Tourmaline: rainbow crystals

Tourmaline: Rainbow crystals
How to Buy
Jewelery

buying tourmalines

How to buy tourmaline

Lighting greatly affects the perception of light tourmalines. As a rule, red, pink, orange and yellow tourmalines look best in artificial light, and green, blue and purple - in daylight. Choosing tourmalines (and any other precious and semi-precious stones), view them in different types of lighting to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Transparency. Transparency tourmalines can be very different. The most transparent are usually blue and blue-green tourmalines; almost all red and pink tourmalines have distinct eye inclusions - usually it's cracked. Sometimes, to improve transparency in the stone cracks injected fluid (fluid inclusions).

Cutting tourmalines as diverse as their color. Because of the strong pleochroism dark tourmalines are usually so that to focus on the lighter of the two dominant colors. Due to the elongated shape tourmaline crystals are often used rectangular and square emerald cut. Bright when cut tourmalines often give a round, oval or triangular shape.

Prices vary greatly tourmalines. The most expensive Paraiba tourmalines (other than pure shades of blue), can cost tens of thousands of dollars per carat. Red and pink tourmalines, indigolity (tourmalines indigo), and multi-colored tourmalines, usually cost from one thousand dollars per carat, and more. Other types of tourmaline can cost between 50 to 750 dollars per carat, depending on the color saturation.

The size of the stones. Faceted tourmaline Paraiba rarely weigh more than two carats, and despite this, are very much appreciated. Tourmaline Paraiba weighing more than 5 carats can be considered a jewel of world-class (by the way, if you are in the ordinary jewelry store offering a large tourmaline allegedly this type may incriminate seller of cheating - these stones are almost come to the public, and without that very quickly find buyers) . Most of the Paraiba tourmalines weighing less than 1 carat. Red and other tourmalines can be more, but the weight of over 10 carats - a rarity.

Origins. Most of tourmalines mined today in Brazil (born there, and the most valuable Paraiba tourmalines), in some other regions of South America. In earlier times, tourmaline mined in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar, but now their production in these countries has virtually ceased. Tourmaline beautiful canary yellow usually come from Malawi, and the best red and blue-green tourmalines - from Nigeria. In Afghanistan, Burma and Sri Lanka, also in small quantities mined tourmaline.

Imitations. Tourmaline never synthesized, but there are a number of his imitations of natural stones and glass.

Care of stone. Clean tourmaline best warm, soapy water. Avoid exposure to acids and high temperatures in the tourmalines. Hot steam for tourmalines also not safe. Ultrasound is generally harmless to the stone, but it can be dangerous in the presence of liquid inclusions.