fracture filled tourmaline?

[RockHugger]

Does this look filled to you? It looks like it has a healed fracture in it, but the light reflects differently then the rest of the stone.

Thoughts?

 

[LD]

Very interesting. I''m definitely not an expert and haven''t heard of Tourmalines being fracture filled so hopefully someone will come along who can help better. However, what I do know is that when a diamond has been clarity enhanced, the "filled" portion can flash orange/pink. So, looking at your photo, it would be suggestive of fracture filling BUT it could also be how the light hits the fracture, part of the irradiation process (if it''s been irradiated) etc etc.

 

[RockHugger]

It reminded me of a filled diamond too. In the GIA they teach to look for flashes that arnt the color of the stone, or seem to have different optical properties when looking for fillings. Thats what cought my eye with this one. I have never seen a filled tourmaline, thats why I come to you guys for your thoughts on it .

 

[RockHugger]

It seems to have the same look from the front too. The same inclusion lights up with the blue/pink colors.

 

[FrekeChild]

I have a tourmaline that has an inclusion that looks like it. I''d say it looks like an oil slick on a puddle inside. Is this a stone you own? I am 99% sure it is not fracture filled, and I bought the stone because of said inclusion. I don''t really have a good picture of it though.

It is also a blue green tourmaline.

 

[VapidLapid]

it could just be interference of light waves between the two sides of a fracture, much the same process that produces colors on oil slicks. If it is a filled fracture I wonder why they bother since it is so in your face.

 

[RockHugger]

Nope, dont own it. It just cought my eye and wanted some input on what you thought it was.

 

[enbcfsobe]

i''m by no means an expert, but i did get a milky aqua cab that had a similar phenomenon on the bottom -- and i can''t think of any reason to fracture fill milky aqua! it has just that oil slick/mica chip multicolored reflectiveness to it.
also it seems pointless to fill that fracture and leave all the other inclusions as-is in the stone you''re looking at.

 

[T L]

I would do a google search on "fracture filled tourmalines." You''re bound to see many examples.

 

[FrekeChild]

Best picture I have of it to date, but it''s really bad.

 

[Pandora II]

It''s a pretty common effect with internal fractures - I''ve seen it a lot in rough, less in cut stones. It''s kind of fun!

I''m 99% sure that it''s not fracture filling, just an optical effect.

 

[T L]

What''s also really strange about that stone is that it appears to have zones of color and no color too.

 

[Barrett]

Vapid may be right..could just be light refraction due to angle of fracture and light waves...or..you may be on the money Hugger....need to scope it with higher mag for better conclusion..here is an aquamarine with a schrol tourmaline crystal embedded in it..has light bending due to airpocket and different mediums(tourmaline vs. aqua)

 

[Barrett]

same stone i had..lots of colors due to light refraction..just natural light refrction off of different surfaces and an air pocket

 

[Barrett]

last one

 

[Michael_E]

I think that the fractures that everyone has shown are not filled. The color flashes seen in fracture filling are very much muted compared to the flashes you''re all showing here. The reason that the fractures are more muted or not visible at all, is because tourmaline, (emerald, aqua, etc.), has a relatively low R.I. and it''s pretty easy to get a filler which is close to that R.I.. I think what you''re more likely to see, in a fracture filled stone of lower R.I., is small flashes from areas of the fractures that were not filled during the process and these broad flashes of color don''t fit with that scenario. Do a web search on "fracture filled emerald images" and you should get a bunch of good microscopic images of this type of filling.

 

[FrekeChild]

So, Micheal, what do you think this is? I''ve wondered for a while now...

 

[RockHugger]

Date: 4/7/2010 9:36:18 PM
Author: FrekeChild
So, Micheal, what do you think this is? I''ve wondered for a while now...

? what is what? Did I miss something?

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 4/7/2010 9:46:23 PM
Author: RockHugger

Date: 4/7/2010 9:36:18 PM
Author: FrekeChild
So, Micheal, what do you think this is? I''ve wondered for a while now...

? what is what? Did I miss something?

What is the thing we''re seeing in these stones?

