Black Tourmaline is a protective, grounding stone known for its ability to absorb negative energy. Find out how the Black Tourmaline crystal can be a great addition to your collection.
Feel like you need a spiritual security guard? Black Tourmaline is your crystal.
Many times during our spiritual journeys, we feel overwhelmed, frightened, and lost. Black Tourmaline offers grounding, protection, and guidance for the weary spiritual traveler and a unique array of healing properties that help you grow into a more solidly grounded being.
Black Tourmaline is a common mineral that’s prized for its extreme toughness and centuries-old ability to act as a personal guardian. We’ll cover everything you need to know about this inky black crystal and how you can use it in your daily life and spiritual practices.
What Is Black Tourmaline?
Black Tourmaline is the most common color of crystal in the Tourmaline family. Tourmalines are crystals that form inside the crevices and veins of other rocks, usually igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Physical properties of Tourmaline
Tourmalines are silicate minerals found in more colors than any other group of crystals. Black, however, is the most abundant color and the most common form of it. These crystals are formed when hot water, steam, and lava mix with other sediments needed to form a crystal, a phenomenon known as the hydrothermal process.
Tourmalines vary greatly in their structure, which gives them many varied colors. Tourmalines are valuable, and some Tourmaline cavities can even net millions of dollars. Tourmalines can be difficult to find because they often appear as an “accessory mineral”. This means Tourmalines grow inside of other minerals, like granite.
Black Tourmaline has a glass-like surface and a deep black color. It is opaque but slightly reflective. Each Tourmaline has indistinct cleavage, which means it does not break into predictable patterns like other crystals.
Origins of Tourmaline
The first Tourmaline is believed to have been discovered in Germany. Black in color, it was given the name “Schorl.” Schorl became a popular mineral, but other Tourmaline varieties were often mistaken for other gems.
Due to its impressive appearance and presence, Tourmaline was used for jewelry and statues even as far back as the second or third century BC.
Brazil has been the world’s largest resource of Tourmaline for over 500 years. Spanish traders bought Tourmaline from early settlers in this area and brought it back, selling it as rubies and emeralds because of the similarities of varieties such as Green Tourmaline, Red Tourmaline, or Watermelon Tourmaline, among others.
In fact, it’s thought that many ancient royal diadems may be laden with Tourmalines! It wasn’t until 1793 that Tourmaline was recognized as its own mineral.
Tourmaline is present in the United States as well. The first Tourmaline mine in the U.S. was located in Maine. However, operations of Tourmaline mining are now located in areas of southern California.
Tourmaline is also mined and exported in Afghanistan and parts of Africa.
History of the Use of Black Tourmaline
Legend has it that Tourmaline is found in so many colors because it traveled into the earth from across the rainbow, picking up color as it made its journey to its home inside the rocks.
While much of Tourmaline’s history involves its misidentification as other stones (like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds), its use as Tourmaline is also historically rich.
Used by ancient magicians and soothsayers, Black Tourmaline was thought to give them protection against evil spirits and negativity as they cast spells and performed healing rituals. Its protection was also sought by men of war, who would place Tourmaline in their breastplates as they prepared for battle.
Black Tourmaline: Meaning And Spiritual World Powers
Black Tourmaline is a truly complex crystal. Its most powerful element is that of ultimate protection, however, it is also a stone of purification and cleansing. These two characteristics work together synergistically to:
- Protect you from evil, negativity, and harm
- Help you overcome negative thoughts and emotions from within
- Remove ideas that don’t serve you
- Keep you grounded
Black Tourmaline is a crystal you’ll want to keep near you at all times, especially when dealing with turmoil or working in an environment that isn't positive. The use of Black Tourmaline ring clears away negative energies, produces neutrality, and protects from evil.
Metaphysical properties: Black Tourmaline
While it famously protects against negative energies, evil spirits, and even one’s own negative thoughts, Black Tourmaline has robust metaphysical properties in addition to its ability to protect.
