
Learn how to activate and cleanse black tourmaline, including where to place it within your home environment and how to use it in crystal healing and other metaphysical practices.
Every crystal healer knows the importance of having a well-balanced, rounded crystal collection. They also know that the individual they are working on will have preferences or goals of their own, and that these goals will be worked on by the healer for best results.
One crystal in particular that every crystal healer or reiki practitioner has at the heart of their collection is the staunch, reassuring presence of a piece of black tourmaline.
This essential rare earth mineral is very symbolic of sacred geometry itself, forming in a hexagonal shape representative of the honeycomb.
Such shapes have a direct impact on our thoughts and emotions… as it does with the beautiful yet powerful black tourmaline crystal.

Tourmaline crystals belong to the boron silicate group and form in enlengthened hexagonal crystalline growth patterns.
They come in a wide variety of colors, each defined by the exact composition of the minerals therein.
Did you know that black tourmaline is just one color of the tourmaline crystal?
The different elements which define the color of your tourmaline crystal include:
- Aluminum
- Iron
- Lithium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Sodium
Black tourmaline, sometimes called ‘Schorl’, is most rich in both iron and sodium. These minerals are what give it that rich black color.
Other Types of Tourmaline
The variety of tourmaline you have depends on the color and makeup of the crystalline structure.
While black tourmaline is by far the most abundant, you can also expect to find other natural tourmaline colors.
Look out for brown tourmaline from Slovenia, multicolored purple, blue, or pink Elbaite from Italy, and bright green tourmaline, occasionally with pink attached and sold as “watermelon tourmaline”.

If you were to use black tourmaline as a healing crystal, what would it be used for?
Black tourmaline is the physical representation of a negative energy black hole.
It absorbs it like a vacuum.
Forget hematite – hematite cancels things out like an EMP… but black tourmaline swallows’ negativity whole.
What is black tourmaline good for?
Since it has this magnetic, vacuum effect on negative energy, black tourmaline is great for cleansing other stones.
When kept in the center of your crystal collection, it keeps everything negativity free.
Acting like a shield, black tourmaline should be considered the great protector of all gemstones.
Consider your crystal collection incomplete without it.
Which chakra does black tourmaline represent?
Basic tourmaline is usually considered to be a heart chakra crystal.
When black, it can also relate to the root chakra, where it draws negative energies down into the ground.
Every new crystal you add to your collection should be cleansed first, including black tourmaline crystals.
Especially if you intend to use them for crystal healing or for spiritual purposes.
Cleansing a crystal allows it to remove any energies still attached to it, placed upon it by a previous owner.
If you are wondering why we cleanse our crystals, picture the following scenario.

The black tourmaline you bought on a car boot sale once belonged to someone who may have used it for dark magic purposes.
They could have used it in a blood ritual, not because it has any dark energy significance, but because it is a black crystal and its energy has been misinterpreted.
Now imagine you buy it, bring it home, and place it directly onto your heart chakra, or your root chakra. It doesn’t bare thinking about does it?….. and this is why we cleanse our crystals.
Can you put black tourmaline in water?
The most obvious way to cleanse a crystal is to give it a physical wash.
The act of washing is the best possible symbolism for spiritual cleansing, because as you are physically washing it, your mind is already tuned in on the cleansing process sending cleansing vibrations into that piece of crystal.
Since black tourmaline has a hardness rating of 7-7.5, it can be put in water without danger.
So, if you have been wondering if your black tourmaline can go in water, the answer is yes.
However, we would go a step further than that.
We would suggest that you give it the energetic equivalent of a double whammy by adding sea salt to that water and giving it a short soak.
This will help to cleanse black tourmaline while protecting that positive aura.
Don’t leave your crystals in water (or salt water) for any longer than 24 hours.
There are many crystals that shouldn’t be put in water at all (such as gypsum or selenite), but tourmaline is not one of them.
What if you don’t want to use water?
There are other ways to cleanse your black tourmaline crystals, for those of us that prefer smoke or earth.
Placing your black tourmaline crystal in a bag of rice and burying it, is said to allow the rice to absorb all the negativities that the tourmaline has collected throughout its lifetime.
The crystal is left in rice for no more than 24 hours, at the end of which the grain is discarded totally.
No creature or human should consume this rice.
Can selenite cleanse black tourmaline?
Since selenite is known to be a great cleanser and purifier, you can use it to cleanse the negative energies from your other stones.
Be aware that cleansing negative energies preserves positive aura but doesn’t cleanse a crystal like a good old-fashioned washing does.
Both selenite and black tourmaline are said to be great cleansers of other crystals.
While it can be used to cleanse other crystals of their negative energy, be mindful of cleansing the crystal itself, as well as its aura.
How to cleanse your black tourmaline bracelet?
When you buy a new crystal bracelet – fertility bracelet or otherwise – it needs to be cleansed.
You shouldn’t wear it until it has gone through the cleansing process, because otherwise residual energies from the last owner might cling to it.
As with crystal specimens, pop it in a little salted water and leave it for a few hours.
If possible, do it under moonlight.
You can even use salt water collected from the sea itself, for best possible results.
Once you have gone through the cleansing process, your black tourmaline will be ready to use… but how?
Next, we will look at all the ways you can use your new crystal, during your day-to-day life.
This starts with the simple process of activating your black tourmaline so that it is attuned to your energy signature.

How to activate black tourmaline?
Once a crystal has been cleaned, it is ready to use.
“Activating” your crystal is the idea of attuning it to your energy, but this simply isn’t the truth.
A crystal holds the same properties whether it is attuned to your aura or not.
It is you who attunes to the crystal, not the other way around.
Thus: you do not “activate” a stone, the energy synch commences from the moment the crystal makes its way to you. Interesting right?
To attune your energies to that of black tourmaline, you should keep it near you.
Put it in your pocket, place it near your bed, or just hold it for a while.
While you do so, use a little visualization to picture which of the crystals properties you would like to tap in to. And this is precisely why you are drawn to certain crystals on any given day, as they tell you, what you need or are feeling on the day as you magically seemed to be attracted to it.
How do you use black tourmaline?
If you wish to use this crystal to banish hurt or fear from your heart, use it by placing it over your heart chakra (exactly where your heart is).
If you want to use it to banish your negative past experiences or any past trauma, this is where you need to place it over your root chakra.
You root chakra is at the lowest part of your abdomen.
Hold the stone against your skin and relax.
Allow the frequency of the crystal to vibrate into your skin, through to your chakra point.
Hold this position for as long as you feel comfortable.
Generally, you will start to feel like it is enough after a few moments.
If you have chakra blockages it may take a little longer.
Incidentally, if you do have a chakra blockage, the root chakra is a good place to start from to work your way up and unblock it.
Where to place black tourmaline in the house?
You can place black tourmaline at the door, to stop people bringing negative energy home with them.
You can place it beside your bed if you have regular or recurring nightmares.
You can keep it at the heart of your crystal collection if you want to stop them causing any chaotic energies by closely interacting with one another.
You can even keep black tourmaline near your shower in the bathroom, to get a spiritual cleanse when you get a physical one.
If you want to use black tourmaline to make your daily life easier, try wearing it on a pendant or bracelet.
Doing so should help people keep their negativity to themselves and if not, then it will absorb the negativity before it gets to you.
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