Is it an air pocket? A fracture? What? I mean, obviously you can''t tell without testing, but what are the options?

 

[RockHugger]

oh sorry lol. red head moment .

 

[Michael_E]

What is the thing we're seeing in these stones?


Is it an air pocket? A fracture? What? I mean, obviously you can't tell without testing, but what are the options?

It's a fracture, no other options. A fracture has two surfaces and they both reflect light. The separation between the layers determines the way in which the light is diffracted by the interference between the two reflections. As Vapid Lapid has said, it's like an oil film on water, in which the light is reflected from the top and bottom of the film, causing interference colors. The neat thing about this is that you can estimate very accurately the width of the crack by the interference colors it produces. If you fill the crack up with a material of the exact same refractive index as the stone, the crack will completely disappear. If the filler has a different refractive index then the colors will change and become less noticeable. Since the colors are in large spaces and quite vivid I would doubt that there is any filler in the fracture.

 

[FrekeChild]

That's pretty cool Michael! I was attracted to the stone because of the gold/pink "oil slick" that was happening inside, and the appealing color of the tourm was nice too. So, is there danger in trying to set this stone? Mine doesn't have any inclusions that hit the surface.

ETA: It's very shallow and has a window, but because of the fracture, it's hardly noticeable. I haven't set it yet because I can't decide YG or RG, but if it's dangerous to set, I won't set it.

 

[Barrett]

cool Freke..i enjoy things like that myself..95% of the folks want the nice perfect piece..I like the ones with a little something extra, ya know

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 4/7/2010 11:47:10 PM
Author: amethystguy
cool Freke..i enjoy things like that myself..95% of the folks want the nice perfect piece..I like the ones with a little something extra, ya know

Yup. I don''t mind inclusions at all. And some prove to be pretty freaking cool! Of course my "weird things" tend to be gray modifiers or pure gray tones.

Imperfections make things better.

 

[LD]

Date: 4/7/2010 8:11:06 PM
Author: Michael_E
I think that the fractures that everyone has shown are not filled. The color flashes seen in fracture filling are very much muted compared to the flashes you''re all showing here. The reason that the fractures are more muted or not visible at all, is because tourmaline, (emerald, aqua, etc.), has a relatively low R.I. and it''s pretty easy to get a filler which is close to that R.I.. I think what you''re more likely to see, in a fracture filled stone of lower R.I., is small flashes from areas of the fractures that were not filled during the process and these broad flashes of color don''t fit with that scenario. Do a web search on ''fracture filled emerald images'' and you should get a bunch of good microscopic images of this type of filling.

Michael - I have a diamond that is fracture filled (don''t ask - misselling!). Anyway, the flash from the filling is VERY bright when you know what you''re looking for. Do diamonds react in a different manner (generally speaking) to coloured stones?

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 4/8/2010 4:08:02 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds

Michael - I have a diamond that is fracture filled (don''t ask - misselling!). Anyway, the flash from the filling is VERY bright when you know what you''re looking for. Do diamonds react in a different manner (generally speaking) to coloured stones?

LD,
If the flash is very bright, then either the filling material couldn''t get to that fracture and it is unfilled or the filling material is of a much lower R.I. than the diamond. I would think that maybe it didn''t fill in that area, (some fractures are totally internal and so the filling can''t reach them without a laser drill hole). Have you looked at it under magnification ? These things look really neat under a microscope, there''s just so much stuff going on !

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 4/7/2010 11:42:50 PM
Author: FrekeChild
That''s pretty cool Michael! I was attracted to the stone because of the gold/pink ''oil slick'' that was happening inside, and the appealing color of the tourm was nice too. So, is there danger in trying to set this stone? Mine doesn''t have any inclusions that hit the surface.

It''s only a worry during setting if the fractures come close to one of the prongs. They actually can be right under a prong if they are perpendicular to the girdle in that area, it''s when they run parallel to the girdle that they may be chipped easily. The only worry after setting then becomes if the fracture gets close enough to the girdle that a bump in any spot could knock a chunk out. Whoever sets this for you could let you know if it''s too risky to attempt.