Faceted rough pink tourmaline

I was reading about tourmalines here on IGS and was a little confused about inclusions. Does a rough/faceted pink tourmaline hold little value or does it matter - when its of this size and has a lot of beautiful grain…?


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Love the necklace. It must look fabulous when being worn.

Firstly, your stone is a cut stone and not a rough. Rough means how is was when mined. This stone has been manufactured. Manufacted is an industry term for being cut, polished and so on.

In terms of valve, your stone is highly included. In tourmonline, this level of inclusion lowers the value significantly. The “lower” part of the stone is opaque which lowers the value more.

The next question is color. It is a very pretty color and it is right for tourmaline. I cannot say either way if this stone has been color treated from photographs. If it is natural color ,and from the pictures it is possible, it hepls the value. The size also helps the value.

Though not evidence, if the gold is real (look for the stamp) then it is a sign post in the direction of it being a better quality stone than not. Simply, people tend not to spend money on that amount of gold for a worthless stone.

In the industry as well as real life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people, though not many, would love this stone. I believe they are buyers that would love this stone because of the particular combination of size, color, the many inclusions and the unfinished look to the stone. However, it falls outside what most people look for in tourmaline. It is very likely that a much smaller tourmaline with hgh clarity and a good quality polish and finish would easily be more valuable than this stone.

I hope this was helpful.
Happy New Year,
Molly

Hey thanks. unfortunately, this was not helpful information. The owner picked our the rough stone and got it lightly cut. its a natural, untreated tourmaline. This i know for sure. Was just having a hard time calculating its worth because of it being a very…non polished look and because all of its inclusions. and yes, it is indeed set in solid gold and has a very nice gold wheat chain with it.

Hi I also like tourmaline , but the necklace would not be my first choice. You say it is set in fine gold, witch maybe worth more than the stone. I hope you can sell it. Maybe add up your costs, and double it. That may give you an idea. I am not an expert just know what I like.

Thank you. So its really not worth a whole lot - the stone that is. i would have to calculate at lowest clarity grading, add some for beautiful pink color, and carat size. its a very large stone. its pretty. but not thousands of dollars pretty ahaha

Sorry I was not more helpful. I would guess that hundreds rather than thousdands is accurate for the stone alone. There are buyers out there, though the minority, that would see the heavy inclusions as “alot of beautiful grains.”

I disagree with another person’s comment on the necklace. I think the design choices for this particular stone are excellent. The “rough” finish works great with the large and numerous inclusions. The richness of the gold shows off the color of the stone beautifully. The setting make the unique stone the “hero” of the necklace and the structure of the pendant shows off even more of the stone while protecting it. Any stone with that many inclusion is probably prone to damage. Making it a necklace is another way to protect the stone while being worn. As a piece of jewerly, I think it is fabulous!

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Curious, how many carats is the tourmaline?

BTW – my guesses are prices are just that. I don’t know where to go for per carat prices on stone that are exceptionally large. I think it is possible it could be thousands of dollars just because it is huge. I just don’t know where to send you.

i find it to be very pretty with all the rainbowy grain/inclusions. it has its own unique sparkle. and the pink is just wonderful, for pink (im not really a fan of pinks). its gotta be close to 30ct. 25x18x14depth

30 cts ahahaha shut up said i to me. ahaha i will say 20+ ct?

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and i dont know where to send me either. gem society was my last resort. i have done so much research and there are answers all over the map. finding an average has not be fun to say the least.

I wouldn’t pay more than a couple dollars per ct for pink tourmaline of that quality. To sell it $20-50/ct.

thanks.

The question is…where was it mined and is it possibly a paraba Tourmaline? If it is then it is indeed worth a small fortune. This can be found in South America. It would be nice if it were.
All the best
Otter

no. Maine USA mine.

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Hi Claire .I have been cutting gemstones for about 12 years and my mentor was a tourmaline fanatic. I have also visited Tourmaline mines in Maine and in Southern California. I also have lots of Tourmaline rough in crystal form, ready to cut. Based upon my experiences and discussions with mine owners, An eye clean pink tourmaline is much rarer than say an eye clean blue or blue/green Tourmaline. Pink Tourmalines are commonly included, though your appears to be heavily included. Because pinks are more commonly included, buyers of pink often expect some level of inclusions. High Desert Gems and Minerals, Owners of the Himalaya mine near San Diego, sell faceted pink Tourmaline stones from $40-$100 per ct. Given the size of your stone and the level of inclusions, I would suggest a price range from $45- $65 per ct, though it could be more given the large size. If you want to be more accurate, I suggest getting it appraised by a certified gem appraiser. Hope this helps.

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I’m Brazilian and I’ve sometimes been in tourmaline mining areas in Minas Gerais and Tocantins, also in some exhibitions. I think that a pink tourmaline, Rubellite of this size and with this clarity and color is very rare. So, it justifies the use of gold. If it were IF it would justify the use of platinum.

yea…thanks for the information. it seems like there cant possibly be one straight answer because apparently grading systems dont truly exist. or at least, thats what igs forum has taught me.

No matter where it’s from or what the grade, I would wear it with pride. It’s a beautiful piece. Pink tourmaline is a popular stone and valued not just among the October babies but by so many women and men that adore pink stones. I hunted down the right 3.35 carat pink tourmaline to fit a setting I made up that took me 2 years. It is VS, modified cushion cut from Afghanistan. For insurance I had a few appraisals done. Both were so far apart it was a joke! But then again, the one I went to has always low balled me thinking he can get me to sell some of my finer stones to him. Now I have to drive 45 miles one way to get another appraisal for insurance. My company will not take my word for it when it comes to my own pieces.
Enjoy your beautiful necklace.
Otter.

I found this ring on the IGS website.

Your stone has better clarity, but both stones heavy inclusions have a lovely effect. Maybe this jeweler can help you.

Here is the link to the jeweler’s website and ring information:
https://benday.co.uk/collections/collection/products/sea-ring

thank you. i wish it were mine! ahaha I handle estate jewelry people. i can get around some gemstones, but there are areas that i just cant do alone. lack of knowledge/experience. hence, igs forums. I am not ashamed to admit my shortcomings when it comes to gemology.

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