Green tourmaline

[redsiren]

Hi All!

I have a few questions--

I was in a jewelry store in VA on vacation and I saw the most gorgeous ring that had seven green tourmalines in a white gold setting. The green color was a deep emerald type of hue--I believe it is called chrome tourmaline? I''m not sure. It was a stair step type of design with a large tourmaline in the middle with the tourmalines getting smaller as the steps went down. Well, of course the ring was way too expensive for me to buy, but the jeweler let me take a photo of it so I could remember what it looked like. I also didn''t want to attempt to talk him down on the price because I have no knowledge of tourmalines and wouldn''t know how to estimate the actual worth of the ring.

I have my heart set on having a ring like that some day. My questions are:

How expensive is green tourmaline? If I were wanting to speak to someone who could design the ring for me, would that be much cheaper? If so, who are some reputable designers to speak with? I''m fairly clueless in the jewelry market, so your help would be great!

 

[elmo]

I've seen folks advertise very nice chrome tourmaline in the $200-500/carat range. A suite of matching stones makes this an interesting problem

.

 

[Gemstudded]

Chrome Tourmaline is the rarest and most expensive type of Tourmaline, up there with the Pariaba Tourmaline. It is mainly found in Africa and can command very high prices for large stones. A 2ct cut Chrome Tourmaline is considered large. Be aware that some dealers sell any dark green Tourmaline as Chrome Tourmaline it isn't, get it certified.
As far as custom jewellery goes, I would say you would be paying more, but you will get exactly what you want if the jeweller is reputable. It is also worth buying a genuine certified gem and have it set into you custom design. Quality is always appreciated and valued not just by its owner. I can't help you with reputable jewellers, maybe look on the net and look for the type of jewellery you want and ask some questions.

Hope that helps

 

[elmo]

So do you mean this one is being misrepresented? http://www.finegems.com/coloredgems/t388-eb.htm

 

[Gemstudded]

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On 8/23/2003 10:30:20 PM elmo wrote:

So do you mean this one is being misrepresented? http://www.finegems.com/coloredgems/t388-eb.htm
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I would say thats a pretty good price for that stone and quite a very large one too. Without having it tested its hard to say whether its genuine though, but I would say probably it is and is not misrepresented. Unfortunately the prices for Chrome Tourmaline have tumbled drastically over the last few years and demand is low, this is reflected in the current prices. It will always be a top investment gem but we'll have to wait until they realize there true value again.
I good time to buy

 

[Gemstudded]

Just re-read my original post and wanted to clarify an error I made in my original post. It should read "Chrome Tourmaline is ONE OF the rarest and most expensive types of Tourmaline...." Sorry!

I guess most people would know what I meant but for the those that don't I felt I had to correct it.

 

[valeria101]

Chrome or not chrome, the color is king! This is not trully the vivid green for which chrome tourmaline got its preise. The latest Nigerian find of chrome tourmaline turned yellowish, light stones of little price and chrome did not help them getting top prices for long. So, forget the chemical composition: a grass green like the best emerald - this is what makes a tourmaline price jump. It is unlikely to find this most appreciated shade in anything but chrome tourmalines, but if you do, ask for 20% less and bargain!

To see what good and bad chromes look like in a "fair pricing" setting, go to ajsgems.com.

As for size: well, 2ct is small, 5ct can still be found, for larger - check some museum or jewelry business show and get a bike...

hope this helps!

 

[Gemstudded]

I agree with what Valerie has said. There is a lot of low quality Chrome Tourmaline coming onto the market and being sold under the premise that it is a "Chrome" and shows yellow or olive overtones. This is one of the factors in why prices of top Chromes over the last few years have been hit.

2ct is considered large for a "flawless" Chrome as most over this size are included. Inclusions seriously effect the value of Tourmalines unlike many gems although some leeway is given due to rarity.

The rich green Tourmalines are worthy of an investment and do deserve good prices but they can never match a true honest Chrome for colour or rarity in my opinion. Some of the finest green Tourmaline is coming from new deposits in Afghanistan and has a Chrome-like colour and high clarity and I would consider these as the very best currently available.

 

[redsiren]

Thanks for replying everyone. I have a feeling the stones are not chrome tourmaline by the information you've given me. The ring had seven stones and the middle was very large. As far as color--it was a very lovely deep green.

I would like to post a picture of the ring, but I'm not sure what the jeweler would think if he saw it posted here. What do you think?