This crystal, which also serves as the birthstone for October, is naturally absorbent. While absorbing negative energy, however, it also has the ability to transform it into usable, positive energy and light.
Wearing Black Tourmaline also promotes a person’s sense of self-confidence and empowers them to be more commanding, which can be especially helpful for those who go through a meek phase of their personal growth and development.
This crystal is a grounding stone, which means it helps keep you connected to the earth and the spiritual realm without allowing you to delve too far into either. Maintaining balance is key in experiencing true joy on your spiritual journey.
Black Tourmaline also has magnetism, which allows it to shield you against EMFs (electromagnetic fields). If you find yourself sensitive to EMF intrusion from computers, tablets, or smartphones, this crystal can help.
Black Tourmaline: chakra associations
The Tourmaline crystals are deeply connected to the root or earth star chakra, and Black Tourmaline is no exception. The root or “base” chakra is located at the bottom of your tailbone and provides the foundation for balance and openness for the remaining chakras above it.
If your root chakra is blocked or imbalanced, it will lead to issues with your heart chakra and third eye chakra, which can put your entire spiritual journey in jeopardy. Not sure if your root chakra is balanced? Here are some signs it might not be.
- You feel disconnected, disengaged, or detached from life, reality, and/or loved ones.
- Spiritual practices seem to leave you feeling empty instead of fulfilled and energized.
- You experience recurring feelings of lethargy, sleepiness, and lack of motivation.
A balanced root chakra eliminates these feelings, brings you back into safe, healthy grounding, and empowers you to become independent. Balanced root chakras are essential for anyone in a leadership role and also important for taking leadership in your own life.
Black Tourmaline: zodiac associations
Black Tourmaline is associated with the month of October. As a result, the Black Tourmaline birthstone is a very powerful ally for Libra birthstones and Scorpio birthstones.
Due to the rooting, grounding, earthy energy, and its power to keep negative thoughts at bay, the Black Tourmaline crystal is great for earth signs, meaning Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.
Black Tourmaline Uses: Healing Properties
The Black Tourmaline stone has amazing healing properties that you can turn to for physical ailments and limitations, mental and emotional issues, and spiritual blockages. It's a powerful grounding stone and a powerful booster for other healing crystals as well. In fact, it is regarded as one of protective crystals for empaths.
Physical Black Tourmaline meaning: healing properties
Black Tourmaline has a protective effect on your nervous system. This allows it to help you experience events that normally bring you anxiety with more peace and calmness. If you suffer from panic attack symptoms, keeping Black Tourmaline bracelets near you when you are triggered can help reassure you, keep you grounded, present, and calm.
People also take Black Tourmaline with them to the doctor or dentist. If you have trouble in situations where you experience a lack of control, Black Tourmaline can protect you from becoming anxious or feeling threatened. It also allows you to process information around you more rationally.
Black Tourmaline can also assist you if you have motion sickness, so keeping it in your car for long car rides or wearing it around your wrist during a flight or a cruise can help settle your stomach.
This crystal is powerfully effective on the digestive system, helping keep your gut balanced and easing digestive discomfort. It’s also a great way to help support your immune system and is even regarded as a way to keep your hair shiny and nails strong.
If you suffer from issues with your lower extremities, the Black Tourmaline stone can help. Because it is so closely connected to the root chakra, physical manifestations that are associated with root chakra imbalance can be treated with Black Tourmaline: joint pain, balance issues, and nerve pain in the lower limbs can all be aided with the use of this crystal.
Black Tourmaline is one of those wonderful healing crystals that will help alleviate the pain of strained or torn muscles while also supporting your recovery.
It promotes physical vitality and offers you a protective shield from environmental pollutants like the electromagnetic radiation of cell phones which can affect your physical health.
Mental and Emotional Healing Properties of Black Tourmaline
Possibly the greatest benefit the Black Tourmaline affords you mentally and emotionally is protection against people, places, and things that can drain you emotionally.
