Educate me on Tourmaline vs Spinel

[D&T]

Hi guys, I''ve narrowed down my gem search to tourmaline or spinel, I have a pink spinel on hold with Michael at the Gemshoppe, but I''ve also in the process talking with Richard homer on his tourmaline, which he might have one in store for me... I really love his concave cut. So really I''m only interested in one pink gem either Tourmaline or spinel, I"m in the process of trying to find a stone to fit into an existing semi bezel. so what your thoughts? spinel or tourmaline I guess it also depends on the shade. I''m easily amused, so I always like to hear my fellow pscopers thoughts.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Well, I think spinel has a slightly higher RI which may mean more sparkle normally (which is why I think I'd prefer them over the tourmaline), but the concave cut may even that out, lol. Tourmaline can also shows bifringence, which can be good or bad depending of whether you like that in a stone.

Both are gorgeous choices! It may be easier to set in your semibezel if it's custom cut though, just a guess though since I'm in no means a jeweler. And Richard's concave cuts are something else, so if you've had your eye on one for awhile, then I'd say treat yourself and go for it.

 

[chrono]

I usually prefer spinels over tourmalines because they have better dispersion and tend to hold their colour better. However, I''m sure any pink tourmaline from R.Homer will be no slouch. He knows how to bring out the best colour in any gemstone.

 

[innerkitten]

Spinel is a rarer stone and is slightly harder. I think it''s a hardness of 8 and tourmaline is 7 to 7.5. The color range is pretty different for the two of them too. I love the blues and greens that you find in tourmalines. And red and pink spinels are among my all time favorite stones.

 

[D&T]

oh gosh,,, hmmm, maybe I should just get the pink spinel now since its going into and existing ering mounting and I would like the stone to be a little harder... and get a concave cut other color later (much later) for maybe a pendant project?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Well, maybe see if it''ll fit first. And if it does, then buy the spinel to see in real life. If you don''t like it, you can always send it back and go for the tourmaline

 

[ma re]

There are differences in their respective color ranges. For example there''s no yellow, turquoise, green, brown or bi-color spinel, but there''s also no purple tourmaline.

 

[zeolite]

Date: 4/23/2009 12:38:39 PM
Author: ma re
There are differences in their respective color ranges. For example there''s no yellow, turquoise, green, brown or bi-color spinel, but there''s also no purple tourmaline.

Some amazing new colors have come from Mozambique''s copper containing "Paraiba" tourmaline mines. I copied this from Richard''s Wise''s website, to drool at, admire and wish for. I believe when heated, this will change to blue.

I have a super fine sapphire that looks just like this, but I''d love to buy Richard''s tourmaline and add it to my tourmaline collection.

 

[D&T]

Date: 4/23/2009 1:31:09 PM
Author: zeolite

Date: 4/23/2009 12:38:39 PM
Author: ma re
There are differences in their respective color ranges. For example there''s no yellow, turquoise, green, brown or bi-color spinel, but there''s also no purple tourmaline.

Some amazing new colors have come from Mozambique''s copper containing ''Paraiba'' tourmaline mines. I copied this from Richard''s Wise''s website, to drool at, admire and wish for. I believe when heated, this will change to blue.

I have a super fine sapphire that looks just like this, but I''d love to buy Richard''s tourmaline and add it to my tourmaline collection.

amazing! what a beauty... do you collect or do you have them set into jewelry pieces?

 

[zeolite]

Date: 4/23/2009 1:54:05 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 4/23/2009 1:31:09 PM
Author: zeolite

Date: 4/23/2009 12:38:39 PM
Author: ma re
There are differences in their respective color ranges. For example there''s no yellow, turquoise, green, brown or bi-color spinel, but there''s also no purple tourmaline.

Some amazing new colors have come from Mozambique''s copper containing ''Paraiba'' tourmaline mines. I copied this from Richard''s Wise''s website, to drool at, admire and wish for. I believe when heated, this will change to blue.

I have a super fine sapphire that looks just like this, but I''d love to buy Richard''s tourmaline and add it to my tourmaline collection.

amazing! what a beauty... do you collect or do you have them set into jewelry pieces?

I have a few fine gems mounted, that came from my mother''s estate. Incidentally, one of them is a purple tourmaline (not nearly this saturated), that mom bought 40 years ago. In 25 years of Tucson, I''ve never seen a purple tourmaline. Everything else is loose. And a few are so large that setting is not practical.

 

[T L]

Richard Homer has some irradiated pink tourmaline on his site that is very expensive. If you do buy from him, make sure you check out the enhancements done. You don''t want to be paying those kinds of prices for inexpensive irradiated material.

 

[T L]

Date: 4/23/2009 12:38:39 PM
Author: ma re
There are differences in their respective color ranges. For example there''s no yellow, turquoise, green, brown or bi-color spinel, but there''s also no purple tourmaline.

I have two GIT certed purple tourmalines. They''re cuprians from Mozambique. One is actually what I would deem a violet color though, but the other is actually grape purple.

 

[chrono]

As far as I know, only the purples will heat to the famed windex blue if done correctly. The pinks and other colours will turn white. However, this has made the purples rather difficult to find due to everyone heating them to make them blue. That''s a fine looking purple cuprian and with a colour like that, it doesn''t need any heating.

 

[D&T]

oh boy, so much to learn just for tourmaline....yep,, I will definitely be asking you all first before i dip in my purse

 

[T L]

The above tourmaline looks more like a dark pink to me. I consider this more of a true purple tourmaline, and this is the color that tends to heat to blue, as well as some grey violets.

http://www.litnon.com/viewgem.php?gemid=6547&id=27424

 

[D&T]

Date: 4/23/2009 8:35:46 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
The above tourmaline looks more like a dark pink to me. I consider this more of a true purple tourmaline, and this is the color that tends to heat to blue, as well as some grey violets.

http://www.litnon.com/viewgem.php?gemid=6547&id=27424

wowzy! that purple is delicious

that is like the most beautiful purple i''ve seen for me anyways

 

[ma re]

Looks like we all learn something new every day. Thanks for the lesson everyone