Trying again. How is this for a first tourmaline?

[Picabia]

Still cheap practice stones, but I hope they're getting better (??). Pictures aren't great. It's clear and very pink. How did I do?

 

[Nashville]

It's pretty! Any closer pics of the cut?

 

[T L]

I assume this is a learning thread, so I will answer you honestly, especially since you didn't spend a lot on it. The stone doesn't knock my socks off, but at least it isn't black. It appears to be a bit brownish in your photos. It could have better saturation if it's like your photos IRL, but at least it's not extinct. The cutting is decent. What are the specs? size??

 

[Arkteia]

It resembles a garnet. I do not have many tourmalines, but if it were a garnet, I'd consider it pretty. I think I like the color.

 

[chictomato]

Hi there! Honestly, I see quite a bit of brown and I am not impress with the cutting either. Good start though

 

[chrono]

I don’t know what your previous learning stones look like so I cannot tell if your latest stone is better than them. Your picture shows a stone that is lacking is saturation (brownish) but seems to have a decent flash under certain lighting. Also, there isn’t much extinction and I don’t see a window so cut-wise, you didn’t do badly at all.

 

[Picabia]

Sorry for the long delay, and thanks for all the helpful responses.

Could someone explain what extinction is? I've been googling, but most references use the term rather than define it.

Tourmaline_Lover: The stone is 5mmx5mm, I didn't get a weight. It was a very inexpensive stone. Apparently unheated/untreated.

Here are a few more attempts. The camera has really poor color quality, so it really doesn't look quite so washed out. But these are much closer.

Again, thanks for all the comments.

 

[Picabia]

Just wanted to bump this. I know the original post was a while ago, but any new thoughts based on the new pictures?
Thanks!

 

[T L]

P,
I can't see the new photos due to PS2, but I can tell you what extinction is. Extinction are areas of a transparent gem that are very dark and where light does not reflect back up from the stone. If a gem is very dark toned, or cut too deeply, the light transmitted into the stone may not get back out, leaving little sparkle or scintillation. Some gems show extinction in certain lighting as well. For example, they can go extinct under sunlight/fluorescent/incandescent light, and looks brighter in sunlight/fluorescent/incandescent light. Tourmaline is one of those gems that is prone to looking great in incandescent light and very dark/extinct in sunlight. Extinction, as well as color shift to a less desirable color, are some of the reasons to evaluate a gem in various light sources before you decide to keep it. Often times, a vendor will shine a lot of light into a gem, or photograph it in optimal lighting, in order to not show the extinction.

Here is an example of a tourmaline that shows extinction on the edges and some in the center. IRL, I would imagine it's a very dark stone.

http://www.awesomegems.com/gems/gs2868.jpg

Here's another tourmaline that's much brighter, and more light is getting back to your eye

http://www.awesomegems.com/gems4/gs4115.jpg

 

[chrono]

These pictures are taken under a much better light source aka diffused natural light which is where most gemstones look their best. It is certainly a step up from your previous pictures and the stone isn’t bad at all for a starter gem. While the colour isn’t the best, it isn’t the worst either. And as you say it’s inexpensive, I can tell you it’s much better than MY starter stone.

 

[Picabia]

Thanks for the help everyone. The plan is to just keep learning. This stone was a cheap ebay find (maybe not even real?). Cost about $5. The plan is to really know what things look like before I order a nice stone from an online retailer who can be trusted.
Thanks again!

 

[T L]

I can finally see the latest photos of your tourmaline. It appears to have a slight color shift where it goes more brown indoors, and more pink in sunlight. Is that the case?