Something Different: Black Tourmaline

[iLander]

I thought I''d show everybody this interesting bit of vintage jewelry that I have: a pair of 18K gold earrings with BLACK tourmalines. Black tourm is not something I''ve ever seen anywhere else (except some odd bits of it on ebay). These are from my great aunt who was European and I don''t know if she had them made up or if they were standard jewelry store fare back in the 1940''s. She wore them as mourning jewelry when her mother passed away.

In this instance, (which is my only reference point, so if I err, please correct me) black tourmaline is opaque. It has a silvery reflective quality, similar to hemitite (sp?) or magnetite. You can''t see through the stones at all, but they do shimmer when the light strikes them. The beauty of these earrings is all in the proportions and styling, which is an interesting study in jewelry design.

So, that''s it, just a bit of edutainment . . .

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

The earrings look very nice. I have been wondering about black stones lately. Are there any that aren''t opaque? On another threAD in Rocky talky, it was mentioned the Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, received a 5 ct black diamond engagement ring from "Big" in the new movie. Maybe black diamonds will gain in popularity?

Why can''t an opaque stone be pretty? Black and white is very pretty as an accessory to many fashions items.


Thanks,
Annette

 

[dzop]

If you think quartz is too common to be a gemstone, then schorl (black tourmaline) isn''t for you. It''s ubiquitious, way way WAY more common than amethyst. No joke, I can walk to a park in Manhattan and bang on a rock with a a hammer and turn up schorl.

And my understanding is that "black diamond" is only slightly less common, once you factor in the intensity of diamond mining.

In short, the fact that something is aesthetically appealing doesn''t make it a "gem". Some polished coprolites are actually quite attractive (and much rarer than schorl), but I wouldn''t put one on my girlfriend''s finger.

Date: 6/19/2010 9:34:55 AM
Author:iLander



I thought I''d show everybody this interesting bit of vintage jewelry that I have: a pair of 18K gold earrings with BLACK tourmalines. Black tourm is not something I''ve ever seen anywhere else (except some odd bits of it on ebay). These are from my great aunt who was European and I don''t know if she had them made up or if they were standard jewelry store fare back in the 1940''s. She wore them as mourning jewelry when her mother passed away.


In this instance, (which is my only reference point, so if I err, please correct me) black tourmaline is opaque. It has a silvery reflective quality, similar to hemitite (sp?) or magnetite. You can''t see through the stones at all, but they do shimmer when the light strikes them. The beauty of these earrings is all in the proportions and styling, which is an interesting study in jewelry design.


So, that''s it, just a bit of edutainment . . .

 

[RockHugger]

Rarity or not they are very unique and pretty! Would look nice with a ''little black dress''

 

[iLander]

Thank you, smitcopton and Rockhugger! You're very kind.

Dzop, I'm not saying they're fantastic gems, I just wanted to show the PSer's something unique that they may never have seen before.

I'm glad you think they're aesthetically appealing anyway, but what exactly is a "gem"?

Does something have to look good to be a gem? Then what about the vast majority of Hackmanite? What about Milarite? Should a gem be transparent? What about Prehnite? Or Brucite? Is a gem required to be rare? Shortite is rare, but I wouldn't put that on your girlfriend's finger. If it should be rare, are diamonds considered gems? Should a gemstone be durable? Then why are Tanzanites considered gems? Should gems be stable? Then what about opals? There's even a gemstone that is water soluble, so apparently a gem doesn't even need to be waterproof. "Gemstone" is a very broad net . . .

But I'm with you, if I wanted to find a good gem in the city, I think I'd rather look for Hexagonite, just to see if any of it wandered south, LOL.

Smitcompton, I've seen black diamonds, and they're pretty close to the look of these earrings, pretty opaque. A quick google and you'll see tons of them. If you want a black stone that's pretty inexpensive, black onyx is a very dark black stone, I've seen it in some nice jewelry.

 

[kelpie]

I think those earrings are quite attractive! I asked my fiance to pick me up gems in Pakistan and one of the stones he brought me back was a rough black tourmaline. I''m afraid he paid way to much for it just because he is American, but it''s a sweet souvenir.

 

[partgypsy]

I think those earrings are very pretty and unique, but as another poster pointed out, black tourmaline is not rare. It is the most common form of tourmaline but not typically mined and polished for gems/jewelry because not typically thought of as a gem form of tourmaline.

 

[radiantquest]

I recently purchased a trillion shape black tourmaline to make into a pendant. I havent done so yet, but I think it would look very pretty. I dont care how rare it is or whether it is expensive I think it looks nice and for some reason I think it has a very clean look. It contrasts so nicely against the skin. I am also a fan of onyx, but couldnt find the trillion shape in the right size.

 

[marcy]

Very classy looking. They have a night on the town written all over them.

 

[Arkteia]

I don''t care if they are rare or not, they are beautiful and unique.

BTW, I once saw a necklace made of polished pebbles in a book on gem design, and it looked stunning! It is not only about rarity, but style and proportions, too.

Do not know about black diamonds per se, but I once saw very high-quality small white diamonds mounted on large black diamonds, and it looked absolutely stunning.

 

[pocadot]

I really like these! Very simple and understated, yet so unique. They do remind me of hematite! Thanks for sharing

 

[oddoneout]

Classy looking. I agree that they''d look great with a little black dress.

 

[morecarats]

About 80% of the tourmaline in nature is black, so this is a very common gem.

Black spinel is really a better choice from the point of view of hardness and luster. There is quite a bit of black spinel mined in Thailand, so you can sometimes find it at very attractive prices, and in larger sizes as well.