Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sale

[artist2015]

Hello, I am new to all of this as far as gemstones and I am looking for a gem for myself. I am trying to work within a $1500 budget that my DH gave me for my Christmas present.
I have found all of this information by reading the colored stone forum here on Price Scope. I went to the vendor list to see what I could find, and I saw that master cuts was having a sale. I have read some good things about them and while I was looking, I found these two pink tourmaline stones. I am looking for something pinkish and oval. I want a ring with some diamonds, but I know that I need to find the stone first.
I'm trying to decide between these two stones.
What do you suggest for the color of the metal for the setting? Do you think white or yellow gold would be better?
I am looking for a well cut gem at a good deal... If any of you can make suggestions I would appreciate them. Thank you for listening to me.

 

[freezing_in_MO]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

I am not an expert, but I have worked with mastercut before. Their gems are excellently cut, and the price is always fair.

The rose tourmaline is stunning. I can't stop looking at the picture.

The vendor has suggested rose gold. I agree, assuming that the rose gold has the right tint. The ring in my avatar has very warm rose gold and would not look good with this stone. I think white metal would wash out the gem. Yellow gold would be my second choice.

Buy it! That is not expert advice, but unless you too are an expert, you will be looking at the stone on your finger, and with something this pretty, the technicalities won't come to mind.

 

[urseberry]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

What color is your skin? Do you have a general setting style in mind? I prefer the darker one, since the lighter one looks a bit brown to me. It might blend in with most Caucasian skin tones. The lighter one is also a bit large for a ring stone.

 

[OTL]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

Not a fan of neither.......
There are plenty nice tourmalines elsewhere.

 

[smitcompton]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

Hi,

I agree with OTL. I really don't like either. I, too would look elsewhere. Mastercut always has a sale.




Annette.

 

[chrono]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

Not a fan of neither.......
There are plenty nice tourmalines elsewhere.

I third this. I have to strain extremely hard to pick out the pink in both stones.

 

[artist2015]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

Hello again, I appreciate all of your comments. Thank you Freezing_in_MO. I agree that I really like the rose colored tourmaline more than the light pink.
Urseberry, I have a very fair complexion and I am leaning more toward the darker of the two for the color. I do admit that I really want a large stone ring for fun but I worry about the cost of the setting since my entire budget is $1500.00.
I do not understand the no pink comment because I do see pink in both gems, especially the rose pink gem. The other one looks a little on the peachy color in the hand shot. I have even gotten my husband involved and we looked on his computer together and he agreed he thought it was pink.
Oh well, I really wish I had been more specific in my first post. If anyone can help me find another gem close to color, shape , and size, I am willing to listen and learn. I am looking for a bargain and I also want a brilliant cut gem.
I looked at your vendor list and I saw that mastercuts was the only one having a sale. If any of you ladies are like me, I love a sale. One of my favorite shoe websites has a sale every day and I love it!
But, seriously I would like some helpful comments about where I may find a gem that is comparable or better than these and stay within my whole budget. I have only a little time because I want to have my ring completed before Christmas arrives. The jeweler I have chosen does not want to be rushed and he has a cut off date for accepting new work.
I am leaving for a few days and I do not know if I will have internet access so I wanted to find something before the sale went off.
But, if they run sales all of the time, possibly I can contact them if I miss out on this one.
I'm a Bargain Basement type of lady and I guess my tastes are not as refined as a few of the " wine and cheese " experts! LOL!!!

 

[urseberry]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the sale. Most of the recommended vendors have excellent prices already, cheaper and better than you can get at a brick and mortar. Some of them will even negotiate - just send an email or call and tell them you're on a budget and ask for their best price.

This one is inexpensive and clearly pink. From Litnon. 2.03 ct, $60, 9.1 x 7.1 x 5 mm, so it should be easy to set as well.

 

[OTL]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the sale. Most of the recommended vendors have excellent prices already, cheaper and better than you can get at a brick and mortar. Some of them will even negotiate - just send an email or call and tell them you're on a budget and ask for their best price.

This one is inexpensive and clearly pink. From Litnon. 2.03 ct, $60, 9.1 x 7.1 x 5 mm, so it should be easy to set as well.

Agreed. This one is so much better and you can't beat that price! Even though without the "sale" tag...

