Cat's-eye tourmaline -- missed opportunity?

[LilAlex]

Was in Japan poking around a fairly mid-to-high-end reseller and stumbled across this lovely ring. It featured a 17.45-ct dark green tourmaline cabochon gumdrop with a very sharp and prominent cat's eye, in platinum and flanked by a pair of 0.3-ct diamond baguettes. The ring looked well made with long, elegant prongs. The tourmaline was mostly an olive-green but the eye was a bright greenish-white and super-obvious under the store halogens. When held by the window (away from a point light-source), it was a pretty unexciting non-gemmy green -- somewhere between olive and "Heineken bottle" -- which I imagine is how it would look most of the time. But someone cared enough to mount it in a fine ring.

They do not do much in the way of reports there but I infer this was untreated. It had some abrasions on the top but only visible under loupe (and disclosed on the label, I see now when I use Google Translate). The price was ~ $1800 USD which seems like the tourmaline itself is practically free. I was tempted but walked away. There is no price negotiating, in general.

What do others think? I see some spendy cat's eye tourmaline when I look around online.

Apologies for the crummy phone photos -- this was just to jog my memory in case I wanted to go back. Neither capture the best appearance of the eye, and it is more translucent-looking than these suggest.

 

[Autumn in New England]

It sure does have an impressive cat's eye, that's for sure! And I love the polish. The color looks like a deep and mysterious forest green in the first photo, which is cool. For me, it would be all about how it looks under daylight though, and you said you weren't really wowed. So even though it's a good deal, it may not be an expenditure you "need." On the other hand, you're still thinking about it, which tells me it may have crept into your heart. In other words, as usual, I'll be of exactly no help here.

 

[Autumn in New England]

P.S. Where IS everyone? So slow lately...

 

[colorluvr]

6ct ~ 11 x 9

Bought it quite awhile ago, but it just sits in a gem box... sigh.

 

[Crimson]

Was in Japan poking around a fairly mid-to-high-end reseller and stumbled across this lovely ring. It featured a 17.45-ct dark green tourmaline cabochon gumdrop with a very sharp and prominent cat's eye, in platinum and flanked by a pair of 0.3-ct diamond baguettes. The ring looked well made with long, elegant prongs. The tourmaline was mostly an olive-green but the eye was a bright greenish-white and super-obvious under the store halogens. When held by the window (away from a point light-source), it was a pretty unexciting non-gemmy green -- somewhere between olive and "Heineken bottle" -- which I imagine is how it would look most of the time. But someone cared enough to mount it in a fine ring.

They do not do much in the way of reports there but I infer this was untreated. It had some abrasions on the top but only visible under loupe (and disclosed on the label, I see now when I use Google Translate). The price was ~ $1800 USD which seems like the tourmaline itself is practically free. I was tempted but walked away. There is no price negotiating, in general.

What do others think? I see some spendy cat's eye tourmaline when I look around online.

Apologies for the crummy phone photos -- this was just to jog my memory in case I wanted to go back. Neither capture the best appearance of the eye, and it is more translucent-looking than these suggest.

Hope you are enjoying Japan, @LilAlex .
The tourmaline is nice and large! I like the colour too and I am glad it is also more translucent than it looks in the photos.
I have no idea about the price of cat’s eye tourmalines but the price seems reasonable.
If it has “crept into your heart” as @Autumn in New England observed, would it be possible to go back for it or have you already headed to another location?
On the other hand, Japan has lots of jewellery shops so maybe there will be others that appeal to you? I read that some of their pre-loved jewellery has entered the gem exhibitions and even B&M stores in Bangkok. It is an aging society trying to turn their gems or inheritance into cash.
I wish you “oishii” meals and lovely autumn views.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

P.S. Where IS everyone? So slow lately...

Well I’ve been going down a labubu rabbit hole! Cheaper than gems but just as hard to obtain

Actually it’s probably easier to get an unheated, cornflower blue sapphire than the new labubu juggling clown at fair market prices!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Well I’ve been going down a labubu rabbit hole! Cheaper than gems but just as hard to obtain

Actually it’s probably easier to get an unheated, cornflower blue sapphire than the new labubu juggling clown at fair market prices!

