Which paraiba?

[MAC-W]

Which of these stones would you choose?

1.5cts pear shape neon blue colour from brazil 9x6x4 mm

Or

1.2ct oval neon blue origin unknown 8x6x3 mm

Or

1tcw pair round neon blue from brazil 6x6mm each

Or

0.4ct trillion neon blue from brazil 6x5 mm


There is a huge price difference between the cheapest and the most expensive (more than $1000) but I could afford even the most expensive so price isn't necessarily an issue.

Regardless of price, which would you say is the best stone (with the limited info I have)

pictures to follow


Thanks in advance for your opinions


the 1.5 pear

 

[MAC-W]

the 1.2ct oval

 

[MAC-W]

the 1 tcw pair rounds

 

[chrono]

Do you mind adding the prices as well? The reason I’m asking is that sometimes a vendor prices the stone as ridiculously expensive just for the name or origin when the stone doesn’t have enough glow to justify the hefty price tag.

I can tell you right now that I’ll pick the rounds because of the good cutting and the glow. Since I do not know any of the vendors, I will make the purchase contingent on lab certification to be sure the stone isn’t apatite, coated, blue topaz, copper infused, etc.

 

[MAC-W]

the 0.4ct trillion

 

[MAC-W]

Date: 10/21/2009 8:22:37 AM
Author: Chrono
Do you mind adding the prices as well? The reason I’m asking is that sometimes a vendor prices the stone as ridiculously expensive just for the name or origin when the stone doesn’t have enough glow to justify the hefty price tag.

not at all but bear in mind a couple of these stones are ebay so the price isnt final

The 1.5 pear $220

The 1.2 oval $360

the 1tcw rounds $1850

the 0.4 trillion $500



what would you be willing to pay for these stones? Do you think any are over priced? under priced?

 

[MAC-W]

colourwise and cutwise I like the pair of rounds but valuewise I'm liking the 1.5ct pear - or is that too obvious? am I missing something?

 

[chrono]

I question the authenticity of all these stones as true Paraibas, especially given the price, even with the quality taken into consideration. There are many stones on eBay that are passed off as Paraiba to unsuspecting consumers that range from glass, apatite, indicolite, blue topaz and the like. The definition of a Paraiba is not only that they be copper bearing tourmalines but must have a medium to strong glow as though they have an internal light source. I can understand your liking the pear, given the size and price, but it has a good sized window where the stone will appear “dead” and it has little to no glow, which to me, does NOT make it a Paraiba.

 

[MAC-W]

the pear and the oval are both ebay, and yes I did wonder if the colour indicated that they werent really paraiba.

and the table size also worried me, but the price is so good I wondered if I was just being ultra sceptical.

I know they say if the price is too good to be true is usually is, but I have had some great bargains from ebay in the past, so.....

 

[T L]

Did you ever have your finds checked out from this dealer by a reputable gemologist? The last picture of the two rounds is definitely enhanced.

 

[MAC-W]

Date: 10/21/2009 8:38:29 AM
Author: Chrono

I question the authenticity of all these stones as true Paraibas, especially given the price, even with the quality taken into consideration. There are many stones on eBay that are passed off as Paraiba to unsuspecting consumers that range from glass, apatite, indicolite, blue topaz and the like. The definition of a Paraiba is not only that they be copper bearing tourmalines but must have a medium to strong glow as though they have an internal light source. I can understand your liking the pear, given the size and price, but it has a good sized window where the stone will appear “dead” and it has little to no glow, which to me, does NOT make it a Paraiba.

Chrono,
when you say "I question the authenticity of all these stones as true paraiba", do you mean you think even the rounds might not be paraiba. They are not an ebay stone and I thought at least they would be reliably true.

the only reason I''m hestitating on them is that I actually only need one stone so it feels an expensive price to pay to leave one languishing unset.

 

[MAC-W]

Date: 10/21/2009 9:00:20 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Did you ever have your finds checked out from this dealer by a reputable gemologist?

Hi Tourmaline_lover,

i''ve never bought from either of these ebay vendors before, so No I''ve never had reason to check.

I think I''ll send a message asking for more info though

MAC-W

 

[T L]

Use toolhaus.org to check their old feedback ratings as well. However, with paraiba, you usually get what you pay for these days. It''s very difficult to find a bargain, and if you do, it''s typically not a very vivid gem, but many dealers call them paraiba because they contain copper.

 

[MAC-W]

Date: 10/21/2009 9:00:24 AM
Author: MAC-W

Date: 10/21/2009 8:38:29 AM
Author: Chrono

I question the authenticity of all these stones as true Paraibas, especially given the price, even with the quality taken into consideration. There are many stones on eBay that are passed off as Paraiba to unsuspecting consumers that range from glass, apatite, indicolite, blue topaz and the like. The definition of a Paraiba is not only that they be copper bearing tourmalines but must have a medium to strong glow as though they have an internal light source. I can understand your liking the pear, given the size and price, but it has a good sized window where the stone will appear “dead” and it has little to no glow, which to me, does NOT make it a Paraiba.

Chrono,
when you say 'I question the authenticity of all these stones as true paraiba', do you mean you think even the rounds might not be paraiba. They are not an ebay stone and I thought at least they would be reliably true.

the only reason I'm hestitating on them is that I actually only need one stone so it feels an expensive price to pay to leave one languishing unset.

ETA: Just found the rounds on ebay and for almost $200 less

(at least I think they are the same - the picture is identical).

back to the drawing board [:sigh]

 

[chrono]

That is correct. You may have had dealings with this vendor before but for certain stones that are in high demand and expensive, trust but verify. There are reputable vendors who also list their stones on eBay and there are also dishonest vendors who have no dealings with eBay whatsoever.

 

[morecarats]

I won''t bore you with sanctimonious maxims like "You get what you pay for" and "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is".

Rather I''ll point out a couple of facts about the gem trade.

Nearly every seller of a gemstone was at one time a buyer of that gemstone. You rarely deal with the miner who dug the stone out of the ground. Usually you''re dealing with someone at the end of a fairly long chain of buyers and sellers, each of whom tried to make a profit on that stone. If the offered price is low, it reflects the opinion of all those buyers and sellers.

The gem trade is supply-limited, not demand-limited. The number of quality stones is small, and the demand for them is large. Good stones are easy to sell at a good price, but as a dealer you typically have to buy a lot of average stones and some really bad ones to get a few good ones. Seling the bad ones can be hard. A lot of them end up on eBay.

As one of my more cynical friends in the trade is fond of saying, the only really common gems are quartz, red garnet and diamond.