What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmaline!

[picante27]

So, my friend just purchased this tourmaline. The color is lovely and she loves how it is brighter blue green on one side and a more grass green on the other. What she's not sure about is the stripe (?) that is visible right down the center of the stone. Is is a window? Just the nature of the stone? The cut? We are both novices when it comes to CS, we like pretty rocks, but are definitely not experts. Is it something that might be corrected when it is set, or will it always be visible? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[chrono]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

The bar or stripe you see is due to the cut. Does it move as you move the stone from side to side? Unfortunately, that stripe is here to stay. I think this style of cut is called opposed bar.

 

[picante27]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Thank you Chrono. The bar stays the same even when the stone is tilted. So, you think it was intentionally cut this way? Could it be corrected with a re cut? I'm guessing it wouldn't be worth it, but my friend is really in love with the color. ..

 

[indigoblue]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

I learn something new here every day. Here's an old thread about the OB cut, and the example photo shows a stone that seems to have stripes too.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/calling-zeolite-opposed-bar-cut-questions.108243/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/calling-zeolite-opposed-bar-cut-questions.108243/[/URL]

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

The bar is there to stay as its part of the OB car. I saw a lot of them when looking for my green-blue tourmaline. A lot. I'm not sure it could be corrected with a re-cut, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to ask a few cutters and get their thoughts.

 

[picante27]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Thank you indigoblue! That thread was very informative. I learn something new here everyday as well!

 

[Michael_E]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

That is very weird. Can you show a picture as an end view of the stone and maybe from some different angles? It doen't look like a cut feature, since it goes right over the dark reflections on the ends of the stone. It isn't making sense to me and pictures from different angles are needed to see what's actually happening here.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

That is very weird. Can you show a picture as an end view of the stone and maybe from some different angles? It doen't look like a cut feature, since it goes right over the dark reflections on the ends of the stone. It isn't making sense to me and pictures from different angles are needed to see what's actually happening here.

+1 - I couldn't quite understand it either, Michael!

 

[picante27]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Thanks Sparkliesluvr. Looking back at the vendor pics, the bar was showing. We just thought it was a reflection or something. My friend is kind of bummed because she really likes the change of color from one side to the other, but not a fan of the bar. Still in the return window, so she's got a decision to make.

Michael_E and minousbijoux, I didn't take any pictures at other angles. I just messaged my friend and asked her to snap some to post. When we looked up this cut earlier today, we thought this one looked a bit different from the images we found online of opposed bar cuts. I will post some more pics hopefully soon.

 

[MJO]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

It is cut that way intentionally. It is considered a bicolor with one end blue and the other a green. It think it looks great.

 

[aussiejamie]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Hi there,
It looks like the long pavilion facet is sort of acting like a window. In your first pictures the white background makes the stripe look extremely prominent and you can see in the first photo that you can make out the texture of the felt. In the second batch of photos the stripe is not as prominent because the stone was shot in between the the fingers which is darker. This is what I think is happening. Hope that helps!
AJ

 

[picante27]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Hi AJ, that is very helpful indeed! It does kind of seem like a window because you can see right through it. Do you think if it is bezel set that it would prevent this from happening? Maybe the bar would not be transparent if set in a thick yellow gold bezel?

MJO, yeah I guess seeing the cut in person when we weren't expecting it threw us both for a loop. I do think it's a nice looking stone for sure.

I greatly appreciate all the insight!

And here's a few more angles of the tourmaline.

 

[picante27]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

And here's a few more.

 

[aussiejamie]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Hi Picante,
It could possibly benefit from setting but I might leave that question for a setter or jeweller to answer as I do not set or make jewellery. Also would hate to give info that could be wrong. I just cut the 'coloured sparkly things' we put in the metal .
AJ

 

[PrecisionGem]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

That cut is NOT an opposed bar cut. Opposed bar means exactly what the name implies, that there are facets running in one direction on the pavilion (normally the length of the stone) and then facets running perpendicular to these on the crown. This stone looks to have a more traditional emerald cut crown.

 

[aussiejamie]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

That cut is NOT an opposed bar cut. Opposed bar means exactly what the name implies, that there are facets running in one direction on the pavilion (normally the length of the stone) and then facets running perpendicular to these on the crown. This stone looks to have a more traditional emerald cut crown.

Probably should have mentioned that too! oops! Thanks PrecisionGem Looks to be the 'Commercial Tourmaline' cut by Leininger, Bruce; Seattle F Design.
AJ

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

So Gene, are you thinking its just a facet which unfortunately is acting as a window?

 

[chrono]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Ah, the pavilion view and profile view tells more about the cut. Yes, this is definitely NOT an opposed bar style cut. Hmmm, it is bright against white and dark against the hand. It looks like that facet is sort of acting as a pseudo tilt window because of the angles.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

It is hard to know for sure with out having the stone to look at, but it's either a tilt window, or the last facet tier on the pavilion is cut too shallow and it creates a window when viewed perpendicular to the table.

Cutting these long thin tourmaline always present performance issues. Unfortunately most tourmaline found is in these longer crystals. There isn't too much you can do with them, my preference is more toward the opposed bar type cuts, but for some this is too modern, and prefer the more traction all cut like this one. It is a pretty stone, and the bi color is always nice.

 

[picante27]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

Thanks PrecisionGem, AJ, Chrono, minousbijoux, and anyone else I've missed for the helpful insights. I'm not sure if my friend is keeping the tourmaline or not, thank you for helping us understand what is going on with the cut.

 

[Sphene]

Re: What am I looking at here? please help with this tourmal

I think the bottom keel facet is acting as a window - not sure the cost would be worth it but you may be able to have it cut to a point - all in all with the change in shading from one end to the other I think the strip gives it quite a cool edge - if it did not cost much I would keep it.