Thank the dear lawd for cheap hobbies that can distract from expensive ones... I craft/sculpt with polymer clay, which costs pennies.

But those collector dolls can really climb in value! Now I'm rooting for you to find clown labubu.

 

[Pomelo]

Was in Japan poking around a fairly mid-to-high-end reseller and stumbled across this lovely ring. It featured a 17.45-ct dark green tourmaline cabochon gumdrop with a very sharp and prominent cat's eye, in platinum and flanked by a pair of 0.3-ct diamond baguettes. The ring looked well made with long, elegant prongs. The tourmaline was mostly an olive-green but the eye was a bright greenish-white and super-obvious under the store halogens. When held by the window (away from a point light-source), it was a pretty unexciting non-gemmy green -- somewhere between olive and "Heineken bottle" -- which I imagine is how it would look most of the time. But someone cared enough to mount it in a fine ring.

They do not do much in the way of reports there but I infer this was untreated. It had some abrasions on the top but only visible under loupe (and disclosed on the label, I see now when I use Google Translate). The price was ~ $1800 USD which seems like the tourmaline itself is practically free. I was tempted but walked away. There is no price negotiating, in general.

What do others think? I see some spendy cat's eye tourmaline when I look around online.

Apologies for the crummy phone photos -- this was just to jog my memory in case I wanted to go back. Neither capture the best appearance of the eye, and it is more translucent-looking than these suggest.

Do you find yourself thinking about this ring and kicking yourself over the missed opportunity?

I ask because if it’s the seller that I think it is and you have more stops on your Japan trip, you can request they transfer the item to a store on the next leg of your journey.

(I am no help when it comes to the quality of the cat’s eye tourmaline though! But I do know about missed jewellery opportunities in Japan that I regret and think about on a daily basis… sigh)

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Thank the dear lawd for cheap hobbies that can distract from expensive ones... I craft/sculpt with polymer clay, which costs pennies.

But those collector dolls can really climb in value! Now I'm rooting for you to find clown labubu.

Haha no they are worthless but I am very fond of them. Even worse investment than gems but I play with them and take them out so they earn their keep!

Oh I miss Japan! What I would give to browse around Komeyho.

Nervously waiting for an anatomy test to start right now!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

(I am no help when it comes to the quality of the cat’s eye tourmaline though! But I do know about missed jewellery opportunities in Japan that I regret and think about on a daily basis… sigh)

There was a bigger lavender jadeite cab. Don’t know what I was thinking letting it go and only buying one. It was extremely affordable too and it’s not like I needed the money. So many regrets! But I find that I buy do much there I have to let stuff go (the whole I’ve bought enough mentality) and then really regret it afterwards.

And an akoya strand……

 

[LilAlex]

On the other hand, you're still thinking about it, which tells me it may have crept into your heart. In other words, as usual, I'll be of exactly no help here.

Hahahaha! Wrote a long reply but then it went away (?!). Not thinking about it too much, but I was impressed by how much some of these seemed to go for "back home"! Like most things, I can do without it.

I ask because if it’s the seller that I think it is and you have more stops on your Japan trip, you can request they transfer the item to a store on the next leg of your journey.

Yes, that's the one! They were no help in Ginza when I asked about doing this for a watch, but they were super-helpful in one of the Osaka stores. Ended up just going to Grand Seiko Flagship in Ginza where everything was in stock and the tax-free prices were ~ 20% below US retail.

Hope you are enjoying Japan, @LilAlex ...it is an aging society trying to turn their gems or inheritance into cash. I wish you “oishii” meals and lovely autumn views.

Thank you, @Crimson! Yes, a wonderful trip and amazing meals! Apart from some pre-planned reservations, it was so easy to get really outstanding food for a reasonable price. Such pride in the freshness of the ingredients and the meticulous prep, even in the smaller towns and the massive thousand-stall big-city central markets. $6 bowl of ramen with incredible peppered duck breast. Phenomenal nigiri for ~ half of the US price (and for superb freshness and quality). But, alas, much bigger crowds than their were 40 years ago so that, upon returning, I didn't experience the shock of "Western reimmersion" like I did the last time.