 

[LD]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

I'm going to disagree with my learned friends above and say I really do like the second stone. It looks like it has lightning flashes of rose colour inside the stone and I also like that the lines are wavy and not straight. The cutting gives the stone an interesting personality.

 

[arabella]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

I like the color of the second MCG stone too. If you're not sure if you want one of those, let everyone know what type of pink you're wanting (purple-pink, baby pink, light/medium/dark, etc) and size and I'm sure the nice people here could help you find one. MCG has a good return policy too, if you decide to try ordering one of those and you end up not liking it as much once you have it in your hands. If you're set on one of those 2 from MCG, I would definitely pick the second one [emoji4]

 

[freezing_in_MO]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

Could someone elaborate on what they find deficient in the second Mastercut Gems stone? I am not asking about the price, just the perceived quality of the stone.

To my very inexperienced eye, it is a beautiful color and unique. Chrono expressed it more eloquently. I think it will be more beautiful than the picture, because I can't imagine a picture adding flash and variance to the colors, and those two aspects are what caught my eye.

 

[chrono]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

Could someone elaborate on what they find deficient in the second Mastercut Gems stone? I am not asking about the price, just the perceived quality of the stone.

To my very inexperienced eye, it is a beautiful color and unique. Chrono expressed it more eloquently. I think it will be more beautiful than the picture, because I can't imagine a picture adding flash and variance to the colors, and those two aspects are what caught my eye.

I believe you meant LD. The colour looks very brown to me, which is not a colour that I find attractive. It also has a darkness that covers almost half of the stone, around its perimeter. I prefer a stone that is bright overall, much like the one suggested by Urseberry. Good cutting, clearly pink and very inexpensive.

 

[freezing_in_MO]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

I apologize. I did mean LD.

Thank you for explaining what you don't like about the stone. I know you are knowledgeable.

 

[LD]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

I apologize. I did mean LD.

Thank you for explaining what you don't like about the stone. I know you are knowledgeable.

Eh? I LIKE the 2nd stone!!!!!!!

It has it's weaknesses (as Chrono has pointed out - ie darkness around the edge) and the wavy lines might be indicative of a less than perfect cut BUT I love the colour and the wavy lines and think it's distinctive in appearance. If looks like it's a colour shifter judging by the photos (most gems shift a bit so that's not unusual) but I think it's pretty. It's not everybody's cup of tea simply because of the weaknesses already mentioned.

Stones like the pink one posted above (the last set of photos) are commonplace and (for me) don't have a personality. I'd much rather have a stone with personality than not!

 

[Violetphoenix]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

Jeff Hapeman of Earth's Treasury.has some beautiful untreated pink tourmalinees from a mine in California that he bought few years ago. I showed a pic of the cushion, eye clean stone cut by Peter Toccara on another CS post. I believe in his recent email, he said it's available. Very beautiful.

 

[freezing_in_MO]

Re: Help me choose a tourmaline from the Master Cut Gems sal

LD, my apologies again. I understood that you like the stone and admire your ability to articulate what is beautiful about it.

I am usually not this bad at communicating. This is a very busy week at work and my brain has turned to mush

What I meant:
1. LD has articulated what I like about the stone much better than I could
2. I am grateful to Chrono for explaining the issues with the stone.

I am an absolute beginner when it comes to colored stones, so I learn from both the positive and negative comments.

The stone is distinctive to my untrained eye. I would enjoy looking at it on my finger because it would be out of the ordinary. Of course
"ordinary" is different for each person. I am usually drawn to unique but usually imperfect objects over perfect ones that are commonplace in the perfect sphere - an exclusive place.

Given the information the OP has given us, I guessed that she may be a beginner like me, and may prefer something special to something perfect. Special + perfect = expensive, and she has a limited budget (like most of us) for this project.

I apologize. I did mean LD.

Thank you for explaining what you don't like about the stone. I know you are knowledgeable.

Eh? I LIKE the 2nd stone!!!!!!!

It has it's weaknesses (as Chrono has pointed out - ie darkness around the edge) and the wavy lines might be indicative of a less than perfect cut BUT I love the colour and the wavy lines and think it's distinctive in appearance. If looks like it's a colour shifter judging by the photos (most gems shift a bit so that's not unusual) but I think it's pretty. It's not everybody's cup of tea simply because of the weaknesses already mentioned.

Stones like the pink one posted above (the last set of photos) are commonplace and (for me) don't have a personality. I'd much rather have a stone with personality than not!