Is it real black tourmaline?
Yes. Natural, unheated, undyed black tourmaline (schorl). Raw stones show striations, matte and glossy patches and sometimes flecks of mica or iron. Glass and resin don't, and polished beads hide all of it.
Where does the stone come from?
Brazil, the world's great source of tourmaline, where it is mined by hand from pegmatite veins. Each crystal is selected individually for size and structure before it is wrapped.
How big and how heavy is it?
Crystals run 1.5 to 2 inches long and roughly an ounce. Substantial enough to feel, light enough to wear all day. Look at the palm photo for scale.
Does it really release negative ions?
Tourmaline is pyroelectric and piezoelectric, which is measurable physics: it builds an electrical charge when warmed or pressed. The negative-ion tradition grows from that. We won't sell it to you as medicine. We sell it as a real stone with a real charge and a very old story.
How do I cleanse and care for it?
Tradition says to set it on the earth or in moonlight overnight, and many owners do. Practically: keep the leather wrap dry, take it off for showers and swimming, and it will last for years.
Is it for men or women?
Both. The raw stone and black cord read masculine, the adjustable length lets it sit as a long pendant or a short one.
What's in the pair?
One raw black tourmaline necklace and one black obsidian necklace, on identical cords. Tourmaline for grounding, obsidian for clarity, in the traditional reading. Many people keep one and give one.