Tourmaline is pyroelectric and piezoelectric. It's those factors that allow it to generate negative ions. Pyroelectricity and piezoelectricity are of course caused by assymetry in the crystal structure. Over time, would the tourmaline still emit negative ions or would it become depleted?
Bernard Garnier
As any other piezoelectric material, Tourmaline crystals would loose this property if you heat them above depolarization temperature. At ambient temperature and pressure there is no reason to see any alteration for ever!
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Maxwell Utter
One thing though, if tourmaline will always emit negaive ions, how does it replace the ions emitted?
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Maxwell Utter
Ijaz, so most of the negative ion emissions are due to moisture in the air? Does tourmaline absorb electrons from surrounding materials?
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