Afghan Tourmaline Dreams - Jerry Does It Again x2!

[endless_summer]

Hey Guys!

You wouldn't believe the luck that I've just stumbled upon - Jerry (Gemart Services) picked out some beautiful Afghan tourmaline rough at Tucson and has been working his way through the parcel. The stones were so gorgeous that I didn't just go for one…I picked two!!! I love, love, love the color! In my humble opinion, it's fantastic - shifting from a pretty pastel minty-seafoam color to a deeper bluish green/to greenish blue and all colors in between. Being Jerry, the cutting is flipping fantastic - the faceting blends the blues and greens together so well that it astounds me - one facet blue, the next green, and so on, and both of the stones are so bright - they just absolutely light up.

Of Jerry's choices - a brilliant rectangle, two brilliant squares, and an opposed bar - I picked: (1) a 4.11 carat, 8.4 x 8.4 brilliant, cut-cornered square with a glorious high crown and a couple extra facets on the pavilion that just seem to make the stone's color dance, and (2) a 2.06 carat, 11 x 4.9 opposed bar - I had never seen this cut in real life before, and really and truly, the colors move up and down the stone such that I feel like I'm looking into a water fall. Their colors match perfectly, and they are quite the lively stones, so all in all, I couldn't be more pleased.

On with the pics - Jerry's first!

 

[endless_summer]

It wouldn't be right to have seafoam tourmalines without sea shell pics!

 

[endless_summer]

Yep, there are more...

 

[endless_summer]

Handshots for the square, as I think it will be a ring one day

 

[endless_summer]

And, last up - couple more sun shots (I couldn't help myself)

 

[ephsea]

Those are dreamy! Just about to see if Jerry can cut me a similar radiant in sapphire, good to see yours looking so lovely. It will make a smashing ring, any setting plans for the opposed bar?

 

[psproot12]

endless_summer,

they're beautiful! Love the color, some of them are close to paraiba.

 

[OreoRosies86]

So spectacular! What are your plans for setting them?

 

[movie zombie]

nice!

 

[endless_summer]

Those are dreamy! Just about to see if Jerry can cut me a similar radiant in sapphire, good to see yours looking so lovely. It will make a smashing ring, any setting plans for the opposed bar?

Thank you, Ephsea! Your sapphire will turn out beautifully - Jerry's cutting really is spectacular! And, most definitely, I have plans for the opposed bar - I think it would make a really nice non-matchy-matchy, yet matching pendant, and bonus - with that cut, I don't have to worry about a tilt window!

 

[endless_summer]

endless_summer,

they're beautiful! Love the color, some of them are close to paraiba.

Psproot - thank you so much! I am really quite taken by the color, and I'm really happy that it seems to love all of the cool-tones colors that I find myself liking best. Goodness know I likely will never have a paraiba, but if these were the only tourmalines I ever owned, I'd still be happy

 

[endless_summer]

Thanks Movie Zombie! Now, the spess in your avatar - that's nice!

 

[endless_summer]

So spectacular! What are your plans for setting them?

Thanks Elliot86 - I want both pieces to be very clean lines, simple, let the stone shine type pieces.

I'm think that the square needs, if fact, really wants to be a ring - maybe a platinum solitaire with an open crown and a shank that's integrated into the crown (as opposed to the stone being a bobble on top of a ring)? That said, I really have no idea what would be best for the stone - so, I'm totally open to non-halo suggestions.

And, the opposed bar likely will be a very simple pendant - likely a light basket setting with small single prongs and one loop on top.

 

[velouriaL]

Ughhh gorgeous!

 

[FrekeChild]

Very pretty!

 

[gemandjewelrylover]

Wow, those are stunning! I especially like the square. Congrats!

 

[chrono]

Jerry does it again; he can take anything and make it beautiful with his fanciful cutting.

 

[endless_summer]

Ughhh gorgeous!

Very pretty!

Thank you, VelouriaL & FrekeChild!!!

 

[endless_summer]

Wow, those are stunning! I especially like the square. Congrats!

I appreciate your comments Gemandjewelrylover! I really like the square too - I actually had a very hard time picking between it and the rectangle (8 x 9mm) in the first of Jerry's pictures. Usually, I go for rectangles hands-down, especially since that particular rectangle is one of my absolute favorite cuts, but the high crown and the extra faceting of the square kind of did me in. I highly doubt I'll ever be in a position to choose among finished stones from the same parcel again, but I feel lucky to have gotten to!

Now, I just have to figure out how to best set it!

 

[endless_summer]

Jerry does it again; he can take anything and make it beautiful with his fanciful cutting.

Thank you, Chrono! He really can - his cutting never ceases to amaze me, and I love your word choice - fanciful is so fitting, especially for the square!

 

[JewelFreak]

Fantastic! Jerry is a magician. They are both gorgeous -- you chose well. The square will make a spectacular ring & I like your idea of keeping it simple so the beautiful cut can make it special. I've never seen an opposed bar in person, but I get your description of a waterfall & think a pendant is perfect for it, where every time you move, it will sparkle. Can't wait to see pics of them set!!!

--- Laurie

 

[endless_summer]

Fantastic! Jerry is a magician. They are both gorgeous -- you chose well. The square will make a spectacular ring & I like your idea of keeping it simple so the beautiful cut can make it special. I've never seen an opposed bar in person, but I get your description of a waterfall & think a pendant is perfect for it, where every time you move, it will sparkle. Can't wait to see pics of them set!!!

--- Laurie

Thank you, Laurie - I especially appreciate your thinking that I made good choices among the stones - the opposed bar was a done deal from the start since it was so different from the rest - I had seen a couple glamour shots of other opposed bars floating around here and didn't think much of them, but in person, it's really a very cool cut. And, Jerry sure did a good job making the choice among the other three very difficult ones! Though I have to say, I couldn't have gone wrong with any single one of them - I will very much look forward to getting to wear these little guys

 

[VirginiaZee]

Those are gorgeous (both color and cut)!

 

[minousbijoux]

They are both lovely and beautifully cut. But even more remarkable to me is how they have such split personalities color-wise, and how well you are able to capture them. Just when I would label them blue, they turn seafoam and vice versa.

 

[swissmiss]

Gorgeous!!! I love how the color shifts in different lights.

 

[Elyxia]

They're gorgeous! Can imagine how beautiful they must be in person if the sparkle comes out this much on camera!

 

[endless_summer]

Those are gorgeous (both color and cut)!

They're gorgeous! Can imagine how beautiful they must be in person if the sparkle comes out this much on camera!

VirginiaZee & Elyxia - thank you sooooooo very much! The pics are great, but they don't do the stone's justice - I stopped trying to get a shot of them in direct sunlight because my camera just couldn't handle it Really and truly - I am always taken quite a back by Jerry's stones when I receive them and see them in person.

 

[endless_summer]

They are both lovely and beautifully cut. But even more remarkable to me is how they have such split personalities color-wise, and how well you are able to capture them. Just when I would label them blue, they turn seafoam and vice versa.

Gorgeous!!! I love how the color shifts in different lights.

Minous & Swissmiss - I really, really appreciate your comments. I feel like most folks like stones that don't shift in color, but I really like the colors that these guys shift between. I did get very lucky with the camera phone's ability to capture color - for some reason they are always so accurate. That said, I wish I could have caught the color's that Jerry's pic did for you guys, but I definitely see that color green and love it too

 

[Starzin]

Two stunning gems! I look forward to seeing them set, congratulations

 

[endless_summer]

Two stunning gems! I look forward to seeing them set, congratulations

Thank you, Starzin! I'll be so excited to set them!