Natural Surface Black Tourmaline Wide Band Ring – Size 9.5

Black tourmaline is usually polished smooth for jewelry, but this stone was cut to preserve its natural surface, and that's what makes it so interesting. Instead of a uniform glossy black, the face is covered with the irregular ridges, fractures and flashes of luster that formed as the crystal grew. Light catches those tiny surfaces differently as the ring moves, revealing far more texture and dimension than you might expect from an almost-black stone.

I built the setting around that contrast. The tourmaline sits inside my double bezel, giving the relatively small stone a much stronger architectural presence. The wide sterling silver band is heavily textured and layered with individually applied silver details, then darkened with patina and polished back to bring the raised areas forward. Against all of that worked silver, the dark crystalline surface of the tourmaline becomes the focal point.

Black tourmaline is a crystalline variety of the tourmaline mineral group, with the black variety known mineralogically as schorl. Its dark color comes largely from its iron-rich composition. Tourmaline crystals naturally develop distinctive lengthwise striations, and preserving some of that original surface gives this stone a direct connection to the way the mineral actually formed rather than polishing all of that character away.

Metaphysically, black tourmaline has long been associated with grounding and protection and is traditionally believed to help deflect negative energy and encourage a greater sense of stability.

✧ Gemstone: Natural surface Black Tourmaline (Schorl)
✧ Ring Size: 9.5; due to the wide band, best suited for approximately a size 8.75–9 finger
✧ Band Width: Approximately 19 mm at the front, tapering to 11 mm at the back
✧ Ring Face: Approximately 17 x 14 mm
✧ Setting: Double bezel
✧ Metal: Sterling silver with an oxidized patina

One-of-a-kind and made with care in my studio.