Interesting point about the aging populace and the pre-loved jewelry pipeline. We saw an astonishing number of folks in their 80s and 90s still working public-facing jobs.

 

[Pomelo]

Hahahaha! Wrote a long reply but then it went away (?!). Not thinking about it too much, but I was impressed by how much some of these seemed to go for "back home"! Like most things, I can do without it.



Yes, that's the one! They were no help in Ginza when I asked about doing this for a watch, but they were super-helpful in one of the Osaka stores. Ended up just going to Grand Seiko Flagship in Ginza where everything was in stock and the tax-free prices were ~ 20% below US retail.



Thank you, @Crimson! Yes, a wonderful trip and amazing meals! Apart from some pre-planned reservations, it was so easy to get really outstanding food for a reasonable price. Such pride in the freshness of the ingredients and the meticulous prep, even in the smaller towns and the massive thousand-stall big-city central markets. $6 bowl of ramen with incredible peppered duck breast. Phenomenal nigiri for ~ half of the US price (and for superb freshness and quality). But, alas, much bigger crowds than their were 40 years ago so that, upon returning, I didn't experience the shock of "Western reimmersion" like I did the last time.

Interesting point about the aging populace and the pre-loved jewelry pipeline. We saw an astonishing number of folks in their 80s and 90s still working public-facing jobs.

Please show us your Grand Seiko!!! I wanted to buy a green Spring Drive GS on my recent trip but at 44mm it looked a bit silly on my wrist, and I ended up buying my green jadeite cab instead.




And @Crimson - have you watched any of the livestream channels on RedNote selling vintage jewellery and watches from Japan?

I also used to be in a WeChat group by a Chinese vintage jewellery personal shopper who would take photos of new stock daily and take a commission on anything they bought! (But exited as the quality of the pieces were not “PS-standard”)

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hahahaha! Wrote a long reply but then it went away (?!). Not thinking about it too much, but I was impressed by how much some of these seemed to go for "back home"! Like most things, I can do without it.

Sounds like you have your answer! A good deal is not enough to make me buy these days...

 

[Enhoerning]

What do others think? I see some spendy cat's eye tourmaline when I look around online.

Interesting piece for sure, and I agree with your math. A second-hand-priced platinum/diamond mounting with a center stone that is basically free and a great conversation starter. You should have bought it

 

[LilAlex]

You should have bought it

If only I could wear it!

Please show us your Grand Seiko!!! I wanted to buy a green Spring Drive GS on my recent trip but at 44mm it looked a bit silly on my wrist, and I ended up buying my green jadeite cab instead.

Smaller than a Garmin!

That is such a great watch. I saw the purple-and-lavendar version and loved it! Not really "me," but it was so beautiful! A family member and watch purist had already convinced me -- when we strategized in advance around GS shopping in Japan -- that a diver was antithetical to the GS ethos, and I grudgingly agreed. I love dive watches and have worn one daily for a couple decades -- a tank-like inexpensive quartz from a big name (but not Rolex or the "big three") which I will never fully replace. And I have a $200 Seiko diver automatic in my very small collection (that is now 33% larger as of this week).

I went with the SLGA021 -- the Lake Suwa Before Dawn. It's a 40mm Spring Drive in steel (the titanium just felt like a toy) with 5-d power reserve and the power indicator visible through the sapphire case back. Loved the idea of the incredible accuracy in an automatic, and with a 5-d reserve I would not need to mess with winders, and could just wear it once or twice a week. And what a great "souvenir." I love the almost-iridescent blue-black wave pattern on the dial -- but it is just so subtle outside of the spotlight. In my dull office lighting and everyday surroundings, the dial is mostly a hidden "Easter Egg."



Waited to post because I really needed to work to see the dial color and texture in my cloudy office today. (Actually, it was the sky that was cloudy; visibility was excellent in my office.)



One kid said it's perfect for me because "it's the unheated cabochon sapphire of watches," meaning I could wear it with absolutely no fear of anyone recognizing that it's valuable .

Bought it at the GS "flagship" in Ginza, where we dashed in 20+ min before closing. Bit of a madhouse but we were treated so well. I had seen a used one at Komeyho in another city but it had some visible damage and I walked away, but I at least knew then what I'd be looking for.