Black Tourmaline acts as an absorbent shield, making it the premier talisman for turning positive vibrations into strong energy within your emotional body that gives you a deeper sense of well-being.
When you are faced with something that could emotionally drain you, Black Tourmaline volunteers itself as a place for that negativity to reside in. It’s even able to channel some of that negativity into positive, useful energy. When you're under the constant cloak of the Black Tourmaline crystal, emotional vampires will be kept at bay.
Black Tourmaline is also beneficial in balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain. If you have issues that involve right/left brain communication (like dyslexia and hand/eye coordination), you can benefit from the healing powers of Black Tourmaline.
Due to its ability to promote positive vibrations, it supports your ideas turning them into practical creativity, which improves your emotional balance as a creative type.
Suffering from obsessive or compulsive behaviors or practices that could be harmful to your well-being? Keep Black Tourmaline nearby to help you keep these destructive forces at bay. The protective shield of these powerful black crystals has the power to re-ground you, remove the obsessions that keep you a prisoner, and orient you towards having a more positive attitude.
If you're struggling with substance abuse, under the protection of the Black Tourmaline stone you'll be supported so you will be able to break the addictive cycle and finally become your free authentic self.
Spiritual Black Tourmaline meaning: healing properties
Black Tourmaline is one of the most powerful spiritual healing crystals because it's the guardian of the light of the universe. It helps prevent your aura from becoming filled with negative smog and gives you protection as you traverse the spiritual realm.
When you are faced with problems, Black Tourmaline removes the negative veil through which you see them, helping you experience situations with neutrality. If you uncover past trauma on your journey, Black Tourmaline can help protect you against experiencing any further pain from the event so that you can properly heal.
A Black Tourmaline crystal is amazing as a protective stone, keeping at bay any harmful energy. It works as a psychic shield deflecting tool, dispelling negative energies and unwanted energies while it enhances the healing powers within yourself and the spiritual realm.
What Is Black Tourmaline Good For?
Ready to find out how to use Black Tourmaline in your everyday life? It’s as simple as carrying it with you, but incorporating it into your spiritual ceremonies, using it in your home, and keeping it near you at work is highly beneficial.
Meditations and ceremonies with Black Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline is a very popular crystal for use in meditation. It helps clear mental fog so you can focus properly. You can add the Blue Focus Bracelet to your meditation process so you truly lean into your mental strength and self-awareness.
During cleansing rituals, raw Black Tourmaline is thought to absorb the negative energy you release and protect you from receiving anything negative from your subconscious or the spiritual realm.
Holding Black Tourmaline close to your knees or feet increases its ability to extract negative energy and send it out from your body. You can use Black Tourmaline in connection with other crystals to help protect you during meditations and keep your aura clear.
If you are using particularly sensitive psychic abilities in your practice, Black Tourmaline should be an essential part of your set of the best crystals for protection during meditation.
Harmonious environments with Black Tourmaline
Did you know that Black Tourmaline heightens your sense of smell? It’s true! As such, it’s often used in the home as an aphrodisiac. Placing it around your bedroom or under your bed can heighten arousal and spice up your love life.
Consider this: what does Black Tourmaline do for your root chakra? The grounding energy of the Black Tourmaline healing properties also increases the libido and stimulates fertility, bringing more harmony into your life as a couple. Support it with the help of the Tiger's Eye Passion Bracelet so you ground the spark of playfulness and enthusiasm in the heart of your connection.
Make the most of the protective Black Tourmaline stone meaning by keeping it in the entryway to your home so it offers protection to your house against the negative energy of anyone stepping over your threshold. It also absorbs the negative energy that may be trapped in your home.
It’s a great idea to keep Black Tourmaline in a few rooms of your home where you usually spend time with family and friends. One of the Black Tourmaline metaphysical properties is the fact that it can help keep the peace, reduce negative energy, and encourage more productive conversations. Among the key Black Tourmaline healing properties is its ability to promote peace and harmony within your family members, family ties, and within the home itself.
