schorl

rock

Also known as: iron tourmaline

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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Schorl is a term primarily used to refer to tourmaline, specifically the black variety of this mineral. The word "schorl" itself has German origins and was first used in 1779.1

Related terms include "schorly," an adjective meaning containing or mingled with schorl, often used to describe granite. "Schorlaceous" is another adjective meaning being, containing, or resembling schorl.23

A mineral called schorlomite is related to garnet and is typically found in black masses. It is a titanate and silicate of iron and calcium.4

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greisen
Greisen is closely connected with schorl, both in its mineralogical composition and in its mode of origin. Schorl is a pneumatolytic product consisting of quartz, tourmaline, and, often, white mica and thus passes into greisen. Both of these rocks frequently contain small percentages of cassiterite (tin oxide) and may be…
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Greisen is closely connected with schorl, both in its mineralogical composition and in its mode of origin. Schorl is a pneumatolytic product consisting of quartz, tourmaline, and, often, white mica and thus passes into greisen. Both of these rocks frequently contain small percentages of cassiterite (tin oxide) and may be…
Read More