The real fun came on the return to the US and my first-ever Customs declaration. (We travel a fair amount but I guess I have never bought a big-ticket item abroad.) In a major West Coast airport, and hot off a packed JAL flight on which half the seats must have been first- and business class, with seemingly everyone carrying Gucci shopping bags and the like, I was the only person making a declaration. I mean literally the only person in the entire international arrivals terminal. Shuffled through five different people over > 20 min while our luggage went round and round unattended -- all so I could pay my few hundred bucks. As our accountant used to say -- back when we had one -- "You know there's an honesty tax." But totally worth it to save a couple thousand dollars over US pricing. One of the Customs guys asked "What did you buy?" I said a watch. He asked, a little excitedly, "Grand Seiko?!" No one asked to see it -- just the receipt. I was a little relieved because it was wrapped up in a sock in my backpack, while the giant empty box was in the check-through luggage.

 

[Pomelo]

If only I could wear it!



Smaller than a Garmin!

That is such a great watch. I saw the purple-and-lavendar version and loved it! Not really "me," but it was so beautiful! A family member and watch purist had already convinced me -- when we strategized in advance around GS shopping in Japan -- that a diver was antithetical to the GS ethos, and I grudgingly agreed. I love dive watches and have worn one daily for a couple decades -- a tank-like inexpensive quartz from a big name (but not Rolex or the "big three") which I will never fully replace. And I have a $200 Seiko diver automatic in my very small collection (that is now 33% larger as of this week).

I went with the SLGA021 -- the Lake Suwa Before Dawn. It's a 40mm Spring Drive in steel (the titanium just felt like a toy) with 5-d power reserve and the power indicator visible through the sapphire case back. Loved the idea of the incredible accuracy in an automatic, and with a 5-d reserve I would not need to mess with winders, and could just wear it once or twice a week. And what a great "souvenir." I love the almost-iridescent blue-black wave pattern on the dial -- but it is just so subtle outside of the spotlight. In my dull office lighting and everyday surroundings, the dial is mostly a hidden "Easter Egg."



Waited to post because I really needed to work to see the dial color and texture in my cloudy office today. (Actually, it was the sky that was cloudy; visibility was excellent in my office.)



One kid said it's perfect for me because "it's the unheated cabochon sapphire of watches," meaning I could wear it with absolutely no fear of anyone recognizing that it's valuable .

Bought it at the GS "flagship" in Ginza, where we dashed in 20+ min before closing. Bit of a madhouse but we were treated so well. I had seen a used one at Komeyho in another city but it had some visible damage and I walked away, but I at least knew then what I'd be looking for.

The real fun came on the return to the US and my first-ever Customs declaration. (We travel a fair amount but I guess I have never bought a big-ticket item abroad.) In a major West Coast airport, and hot off a packed JAL flight on which half the seats must have been first- and business class, with seemingly everyone carrying Gucci shopping bags and the like, I was the only person making a declaration. I mean literally the only person in the entire international arrivals terminal. Shuffled through five different people over > 20 min while our luggage went round and round unattended -- all so I could pay my few hundred bucks. As our accountant used to say -- back when we had one -- "You know there's an honesty tax." But totally worth it to save a couple thousand dollars over US pricing. One of the Customs guys asked "What did you buy?" I said a watch. He asked, a little excitedly, "Grand Seiko?!" No one asked to see it -- just the receipt. I was a little relieved because it was wrapped up in a sock in my backpack, while the giant empty box was in the check-through luggage.

Oh my gosh I loooove this watch!!!
I tried on the diver version of it and wanted to take it home but worried about the size.
The dial is out of this world, am so happy that one is in the PS family!!

 

[Autumn in New England]

What handsome watches, @LilAlex and @Pomelo!!!!!!!!! LilAlex - that dial color is incredible... like an undulating, blackened teal blue?

 

[Crimson]

Thank you, @Crimson! Yes, a wonderful trip and amazing meals! Apart from some pre-planned reservations, it was so easy to get really outstanding food for a reasonable price. Such pride in the freshness of the ingredients and the meticulous prep, even in the smaller towns and the massive thousand-stall big-city central markets. $6 bowl of ramen with incredible peppered duck breast. Phenomenal nigiri for ~ half of the US price (and for superb freshness and quality). But, alas, much bigger crowds than their were 40 years ago so that, upon returning, I didn't experience the shock of "Western reimmersion" like I did the last time.

