opinion on tourmaline short list

[Mlunzer]

Hi, based on your well appreciated feedback that the gems I got offered are not stand out and ordinary looking, I searched for alternatives on the recommended PS vendor sites.

Status Quo: I will get custom bezel rings. The metal will be white gold or palladium. The rings will be stackable that my wife can combine different rings (max. 4). The first four stones should be amethyst (already bought, cut by Jeff Davies) and three T's Tansanite, Tsavorite and Tourmaline.

The stones should not too dark (anything special to consider for bezel settings?), good saturated and very good cutted.

I will start with the tourmaline. I will look for the tansanite and tsavorite after I found the tourmaline.

The tourmaline is the most complicated because of the color. I am looking for a round 5-7mm stone in blue or blue green color. I found the most beautiful stones are from Afganistan or Namibia. I put cushion cuts on my list as well to have more flexibilty.

Pls see below the pics from my shortlist. The stones are quite different. Any comments regarding color, quality, cut? Which ones are your favorites? I am happy to get as many responses as possible. Thanks!

Christian

 

[Mlunzer]

another three...

 

[chatoyancy]

I love all of those colors! Since you are planning to get them bezel set and you don't want them to be too dark, you should go for lighter stones.

 

[chroman]

My favorites would be A, D, and F.. But I would be wary of the darkness of A and D.

Have you seen this one?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/476766634/green-tourmaline-cushion-cut-cushion?ref=shop_home_active_28

If its in-budget, I also like this one:
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=G86491

 

[Mlunzer]

thanks for the first feedbacks and links.

I prefer round ones, because all the others will be round in the stacking ring and I fear that the cushions will look strange in between. Any experience with mixing the two shapes on one finger?

I like F as well but is the conrast to a Tsavorite large enough? Same for option A vs a Tansanite.?

I am wondering about the color of option E. I never saw a tourmaline in that color. The stone is round, not dark and would be in contrast to a Tsavorite and Tanzsnite. Any opinios to that stone?

Regarding cuts, which one are the best cuts?

Sorry, I am new and need to learn a lot from you

 

[chroman]

Tanzanite will be more purple than A. Somewhere between A and your amethyst. There are ligher and darker tones of Tanzanite, and some that lean blue vs purple.

Tsav will be more saturated that F. Probably more like G.

If you are going for contrast, E probably looks the least like the other stones you want. Amethyst, tsav, and tanzanite have fairly narrow color ranges. But tourmaline comes in a much wider variety of colors. Do you want to stick to blue/greens for the tourmaline? It can also do pink really well. The downside is that rounds can be hard to come by due to the nature of the crystal growth.

For a different color option, Gene just posted this today:
[http://www.precisiongem.com/gemstackpage/gems.php?product/page/906/Gem+1863+-+Tourmaline/url]

 

[chrono]

My preference is the Litnon, which I wanted to suggest earlier but refrained because you wrote that it has to be blue green, not blue. The reason I like the Litnon is for both the cut and very uncommon open blue colour.

 

[Mlunzer]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

Ad Chroman: thanks for your ranking and explanation. Interesting to know, that the round ones are difficult to find because of nature of crystal growth. Did not know it, but sounds logic. The salmon colored tourmaline is very nice, I will show it my wife. But usually she tends to favor the cold, icy colors like white, blue and green and not the warm colors like yellow, red, orange...

Ad Chrono: Yes, sometimes it takes a night of sleep to rethink the feedbacks. I did not know that this kind of blue exits and I had in mind to buy later on a zircon in similar kind of blue. How does the open blue tourmaline in comparison to an blue zircon? ButI tend to the tourmalines as this is the birthstone of my wife...

 

[chrono]

Zircon tends to be more turquoise in colour and really isn't a good ring stone unless it is a special occasion wear only.

 

[Mlunzer]

Thanks Chrono. I got feedback from Michael regarding the icy open blue stone. Unfortunately the stone is not recommended for bezel setting because of the pavillion and angular girdle. Great that he was so open to tell me. I need to look further...

 

[Mlunzer]

I just found another option. It is not round, but it is suitable for a bezel. I have already asked about it. It is the absolute favorite color of my wife and it is the first time I discovered it and that size (7X5mm). Any opinions regarding quality and cut?

Btw I showed my wife some red garnets and tourmalines. Red is an option as well besides green and blue.

Thanks, Ciao Christian

 

[Mlunzer]

two additional pics...