 

[valeria101]

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On 8/31/2003 1:16:18 AM redsiren wrote:

Thanks for replying everyone. I have a feeling the stones are not chrome tourmaline by the information you've given me. The ring had seven stones and the middle was very large. As far as color--it was a very lovely deep green.

I would like to post a picture of the ring, but I'm not sure what the jeweler would think if he saw it posted here. What do you think?
----------------

I guess you can give full credit to the jeweler for the pic, not include direct link or name of store so that the posting does not look like an ad, and do it. After all, if the jeweler does not say on his website that his work cannot be cited, you can. Right?

It should be a nice ring...

 

[redsiren]

Well, its a picture that I took, and he doesn't have a website. It's not the jeweler's picture, but it's his ring.

 

[valeria101]

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On 8/31/2003 12:42:56 PM redsiren wrote:

Well, its a picture that I took, and he doesn't have a website. It's not the jeweler's picture, but it's his ring.
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Oh, so no problem then. We do not know where the ring is, you arenot the jeweler and have no interest (as far as your messages say, and this is the whole point) to sell the piece. SO, please let us see the object! Right...

 

[redsiren]

Okay-- here's my dream ring. Anyone who might know--please tell me what kind of tourmaline you think this is? And-- who are some designers I might want to approach about making this one day.

 

[redsiren]

#2 view

 

[redsiren]

*drool*

I can't look at those pics anymore--just makes me sad. Being a poor college student is the worst.

Well, maybe one day, or maybe, just maybe, there are fairy god mothers. *wishful thinking*

 

[valeria101]

This does not look as you may need a PhD to afford... The tourmaline is either an overly-dark chrome or a non-chrome green (this, more likely) wich should be available at below 100 USD/ct. At leat, I have got my 4ct, saddle cut one for about 250. Finding a suite of stones like this is more tricky, but you may start with a batch of tourmalines of the right size and have the cuts adjusted (say, at customgems.com, or the like). The ring is not mission impossible for a jeweler either, so keep the pics and go for it sometime.

For simmilar things? Look at this unusual suite of green saphire(http://www.simplysapphires.com/greenbluea303.html):
and this ring with a 'step' design you seem to enjoy (http://jewelryexpert.com/catalog/Fancy-Yellow-Sapphire-Ring.htm)!

 

[dimonbob]

"Chrome Tourmaline is the rarest and most expensive type of Tourmaline, up there with the Pariaba Tourmaline"

I am not sure where you are getting your information but you are not close! Let me give you an example using a zero markup on a 2ct stone. The finest Chrome Tourmaline will cost between $850 and $1200 a carat. The finest "neon" blue-green Paraiba will cost between $10,000 and $18,000 per carat. They are not even in the same ball-park.

The other thing. From the pictures shown and the information given no one can say that center tourmaline is or is not a Chrome. Most gemologist would be hard pressed to identify a fine Chrome against a fine Blue/Green with the stones right in front of them.

 

[Gemstudded]

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On 9/28/2003 11:50:37 PM dimonbob wrote:


The finest Chrome Tourmaline will cost between $850 and $1200 a carat. The finest 'neon' blue-green Paraiba will cost between $10,000 and $18,000 per carat. They are not even in the same ball-park.
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I never compared the 2 like-for-like, I just stated the finest Chromes are one of the most expensive and rarist Tourmalines. Up there with a Paraiba in terms of an investment gem but not "currently" equal to. I have also stated the prices for Chromes have come down in recent years and Paraibas have gone up due to increased popularity. A "fine" Paraiba would obviously be something very rare and not a realistic investment stone for your average consumer whereas a Chrome is less popular and therefore more available and will rise in value when demand increases.

 

[seab]

I have read your article about having your dream ring with Chrome Tourmalines attached on the sides.We are a company based here in Arusha,Tanzania east Africa.One of the best known places in the world for producing the finest chrome Tourmalines.We believe we can supply those kind of gems but you will have to recut them in order to get your desired pieces.We offer the lowest and fair prices for Chrome Tourmalines since we mine ourselves the gems we dont buy from gems vendors.
For more info about our company visit us at ...www.seabgems.com

 

[seab]

We have lookely densely at the photo with the image enhancer lens and we have found out that the stone at the centre of the ring is not Chrome Tourmaline but is a Golden Tourmaline,which mostly has a fire and at the edges of the stone and at the centre very very dark.Golden Brown Tourmaline are very cheap.They go for about USD 20 per carat.But at some websites they fetch up to USD 120.We do have golden Tourmalines plenty of them.The other word for Golden Tormalines is dravite Tourmalines.

www.seabgems.com