Watermelon Tourmaline
Watermelon Tourmaline is a rare type of Tourmaline identified by its unique watermelon-like appearance. It has incredible qualities such as...
Quick Look:
Heart Chakra
A dark purple to a light pink inside with an apple green to cadmium exterior
Long prismatic columns of crystals with a smooth glassy texture
7 / 10 Rarity
Discovered in Discovered on the West Coast of Italy in the late 1600's
Mined in Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, China, Italy, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the United States
Chinese name: 西瓜碧玺
General Care for Watermelon Tourmaline
While watermelon tourmaline is a rank 7 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, that might still be softer than many gemstones in your collection. We recommend you keep from throwing this stone in a box or bag with others.
If you haven't cared for your rock for a long time, it may look a bit dull. That's because it's sad you haven't held it in a long time.
Oh, and because it has dust on the surface.
A gentle wipe down with a clean cloth or brush is all it takes to restore its shine.
One trick we like to shine crystals is a vinegar bath. This helps remove calcium carbonite. You should only do this on crystals that aren't sensitive to chemicals, which tourmaline is not!
How To Clean Your Crystal
Luckily, this crystal is just as hard as the other crystals in its immediate family: Black Tourmaline, Blue Tourmaline, Pink Tourmaline, and more.
If you don't have a tumbled watermelon tourmaline, you need to be careful not to apply too much pressure. In its natural form, the stone can be a bit brittle.
Have a tumbled crystal? Then you don't need to worry!
Because of its hardy nature, you don't have to worry about harming it with a good ol' fashioned cleaning.
No need to buy any special products, just some warm water, and soap.
Will It Fade?
Your Watermelon Tourmaline likely already has a very light pink and green color to it. If the colors get any lighter you'll be left with a transparent stone...
But don't worry. Your crystal isn't afraid of the sun. Watermelon Tourmaline is resistant to fading and won't lose color due to sunshine.
One problem you'll need to avoid is not leaving it on your car's dashboard when you go out. It is possible for this gemstone to crack, or even break, when exposed to really high heat.
Wearing it as jewelery in the summer is no problem, but the "magnifying glass" effect from your windshield can be enough to cause damage.
How to Charge Watermelon Tourmaline
Charging your tourmaline is as simple as placing it on a selenite charging plate or letting it bathe in direct moonlight for several hours.
This stone also responds to being buried in salt for 24 hours.
If you want to avoid an extra physical cleaning session, be sure to use a cloth bag or natural covering to prevent salt from falling into your stone's cracks. Or, give your stone a quick wash once it's charged!
Check If Your Crystal Is Real
Is what your looking at glass? Is it a jolly-rancher? Or is your Watermelon Tourmaline real?
First things first, just because your stone isn't perfectly pink in the middle and green on the outside does not mean it's fake. If anything, that's a sign it's real because only the most perfect pieces are worth faking.
Real watermelon tourmaline will not have a clear distinction between "inside" and "outside." There will be a fade between colors. The smoother the fade, the higher the price. Reproducing this fade from pink to green is extremely difficult -- so fakes won't have it.
If it passes the color test, you should also make sure it has inclusions in it. If the crystal doesn't have any inclusions, then there are only two possibilities:
You've found a precious stone worth thousands of dollars.
It's a fake.
If it looks too perfect and it priced too low to be true... it's probably not real.
Watermelon Tourmaline Properties
Healing Properties
This crystal is the "super activator" of the heart chakra, linking you to your higher self and fostering love, tenderness, and friendship.
By promoting inner security through patience and diplomacy, this stone helps alleviate depression and fear.
Watermelon Tourmaline assists in understanding situations and expressing intentions clearly.
It treats emotional dysfunction and releases old pain. Watermelon Tourmaline is beneficial for relationships and helps find joy in situations.
In healing, Watermelon Tourmaline dissolves any resistance to becoming whole once more. It encourages regeneration of the nerves, especially in paralysis or multiple sclerosis, and treats stress.
Physical Properties
This crystal is technically a variety of quartz, putting it in the mineral class of silicates. It grows in a near trigonal crystal structure, ranking it a 7.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
No other crystal comes in as many different colors as tourmalines do.
What makes "true" watermelon tourmaline unique is its watermelon color pattern — a light pink to dark purple core with two shades of green ranging from apple green to cadmium.
More rare color combinations include "reverse watermelon" and "blue rind watermelon."
Like all other crystals in the tourmaline family, watermelon tourmalines are considered pleochroic. So if you look at the crystal on its vertical axis, it will look darker than if you looked at it from the side.
This property is not just because the stone is thicker in one direction. Perfectly sphere dimensioned watermelon tourmalines will demonstrate this trait.
Almost all tourmalines have inclusions that might look like cracks or scratches.
Inclusions are like a crystal trapped inside another crystal.
In addition to making your stone unique, they also help you check your watermelon tourmaline is real.
Rarity
Accurately answering the question of "How rare is Watermelon Tourmaline" is difficult because it all depends on the color.
The more intense the color is in the gemstone, the more valuable it is. But it's not just about what colors are present.
The change from the pink core to green exterior also makes a difference. A stone that changes sharply from bright pink into dark green without much space is the most valuable.
The price per carat of watermelon tourmaline is not as high as you might think, considering the unique coloring of the crystal.
You can find jewelry quality watermelon tourmaline for approximately around $50 per carat if the stone is less than a single carat.
Gems larger than 2c will cost $200+ per carat, depending on their color.