 

[chrono]

Cut isn't perfect but still nice enough for me to accept it as is because the colour is just wonderful! I like this shade of slightly greenish blue.

 

[chroman]

I love the color on this latest oval you found!!

 

[Acinom]

Amazing colour of the oval!!!

 

[Mlunzer]

Hi, I bought it. I loved the color and bought the gem from AJS Gems. It is a small stone (7x5mm) from Mozambique and bears some copper in it for the color. I am looking forward seeing it in person. But it will take 3-4 weeks. Anyway, I bought a stone, which I can not use for my planned setting. But I will find another one for it.

I still need a round tourmaline 5-6,5mm (max 7mm), but I am open for red one as well (green, blue, red) but not pink or orange. It is quite difficulct...

 

[Mlunzer]

Hi, I found a lighter green one. What about the color, saturation and cut regarding this one?

 

[Mlunzer]

Any Feedback for the last one? I found a lovely Tsavorite in the meantime... Any thoughts on the color, I like it but is it too pale for a good tsavorite? Should look nice in bezel ring...

 

[chrono]

The light round tourmaline is well cut but looks very light, so my personal vote is the blue green oval. (Lots of personal bias because I love that particular blue green).

The round tsavorite is pretty. It is somewhat lighter in tone than what the trade prefers but I think it will deepen a little once bezeled. In short, definitely a strong contender. It looks well saturated.

 

[pregcurious]

I like the little round tsavorite also.

Hi Chrono!

 

[chrono]

Hi Chrono!

Glad to see you around. I haven't been active lately and the usual old-time posters seem to have taken a break too.

 

[Mlunzer]

Thx for your feedbacks. The oval blue-green I have already bought.

What is a fair price for the 0,79ct tsavorite? I could buy it from a private person which looks for 400-500 USD.

 

[chroman]

I think my preference would be E or F over the latest light green tourmaline you found. That latest one seems very close to the green hue you're apt to get in a tsavorite. Those others would add some more variety

 

[Mlunzer]

Hi, you are absolutely right. I am looking finally for exactly that two colors (ice blue ad teal blue) or even as third option a rubellite. Unfortunately option E can not set in a bezel (angular girdle and depth) and option F is slightly too large. I am looking for 5-6mm round options. Rubellites which are not too pinkish are difficult to find as well....

 

[Barrett]

I like the tourmaline near the top of the page...the .77ct Gary one and the two at the very top, as well.
I think the AJS stone looks washed out with some tonal issues and lacking in saturation. Maybe the pics don't do it justice.
So what exactly are you designing? You are incorporating tsavorite, tanzanite, and tourmaline? Blue-green but maybe red as a backup? I love the tsavorite/tanzanite combination.

 

[Mlunzer]

yes, I will have an amethyst (my birthstone, which I bought already), a garnet (birthstone of my daughter, I favor tsavorites) and tourmaline (birthstone of my wife, favorite blue, blue-green and backup Rubellite). The stones will be set in bezel rings and the stacking ring set will be a present for my wifes 40th anniversary. It will be a customized setting, but I attached two pictures for my setting (different gems).

The tanzanite is because we like the combo tanzsnite and tsavorite. Moreover it will be difficult to find such a dark blue tourmaline.

I realized in the meantime that I will go just for round ones. The oval one from AJS I just bought because that light green-blue is the favorite color of my wife. I will use for a different setting later on...

 

[chroman]

Yvonne has been sourcing some nice blue/blue green tourmaline lately, like this:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/500668...rch_query=Tourmaline&ref=shop_items_search_22

But it doesn't look like she has anything thats an exact match for your specs. Might be worth a shot to drop her a line and see if her supplier might have some open colored rounds available

 

[Mlunzer]

Hi Chroman, thanks for the link. Wonderful color and I ask Yvonne if there is more of that available. Unfortunately nothing left ...

 

[chroman]

Bummer!

One more long shot - this is listed as on hold, but seems like it might go well with your color scheme, even though its not green or blue:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/223086430/on-hold-158ct-magenta-purple-red?ref=shop_home_active_58

Might be worth checking in with the vendor in case whomever is holding it passes?

 

[Mlunzer]

Yes, that is a nice one. You are right that goes well with my color sheme.

Gary from finewatergems will do a customized cut for my tourmaline which should be similar to the color of Option D. He should know it because it is his stones

He will cut an amethyst for me as well. The same colour like the one on the Homepage. I bought a spessartine from him which I will post after my work and he offenred me to cut both stones. I am so exicted.

I am still happy getting proposals... Ciao Christian