At work, you can use Black Tourmaline to protect you against negative energy (so common in the workplace) and restore your self-confidence and leadership qualities. Black Tourmaline, which carries a magnetic charge, also helps protect you from electromagnetic smog, which is always helpful if you’re in front of a screen (or more of them) and other electronics all day, every day.
Black Tourmaline benefits for healers
Healers rely on Black Tourmaline for their own protection and for the protection of their clients. Experienced healers and those with psychic abilities may use polished Black Tourmaline for scrying, as it provides a safe journey to the spiritual realm.
A shamanic stone, Black Tourmaline is extremely useful during ritual work. When working with a client, a healer may use a Black Tourmaline crystal to help a client pinpoint the source of their soul wound. Black Tourmaline helps the source of the pain rise from the subconscious to emerge in the conscious mind, offering insight into how to heal the pain.
Drinking a Black Tourmaline gem elixir during a healing session can also be a powerful healing tool for your physical body and your own energy. The energy healer could also use the Amethyst Healing Water Bottle to further aid the healing session. When coupled with a Black Tourmaline grounding bath, the elixir will cleanse negative energies from within you and ground your energy into the healthy positive vibes and protective energy of Mother Gaia.
Top 5 Black Tourmaline Crystal Combos & Alternatives
Black Tourmaline is the perfect crystal for wearing; who doesn’t want 24/7 protection against negativity? Not only does it provide you protection, but it’s also gorgeous.
Let's see what other crystals it works very well with or instead of.
1. Black Obsidian
A Black Tourmaline crystal necklace will draw every glance while also keeping you safe from negative thoughts and negative energies. If you don't have Black Tourmaline crystal necklaces, Black Obsidian ones will also work wonderfully.
Wear it together with a Black Obsidian piece, such as the Soul Cleansing Black Obsidian Bracelet, for maximum energetic protection.
2. Golden Obsidian
Keeping Black Tourmaline on your wrist is a smart decision. When you meet a new person, you won’t absorb their negative energy into your aura when you shake hands.
By wearing a Black Tourmaline bracelet that also has Golden Obsidian, such as the Spiritual Protection Bracelet, you’ll also protect yourself from being robbed of your positivity from people who would attempt to drain you emotionally.
3. Strawberry Quartz
Black Tourmaline pendants worn close to the heart chakra keep your heart protected from bad relationships as well as the desire for harmful behaviors or actions. Keeping the heart chakra protected keeps you rooted in joy and peace.
You gain a similarly uplifting effect if you wear Strawberry Quartz jewelry, such as the Strawberry Quartz Emotional Healing Bracelet.
4. Tiger's Eye
Due to its ability to rid you of negative thought patterns, Black Tourmaline is a great crystal for empowerment and attracting good luck.
A wonderful alternative stone is Tiger's Eye. If you keep the Self-Belief Hearts Set on you at all times, you'll unlock your limitless potential.
5. Black Onyx
Black Tourmaline works with your root, meaning it has a wonderfully grounding but also a powerfully protective effect.
You can enjoy a similarly powerful effect by wearing the Grounding Bracelet Set, which combines the qualities of Tiger's Eye and Black Onyx to deliver a powerful and protective effect.
How To Charge And Cleanse Black Tourmaline
If any of your crystals will need cleansing regularly, it’s Black Tourmaline. Because it is so incredibly effective at absorbing negativity and bad energy, it’s important you cleanse it regularly and thoroughly.
If you’re going through a particularly difficult time, like a relationship status change, or a conflict at work, you’ll want to cleanse and recharge your Black Tourmaline even more frequently.
We recommend cleansing and recharging at least once a week, but your regularity may vary depending on your circumstances. Not sure if it’s time for a cleanse? Here are some signs that can indicate your Black Tourmaline needs cleansing.
- You are experiencing feelings of fear and self-doubt.
