Schorl

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ʃɔː(ɹ)l/

Definitions

1. A type of black tourmaline that occurs in igneous rocks and is appreciated for its aesthetic and metaphysical properties
2. This boron-containing silicate mineral is notable for its occurrence in granitic rocks and its use in crystal healing
3. A dark, iron-rich mineral variant of the tourmaline group commonly found in granite and metamorphic rocks

Etymology: Schorl is a miner's name for black tourmaline, and its story runs through German mining towns and Swedish dialect. The German word "Schörl" was used by miners in the Erzgebirge and neighbouring regions for dark, heavy crystals that turned up in tin ore and granite. The name most likely comes from the Swedish "skör," meaning "brittle," a fitting description of a mineral that cracks and splits easily along its structure. The word traveled into English as a technical label, and it shows how mineral names were often drawn from the everyday sensations of the people who handled the rock rather than from any formal scientific system. Its origin is a plain description of a material that breaks easily, not a classical coinage or a named discoverer.