Please help me choose paribas!

[GliderPoss]

Hello all,

I have decided to buy a pretty pariba tourmaline (just for fun, probably not to set) but I really want a "neon glowy" one. I have narrowed it down to 2 different ones.

Firstly this one here.

Main thing is I want it to be REAL and UNTREATED! I realise many ebay stones are fake so that why I''m asking for your opinion! Remember this is just for fun to hold and admire it''s glow.

I don''t mind if it''s got inclusions, all the better to show it''s genuine.

 

[brandy_z28]

Date: 8/6/2009 11:04:47 PM
Author:HotPozzum
Hello all,


I have decided to buy a pretty pariba tourmaline (just for fun, probably not to set) but I really want a ''neon glowy'' one. I have narrowed it down to 2 different ones.


Firstly this one here.


Main thing is I want it to be REAL and UNTREATED! I realise many ebay stones are fake so that why I''m asking for your opinion! Remember this is just for fun to hold and admire it''s glow.

I don''t mind if it''s got inclusions, all the better to show it''s genuine.

I believe that is an apatite and not a paraiba tourmaline.

 

[Cind11]

I assume you''re posting another stone. This first stone says it is an apatite. (not a tourmaline) It is "paraiba colored" not a paraiba tourmaline.

 

[GliderPoss]

Second one''s here.

I am totally new to this so not really sure about this type of stone, naming etc...

 

[GliderPoss]

So whats apatite? Difference?

Is this a good thing or bad?

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/6/2009 11:12:53 PM
Author: HotPozzum
So whats apatite? Difference?

Is this a good thing or bad?

Apatite is a much less expensive stone, which is a good thing if you just want a pretty stone to look at. A pariba tourmaline would set you back so many $$$ that RW Wise says about the 0.88 ct stone on his site (www.rwwise.com ):

"Want to know the price? Take a deep breath and call 800.773.0249. 7.6x5.3mm"

 

[GliderPoss]

Oooohhh I see. Tourmaline = $$$ Apatite = $.

Great, well obviously I will just have to be content with a pretty Apaptite then. Thanks for all your help. Think I''ll get option #1.

\

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/6/2009 11:30:59 PM
Author: HotPozzum
Oooohhh I see. Tourmaline = $$$ Apatite = $.

Great, well obviously I will just have to be content with a pretty Apaptite then. Thanks for all your help. Think I''ll get option #1.

You are welcome. Sounds like you have a good plan there.

 

[innerkitten]

Just know that it''s a pretty soft stone.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 8/6/2009 11:25:39 PM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 8/6/2009 11:12:53 PM
Author: HotPozzum
So whats apatite? Difference?

Is this a good thing or bad?

Apatite is a much less expensive stone, which is a good thing if you just want a pretty stone to look at. A pariba tourmaline would set you back so many $$$ that RW Wise says about the 0.88 ct stone on his site (www.rwwise.com ):

''Want to know the price? Take a deep breath and call 800.773.0249. 7.6x5.3mm''

When I was on the phone with Richard, I did ask him about the price of that stone. It''s $16,000!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/6/2009 11:44:33 PM
Author: Cind11

Date: 8/6/2009 11:25:39 PM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 8/6/2009 11:12:53 PM
Author: HotPozzum
So whats apatite? Difference?

Is this a good thing or bad?

Apatite is a much less expensive stone, which is a good thing if you just want a pretty stone to look at. A pariba tourmaline would set you back so many $$$ that RW Wise says about the 0.88 ct stone on his site (www.rwwise.com ):

''Want to know the price? Take a deep breath and call 800.773.0249. 7.6x5.3mm''

When I was on the phone with Richard, I did ask him about the price of that stone. It''s $16,000!

So, the price of a small car for a stone under 1 ct. Thanks for saving me the call.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 8/6/2009 11:47:36 PM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 8/6/2009 11:44:33 PM
Author: Cind11

Date: 8/6/2009 11:25:39 PM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 8/6/2009 11:12:53 PM
Author: HotPozzum
So whats apatite? Difference?

Is this a good thing or bad?

Apatite is a much less expensive stone, which is a good thing if you just want a pretty stone to look at. A pariba tourmaline would set you back so many $$$ that RW Wise says about the 0.88 ct stone on his site (www.rwwise.com ):

''Want to know the price? Take a deep breath and call 800.773.0249. 7.6x5.3mm''

When I was on the phone with Richard, I did ask him about the price of that stone. It''s $16,000!

So, the price of a small car for a stone under 1 ct. Thanks for saving me the call.

Ha Ha. You''re welcome.

 

[T L]

Apatite is a soft stone. It would be hard to find someone skilled enough to set it, and if you did, you shouldn''t wear it often.

 

[VRBeauty]

Date: 8/7/2009 12:26:25 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Apatite is a soft stone. It would be hard to find someone skilled enough to set it, and if you did, you shouldn''t wear it often.