- Negative emotions are more present than neutral or positive emotions.
- You find it especially difficult to get along well with others.
- You are no longer experiencing a positive outcome during your mediations and spiritual rituals.
These signs indicate it’s time to cleanse and recharge your crystal. If your Black Tourmaline is in an office space or other area where it is frequently visited by numerous people, it will need to be cleansed more frequently due to the amount of energy it receives from a high volume of traffic.
If you're usually wearing Black Tourmaline jewelry, you’ll want to check with the manufacturer before you cleanse it with water or salt. There may be elements of your jewelry that shouldn’t be exposed to water or salt.
You can always use the safe option of smudging your crystals, for instance with the Natural White Sage 2-Piece Set which will cleanse your own energy, that of your environment, and that of the crystals and other objects within that space.
Water Cleansing
If your crystal is physically dirty, wipe it off with a microfiber towel or hold it under running water. Most Black Tourmaline crystals are very durable and can withstand any type of cleaning you subject them to.
Water cleansing is a classic way to cleanse practically any crystal. The use of running water is especially effective on grounding stones, like Black Tourmaline, because it helps connect the stone with a natural element.
You can use natural, running water from a spring or stream to cleanse your stone or simply hold the crystal under your tap. It’s useful to recite or focus on a cleansing mantra while you work. Simply focusing on removing all energy that is not beneficial for the greater good and for your good can help remove the negative frequencies from your crystal.
Sound Cleansing
Black Tourmaline attracts abundance and radiates beauty, so you might find you have quite a few such powerful crystals. In that case, sound cleansing can help you cleanse all your Black Tourmaline stones at once.
Using chants, music that uses particular frequencies of sound, tuning forks, or singing bowls, you let the sound waves wash over your crystals, allowing the frequencies to harmonize with the vibrations of the Black Tourmaline, thereby cleansing them and restoring them.
Light Charging
Wondering how to activate Black Tourmaline with the help of light? One of the best ways to enhance Black Tourmaline properties is to activate and charge it with the help of direct sunlight or lamp-light. We'll talk about crystal lamp lights a bit later.
Many crystals love the sun’s energy, and Black Tourmaline is no exception. A great way to cleanse and recharge your Black Tourmaline is by placing it in direct sunlight for at least two hours.
When the sun is at its zenith, put your crystal directly on the ground under the light. It’s important to keep it directly on the ground so that negative energy can be discharged out of the crystal with the help of the earth element.
Clear Quartz Charging
Another method of recharging your Black Tourmaline is to place it next to Clear Quartz crystals in order to cleanse it of all negative energy and amplify the positive energies and positive vibrations so that it’s ready for use.
If you combine the power of light with that of crystals, such as with the Energy Protection Lamp, you exponentially increase the charging and cleansing effects of these powerful elements.
Enjoy The Black Tourmaline Crystal Benefits Today!
Black Tourmaline is the guardian of all other crystals and somewhat of a spiritual bodyguard. It offers safety against negativity and spiritual smog that can clog your aura and make you feel emotionally drained and spiritually sick.
Black Tourmaline is also a great stone for helping keep you grounded and can cleanse and purify your thoughts.
You can use Black Tourmaline in your daily life by incorporating it into your meditations and ceremonies. It’s a great addition to help you keep focused and to protect you as you engage in your psychic abilities. Make the most of its spiritual powers by using it together with some crystals for protection and support.
You can wear Black Tourmaline protection crystals to help keep negative energy away from you and also to help absorb the negative energy you may experience in your own mind and body from time to time. It’s a great crystal that loves keeping you spiritually protected and grounded and can be added to any ritual or life experience to increase positivity.
Using Black Tourmaline at home and work can protect you from negative energy in those places, absorbing those negative energies and helping channel them into positive, usable energy that helps build self-confidence and encourage you to be the best version of yourself. For added power, use your Tourmaline with crystals for success and manifestation.
Our final thoughts? Black Tourmaline rocks!