Interesting point about the aging populace and the pre-loved jewelry pipeline. We saw an astonishing number of folks in their 80s and 90s still working public-facing jobs.

Wow, so happy that you enjoyed your visit immensely.
The Grand Seiko — you aced it!! The dial is truly evocative of a lake - Japanese artistry at its finest. I love these “if you know, you know” watches. More refined and more fun.
Yes, I admire the Japanese attention to detail . They recognise that there is beauty even in the smallest and most simple things such as a wild flower or a well prepared broth.
Productive longevity seems to have become a mantra there. I like it. There is dignity, purpose and social connection in work.
Thank you for sharing about your adventures in Japan!

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

That dial…took my breath away. What a great story.

 

[LilAlex]

I tried on the diver version of it and wanted to take it home but worried about the size.

Yes, the diver is a knockout and suits you!

LilAlex - that dial color is incredible... like an undulating, blackened teal blue?

I'm not 100% sure! It's mostly a deep every-so-slightly-violetish-blue to my sapphire-trained eyes -- although it does look teal in my struggle-to-show-it photo above. No light in my home now but online in various photos and videos it looks like the darkest purplish-blue and not teal. I had better luck seeing the dial color and pattern in Japan (!) -- maybe I just need to wait for Spring. Even as an almost pure nearly-black navy blue, it's still fun to look at.

Yes, I admire the Japanese attention to detail . They recognise that there is beauty even in the smallest and most simple things such as a wild flower or a well prepared broth. Productive longevity seems to have become a mantra there. I like it. There is dignity, purpose and social connection in work.

This is so true. Even the simplest jobs/tasks are completed with such pride and polish. We briefly stayed at a ryokan near Osaka and after checking out headed into the city via a shuttle bus. The proprietor was horrified that I carried my own small piece of luggage several feet before he practically snatched it out of my hand to place on the shuttle. And this was not a "fancy" place; we were the only (semi-baffled) Westerners. (My wife really wanted an authentic onsen experience but we were constrained in our options because some in our party -- not sayin' who -- had tattoos. OK, I'll just say it wasn't me, but you know that.)

That dial…took my breath away. What a great story.

Thank you, @Mrsz1ppy! Too long a story, I'm sure! I'm still baffled by the customs/duty part and that's why I left it there. On my invoice, which I weirdly did not get to keep, it was a many-tiered schedule, and I paid nothing on the first $1600 (of course), and then like 2% on the next $2,000, maybe, but then it was 6% after that (!) and I was thinking that's real money. I went back and looked online and could find nothing with any detail, and I'm not even able to tell if this does or does not reflect any kooky new tariffs, etc.

 

[Crimson]

Haha, yes, that is so Japanese!
I had some visitors from Shimane last week - and they brought me some treats.
One was a box of these bunnies! Too cute to eat.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Haha, yes, that is so Japanese!
I had some visitors from Shimane last week - and they brought me some treats.
One was a box of these bunnies! Too cute to eat.

Oh my goodness... how darling! Is it sweet or savory?

 

[Crimson]

Oh my goodness... how darling! Is it sweet or savory?

Sweet. There are several versions , including matcha. You can view them here - https://www.okashinet.co.jp/brands/inaba/
Scroll down to see the illustrations of a rabbit that crossed the sea by asking sharks to line up so he could count them.
After the rabbit got to the other side, the sharks realised they had been tricked, and they stripped the fur of the poor rabbit. The rabbit was rescued by a kind man, and after the rabbit recovered, it foretold that the man would eventually marry the princess.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Sweet. There are several versions , including matcha. You can view them here - https://www.okashinet.co.jp/brands/inaba/
Scroll down to see the illustrations of a rabbit that crossed the sea by asking sharks to line up so he could count them.
After the rabbit got to the other side, the sharks realised they had been tricked, and they stripped the fur of the poor rabbit. The rabbit was rescued by a kind man, and after the rabbit recovered, it foretold that the man would eventually marry the princess.