Soft but sooooo pretty. Reminds me of the mediterranean... If you''re looking for something fun to stare at and you''re not planning on wearing it in a ring, then by all means get yourself a nice apatite! Just be sure that you don''t pay paraiba prices for it!

Now that paraiba tourmaline is back on the scene as a highly collectable and expensive gemstone, I''ve noticed that some vendors will attach "paraiba" to any blue-green gemstone... even some not-so blue-green stones. Not that they''d knowingly try to mislead us or anything....

 

[klewis]

HotPozzum- If as you''ve said you probably don''t want to set it then the softeness of Apatite shouldn''t be much of a problem

Date: 8/6/2009 11:44:33 PM
Author: Cind11

''Want to know the price? Take a deep breath and call 800.773.0249. 7.6x5.3mm''
When I was on the phone with Richard, I did ask him about the price of that stone. It''s $16,000!

Hmmmm- I''ll take the 8.14 Purple Cuprian Tourmaline instead thanks

 

[GliderPoss]

Ok, been on the hunt again and found this one.

Cannot post the pic on this computer but it says it''s actually Paraiba Tourmaline not Apatite. What do you think? Too good too be true or just buy for fun?

 

[chrono]

The problem is that the latest one you posted doesn’t give the neon glow like a Paraiba tourmaline should. For $10, I doubt it is a copper bearing tourmaline with the neon glow, and more likely to be a regular blue green tourmaline with a very large window which the vendor is trying to hide using angled photography. As mentioned above by the many experienced posters above:
Paraiba with glow = $$$$$
Blue green tourmaline = $$
Apatite = $

 

[LD]

Date: 8/7/2009 7:50:17 AM
Author: Chrono
The problem is that the latest one you posted doesn’t give the neon glow like a Paraiba tourmaline should. For $10, I doubt it is a copper bearing tourmaline with the neon glow, and more likely to be a regular blue green tourmaline with a very large window which the vendor is trying to hide using angled photography. As mentioned above by the many experienced posters above:
Paraiba with glow = $$$$$
Blue green tourmaline = $$
Apatite = $

I think the $ amounts above need changing to this:

Paraiba with glow = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$4
Blue green tourmaline = $$$$
Apatite = $

Please don''t buy gemstones from Ebay unless you''re really not bothered if you get a different gemstone, treated in some way etc etc. In your first post you said you wanted untreated/unheated but Ebay really isn''t the place to find such things. Don''t get me wrong, you can make some great finds but they are few and far between.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 8/7/2009 1:51:18 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds

Date: 8/7/2009 7:50:17 AM
Author: Chrono
The problem is that the latest one you posted doesn’t give the neon glow like a Paraiba tourmaline should. For $10, I doubt it is a copper bearing tourmaline with the neon glow, and more likely to be a regular blue green tourmaline with a very large window which the vendor is trying to hide using angled photography. As mentioned above by the many experienced posters above:
Paraiba with glow = $$$$$
Blue green tourmaline = $$
Apatite = $

I think the $ amounts above need changing to this:

Paraiba with glow = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$4
Blue green tourmaline = $$$$
Apatite = $

Please don''t buy gemstones from Ebay unless you''re really not bothered if you get a different gemstone, treated in some way etc etc. In your first post you said you wanted untreated/unheated but Ebay really isn''t the place to find such things. Don''t get me wrong, you can make some great finds but they are few and far between.

You can find stuff on ebay if you know what you''re doing. And I daresay, many of the CS folks (including myself) don''t know enough about what we are doing to really get a good CS stone find on ebay.

As the others said, you won''t be finding a real paraiba tourmaline with a neon glow for a cheap price that you can have just for fun. But I do like the colors of the apatite!

 

[T L]

Hey, you guys forgot a few more for comparison. Adding other gems and pricepoints I think helps put this into perspective for the OP.

Fancy vivd blue, purplish red, or green diamond above a carat= $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ (100K/ct or more)
Brazilian Pariaba with top neon glow = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ (20K to 50K/ct)
Mozambique Paraiba with top neon glow for that locality=$$$$$$$$$$ (up to 10K/ct)
A one to two carat white diamond = $$$$$$$$ (3K to 10K/ct)
Double open axis Blue green tourmaline = $$$$ (500 to 1000 per carat)
Apatite=$$ (they're starting to get a bit up there in price for large and clean specimens in that turquoise color). ($200/ct)

I'm just taking these prices from my head and what I've heard for these types of gems

 

[chrono]

OK, you ladies got me for accuracy of the $ signs.

A true unheated/untreated top Brazilian Paraiba with top neon glow is easily $20,000/ct to $50,000/ct depending on the size and clarity. Somehow, I doubt we’ll be seeing any untreated neon cuprians on eBay. Well….at least for under $10K/ct.