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A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a ring.

Tourmaline

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After the impulse red spinel purchase and my Navajo turquoise cuff bracelets, I seriously thought I was done for the year (and my husband sure said I was), but then...this happened.

It is windowed and included (a couple of needles and a bunch of feathers), but it is ENORMOUS (13.32 carats, 17.42 x 13.76 x 8.34mm - yes, shallow) and I love the color, which is bluish green, most of the time. It looks different in different kinds of lighting. Sometimes it glows, it varies along the green to blue spectrum, and sometimes it looks like a dull mint (I don’t love it when it looks like that). It is not certified by a gem lab, but came with a detailed American gemologist’s report and appraisal (GIA certified gemologist, though we all know that’s not the same as a GIA lab report). I paid much, much less than the value stated on the appraisal. It says it’s natural Cuprian tourmaline from Mozambique, which contains copper and manganese, and “may be called Paraiba in the trade" (though I would not call it Paraiba). The color is listed as “very slightly bluish green - GIA vslbG 3/3” with light tone and moderately strong saturation. I know…with the window and the lack of formal report, one should be cautious…and I was. If I were looking to pay a lot more, I would have looked for a less windowed cut, and perhaps a darker tone with more glow, but the price was right, and I am enjoying it anyway! Because of the inclusions and the fact that the appearance varies so much in different lighting sources, I am on the fence about whether to go with a classic platinum setting or something artful like a Navajo silver ring to go with my green Royston turquoise cuff bracelet. Help me plan a ring!

cuprian1-cat.jpg

cuprian1-hand.jpg

cuprian1-couch.jpg

In the following picture, it looks dull (my least favorite way it can look):

cuprian1-dull.jpg

It looked more blue this morning in a coffee shop/restaurant:

cuprian1-restaurant.jpg

Not too fond of this tone, either, in the kitchen:

cuprian1-kitchen.jpg

Looking very green here:

cuprian1-sideways-indoors.jpg

With another, smaller, less included bluer one:

cuprian1-hand-evening-withlittle1.jpg

This was in my car, with the sun hitting touching the stone. I love the glow:

cuprian1-car.jpg

Yum:

cuprian1-overcast.jpg

On a crystal:

cuprian1-on-quartz.jpg
 

minousbijoux

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

My my, it sure looks nice and BIG in your photos! Bright and glowy in most of them too. No ideas other than you're going to have a honker there!
 

GLbluegreen

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Tourmaline- I really like your " but then...this happened " stone. :naughty: And it really looks great on your kitty ! All kidding aside it is really lovely. I can't believe how it morphs the smaller one in your picure. What is the size of the smaller one in comparison ?
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Thanks, minousbijoux & GLbluegreen. :)

GLbg, the smaller one is about 7x5mm.
 

GLbluegreen

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Thanks Tourmaline. Helps give me some perspective on the hand. Adam is scouting a 6x5 for me. Of course your large one would be great, but....................well, you know :roll:
 

lilmosun

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

That's quite an attention getter :naughty: and even better that you got it at a great price!

I'd be afraid to wear it in a ring and would probably make a pendant (and halo the smaller stone for a ring). But I understand rather having it on your hand to look at! Just make sure the setting doesn't leave the stone too exposed and/or save it for special occasions.
 

arkieb1

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Pretty stone, most of the bigger (and even the smaller pieces) that don't cost a bazillion dollars are included...... and you have a really cute cat too!!!
 

Acinom

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Oooh! Your stone is super pretty and big an glowy in most pics. I would definitely turn it into a stunning ring. Large stones look great on your hand. You need to be careful when wearing it though.
Great find!
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

GLbluegreen: I bet yours will be beautiful!

limosun: Thanks! I would love to bezel it, but I'd have to go the custom route because of the shape and size.

arkieb1:Thanks! I sure love my cat! Yours is adorable, too!

Acinom: Thanks! I do love big rings. My mom once said to me, "When I was young, we used to call that 'gaudy'." I still chuckle about that. I realize, too, that the inclusions make this stone less durable.
 

Arcadian

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

and this is where windows don't matter.. Good lord woman :shock: :shock: :shock: :love: :love: :love: :love: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl:

You're going the ring route? hmmmm... ok, so who are you going to use?
 

Lovinggems

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Wow I didn't realise the size of your gem it'll make a stunning cocktail ring :appl: .
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Thank you, Lovinggems! :)

Thanks, Arcadian! This ring by Victor Canera came into my head:

canera-heart-ring.jpg

I tried to submit a request for a quote on his site, but the site wouldn't let me. It actually occurred to me that I have gotten two previous quotes from him but have gone different ways with those projects, and then the third time I tried to get a quote, I didn't receive a response, so I wonder if I've been blocked from requesting quotes from him.

