the
Tourmaline. Its composition has been said to resemble the prescription
of a mediaeval doctor, in which a little of everything was thrown in;
and a reference to the analysis appended to this chapter will
illustrate this intricacy of constitution. To the student of physics,
the Tourmaline is a stone of singular interest, from the curious
optical and electrical characters which it exhibits. It enjoys, in its
different varieties, a very wide range of colour, though it rarely
displays any vivid or brilliant hue ; hence it has become a great
favourite with connoisseurs, who can appreciate its soft and sombre
tones, but has not acquired general popularity. Its colours consist of
various shades of grey, yellow, blue, pink, and brown ; all having a
tendency towards the darker hues, even to black.
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