This is so adorbs! I swear the best fairytales come from Japan... several of Disney's older films were actually Americanized versions of Anime. Funny story time! So when I was teeny, I asked for The Little Mermaid movie for xmas. My poor mother must have walked into Walmart or wherever and asked for it, they had sold out, so they dusted off the Japanese version they'd had in the back for 20 years and gave it to her. Let's just say Disney definitely took artistic license with the ending. Ariel (or Marina in this version... lol) gets turned into seafoam and dies. Oh I cried for days. I remember my dad yelling at my mother, "what'd you buy it for?!" Mom all flustered: "I didn't know!!" Hysterical... we still laugh about my trauma to this today.

 

[Crimson]

This is so adorbs! I swear the best fairytales come from Japan... several of Disney's older films were actually Americanized versions of Anime. Funny story time! So when I was teeny, I asked for The Little Mermaid movie for xmas. My poor mother must have walked into Walmart or wherever and asked for it, they had sold out, so they dusted off the Japanese version they'd had in the back for 20 years and gave it to her. Let's just say Disney definitely took artistic license with the ending. Ariel (or Marina in this version... lol) gets turned into seafoam and dies. Oh I cried for days. I remember my dad yelling at my mother, "what'd you buy it for?!" Mom all flustered: "I didn't know!!" Hysterical... we still laugh about my trauma to this today.

Haha! That is so sweet and funny. Your parents tried their best. I think that difference shows in current books and movies, too. It’s fine in Japanese books and movies not to have any definite ending, or a happy one.
But back to turning into sea foam – it was the original story by HC Andersen, and the version that my father read to me. The mermaid turned into sea foam, and was welcomed by daughters of the air. The little mermaid in Copenhagen doesn’t seem particularly happy, . I haven’t included a photo, to avoid showing body parts that have marked another thread.
Here’s a photo of a ruler presented by HC Andersen to the Danish royal family. He was a frequent visitor to Amalienborg Palace. Isn’t it cute?

 

[glitterata]

Haha! That is so sweet and funny. Your parents tried their best. I think that difference shows in current books and movies, too. It’s fine in Japanese books and movies not to have any definite ending, or a happy one.
But back to turning into sea foam – it was the original story by HC Andersen, and the version that my father read to me. The mermaid turned into sea foam, and was welcomed by daughters of the air. The little mermaid in Copenhagen doesn’t seem particularly happy, . I haven’t included a photo, to avoid showing body parts that have marked another thread.
Here’s a photo of a ruler presented by HC Andersen to the Danish royal family. He was a frequent visitor to Amalienborg Palace. Isn’t it cute?

So many of Andersen's stories are tragedies. I cried my eyes out over The Little Match Girl, which a babysitter read to me against my mother's instructions. (Spoiler alert: The girl dies.)

 

[Autumn in New England]

So many of Andersen's stories are tragedies. I cried my eyes out over The Little Match Girl, which a babysitter read to me against my mother's instructions. (Spoiler alert: The girl dies.)

Sounds like we had similar childhood traumas! (See post #24 above... lol)

 

[glitterata]

Sounds like we had similar childhood traumas! (See post #24 above... lol)

Yes, exactly! I was responding to your story.

 

[Pomelo]

@LilAlex I must admit, I deliberately went hunting for this piece when I was in Japan over the weekend.

It’s the first cats eye tourmaline I’ve seen so I wasn’t really sure how to evaluate it.

The cats eye was really impressive but the body colour was a bit too dark for my liking, especially if (I assume?) it’d look like the second picture most of the time?

I’ve seen photos online of cats eye tourmaline with lighter / brighter shades of green that I prefer (but also more expensive!).

 

[Dreamer_D]

Sounds like we had similar childhood traumas! (See post #24 above... lol)

@glitterata

I used to love all that macabre stuff but maybe it’s because my mom had an… interesting approach to child’s literature. One of my favourite books when I was a kid was “Master Snickups Cloak” which revolves around the Black Death and has a subplot where an abusive husband dies of syphilis. I didn’t recall these details when I decided to read it to my then four year old. I hadn’t anticipated explaining what an “ooidal shaped sow” or a prostitute was that day!

Amazing illustrations though. I still own it.