“Pink Tourmaline is a variety of Tourmaline that can be found in pale light pink, to bright hot pink. This mineral can be seen in raw, transparent, and opaque formations. It's commonly found in association with Quartz, and other Tourmaline colors.” - https://thecrystalcouncil.com
What is a color your eye is instantly drawn too?
Mine is hot pink. Well, any color pink really. And Gold. But this blog is about my love for the color pink. But why is that my favorite color?
Here are the reason why I personally like the color:
- It’s bold.
- Light pink nail polish make my hands look more tan.
- It stands out. In a sea full of other colors, I can always spot hot pink.
- There are 100s/1000s of different variations of the color pink.
There are probably more reasons but that’s all I can think of right now.
According to sciencefocus.com, “our life experiences and the culture we grew up in are also likely to play a large role in our color preferences.” This can be an emotional reaction, an evolutionary, or a preferences because our ancient ancestors associated a particular color with safety or survival.
I can’t think of an item in nature (that is easily accessible) that is the color hot pink, light pink, or pink in general. Except flowers.
Though there are edible flowers, I doubt they are nutritionally filling enough for my DNA to associate them with survival.
So the reason why pink most be one of my favorite colors is because of an emotional reason. Girls from their earliest ages (if not birth) in Western cultures are exposed to the color pink. At least since the 1940s, when pink became a color that was established to be a female gender signifier.
According Jo B. Paoletti, historian and author of Pink and Blue: Telling the Girls From the Boys in America, believes the truly line of pink is for girls and blue is for boys was defined in the 1980s. Paoletti theorizes that women who grew up in decades prior were subjected to more gender-neutral colored clothing and gender-neutral toys. With the 1980s and a large drive to consumer culture, mother’s wanted to be able to spoiler their daughters in pink, lace, big hair, and Barbies. And with the every growing consumer focused market, marketers and advertisers made the choice seem natural.
So maybe Barbie is the reason I love the color pink?
After all Barbie’s favorite color is pink.
But maybe the reason is deeper? According to colorsexplainted.com; “Pink is an incredibly positive color that charms with ease that is often associated with unconditional, romantic love.” A nurturing color.
Let’s see some examples of the color pink in nature. (per colorsexplained.com)
- Pink Diamonds
- Pink Fluorite – “Pink Fluorite is a gemstone with properties to calm.”
- Rose Quartz
- Rhodolite Garnet
- Pink Sapphire
- Morganite
- Pink Tourmaline
Hmm I’m seeing a pattern.
Siting an article by cnn.com/style, “there may be evolutionary reasons why we gravitate towards shiny objects. Research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests that gems evoke the glossy surface of a body of water. Our pursuit of them may be rooted in a simple urge to survive.”
The article goes on the further state, “that the mental associations we make with colors may also explain the value assigned to certain gems.”
This makes a lot of sense. One of the 4 C’s that gemologist/jewelers use to decide the value of a diamond or gemstone is color.
Which brings us back to Pink Tourmaline. One of my favorite Gemstones. This is mainly because of the bright hot pink color that pink tourmaline can come in. The more saturated and brighter pinks tend to be the most valuable.
According to healing-crystals-for-you.com, “Pink Tourmaline encourages an influx of love, joy, and happiness to fill your life.”
Though I don’t put much stock into different crystals/gemstones having different “abilities.” Just like the language of flowers, I think these different means can add to the story of a beautiful piece of jewelry.
Side note: during my research of pink tourmaline I am across an interesting blog on gabrielny.com. One of my favorite things I learned was, “through the promotional efforts of Tiffany & Co., by its chief gemologist (at the time), by the late 1800s pink tourmaline became known as an American gem.”
So why is pink tourmaline one of my favorite gemstones?
It could because of its deep meaning, or it could because some ancient ancestor thought pink meant survival. Maybe it’s all Barbie’s fault with her consumer culture.
Or maybe it’s simply because I love the color pink and one of the richest, hottest pinks you can find in the world of gemstones is in tourmaline.
So what is your favorite color? Does it match your favorite gemstone?
- Lauren Elizabeth
Photo Credits:
https://turleyjewelers.com/blog/fabulous-pink-tourmaline
https://wallpaperaccess.com/barbie-pink
Toaster Photo: Mike Oates
Water Photo: Brodie Vissers