I approached Erika Winters and told her that, of course, I don't want a copy of the Canera ring, but I showed it as a reference, and I showed her elements of different rings of hers that have similar features (thin milgrained bezel, vintage looking sides), and she gave me a quote for a custom ring that I'm sure would be beautiful. So that's a possibility. It's quite costly, though, and I am trying to decide if I want to spend that much on this stone (if I love it enough), or do something more budget friendly with it.
 

chrono

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I would put it in a very VERY protective setting because:
1. Size
2. Tourmaline can be chippy (facet junction and girdle)
3. Inclusions
4. Makes the windowing less obvious.

I think it would like pink diamonds in rose gold, but as everyone know, I'm very biased towards this combination. :lol:
 

Lady_Disdain

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

With 14mm width, you are not going to have a lot of room for side stones. What a delightful problem.

Your cat is a sweetie. I would never even try to photograph a stone on Nico!
 

theredspinel

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

How did I nearly miss this!!!

WOW. JUST WOW.
 

Lisa Loves Shiny

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I love that minty green color. A vote an almost solitaire. Just one small diamond on each side of your lovely Cuprian.
 

Arcadian

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I love where you're going with the idea. I think that a well protected setting is key. Also, I will agree with Chrono that rose gold and that color stone is pretty darn delicious. :lickout: If you can't bear to go that, maybe yellow as I think white metal may not do the stone's color justice. (possibly making just the bezel portion rose or yellow and the rest white maybe?)

I would also consider a decorative basket too. Side stones would be so out of the question I think, but maybe something fun in the basket?? :bigsmile:
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I love rose gold (my current wedding set is rose gold), but I think it would make the stone look more green and less blue. On the other hand, platinum might make it more gray, which I don't want. I'm still on the fence about a whole lot of aspects of what to do with it.
 

Arcadian

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I'm thinking however you decide, you will probably have to go high kt...like 18 or so. I have some 18 that is very noticeably more coppery than 14, which can bring out the blue hue of the stone. It won't totally cancel the green but you can test that out with a few brand new pennies under the stone. I don't remember who it was but someone had a RG ring made with 20K RG, I will have to see if I can locate that.

Yellow gold will bring out both, I don't see it bringing out one than the other in lower kt. I think that the higher kt gold, say 22 will make the stone color intensify, and should help bring out more blue, but I also think that it will intensify the stone overall....

I believe this is 22k. Frankly I love not only the color but the pieces overall..... :lickout:

White I think will not do much for that stone. I think everyone would agree with that.

_38422.jpg
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

My diamond solitaire is 18k rose gold, and I'm currently wearing it with a 14k rise gold simple band. The 14k one is more pink, and the 18k one is more yellow (because it has more gold, and less copper than the 14k one). While I would want to accentuate the aqua rather than the green, it's possible that rose gold would add vibrancy or something that would be nice. I'll think about it.
 

minousbijoux

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I'm with Arcadian - either 18k rose gold, or high karat yellow will make the stone look great.
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Here's the stone in a 14k rose gold band.

image_1135.jpg
 

arkieb1

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Rose will make it look more green, white metals more blue, can you put it next to yellow so we can see what it does?
 

chrono

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

arkieb1|1476139144|4085442 said:
Rose will make it look more green, white metals more blue, can you put it next to yellow so we can see what it does?
I'd like to request 18K rose gold, 18K yellow gold, 22K yellow gold and just for fun, a white metal too. I'm not asking for too much, right? :lol:
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Ok, these pictures were fast and are not beautiful, but here they are...

I took them indoors, both with overhead lighting and blocked (indoor shade, or something).

18k rose gold:

image_1136.jpg

image_1137.jpg

18k yellow gold:

image_1138.jpg

image_1139.jpg

24k yellow gold:

image_1140.jpg

image_1141.jpg

Platinum:

image_1142.jpg

image_1143.jpg

I realize that all the pictures are dark, and I should probably redo them.
 

arkieb1

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I think the yellow gold the higher the carat makes the green "pop" more the white metals makes the stone look cooler and marginally more blue. Which one IRL do you like the most?
 

chrono

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Hmmm, not seeing the blue being brought out in any of these.
 

arkieb1

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

I am basing those comments in part on what I think this stone will do the light in the photos isn't that great....
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

arkieb1|1476197845|4085595 said:
I think the yellow gold the higher the carat makes the green "pop" more the white metals makes the stone look cooler and marginally more blue. Which one IRL do you like the most?

Ack! I just don't know.
 

Tourmaline

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Re: A cuprian tourmaline came into my life! Help me plan a r

Here are some more photos. 18k rose gold, 18k yellow gold, and platinum.

image_1144.jpg

image_1145.jpg

image_1146.jpg
 
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