Renowned for its purity and intensity of color and clarity, tourmaline appears in a variety of colors. In fact a single tourmaline gem can have two different colors, depending upon the direction one looks through the crystal. Green tourmaline was exported from Brazil to Europe in the early sixteenth century and was known as "Brazilian emerald". During the eighteenth century, the principal sources of the mineral were Burma, Russia, Sri Lanka, as well as Brazil. In the early 19th century the gemstone was discovered in the United States, in Maine and California. The Ancient Chinese valued red and pink tourmaline and made small carved tourmaline ornaments for their headdresses. Gustavus III of Sweden chose an incredibly large "ruby" as a gift to Catherine the great when he was on a state visit to Russia in 1771, which in fact turned out to be a stunning red Burmese tourmaline that was carved in china. The various properties of this lustrous gemstone are said to amplify the wearer's psychic energy and neutralize negative energies. Tourmaline also enhances sensitivity and understanding, has a strong protective influence and is a powerful healer. The wearer of these beads will most certainly feel the myriad powers that emanate from this most extraordinary gemstone.