Gary Braun Afghan Tourmaline Asscher (4.92 ct. 9.5 mm)

[LaurenThePartier]

I have been playing with this Afgan Tourmaline cut by Gary Braun all afternoon . . . just wanted to post some pics for the Asscher lovers!

First, Gary''s pic. There''s an inclusion on the table, and he mentioned that he could cut the stone to remove the inclusion, but in person, it''s not eye visible, and I would hate for this tourmaline to lose so much weight for an inconsequential inclusion.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Another of Gary''s pics.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I''m having the hardest time getting the colour to come out. . .

 

[LaurenThePartier]

In my hand, outside.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Showing some blue.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Closer - lost a ton of resolution to get it to fit.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

More, boy I had manhandled this tourmaline by the end of the shoot.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Best representation of the colour I see.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

On it''s table next to my Gary Aqua.

 

[chrono]

Lauren,
I wouldn't sweat the inclusion. It's so small you can't really see it unless viewing up super close. BTW, I like the blue flash it gives off.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

With the aqua again.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

And again, looking sleepy.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

A little fire.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Love the blue in it!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Profile.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

My Asschers . . . the Morganite is cut by Peter after I found some "clean" rough from Vallejo916 and showed it to Peter. He was skeptical of the seller, but gave it a shot, and since I found the rough, he gave me a decent price, about what I'd expect for an expertly cut morganite (with some character).

It's not very clean, but I like the delicate peachy-pink colour.

Afghan Tourmaline and Aqua by Gary Braun at Finewater, Morganite and Scapolite by Peter Torraca of PTGems.

 

[Stone Hunter]

WOW the cut is really nice, captivating. Your photos look good to me, but I know what you mean about not getting the right color on the camera that you see with your eyes.

Do you plan on setting this?

ETA: Could you list who cut each of your stones? That would give PSers an idea of who to go to for Asscher cuts!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 10:57:44 PM
Author: Chrono
Lauren,
I wouldn''t sweat the inclusion. It''s so small you can''t really see it unless viewing up super close. BTW, I like the blue flash it gives off.

Thanks, Chrono! I''m living with it for a couple of days and a couple of photo shoots before I decide to keep it. I find the blue flashes charming.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

On the back of the hand - last one of the Afghan.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Bonus pic of my Scap.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:02:23 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
WOW the cut is really nice, captivating. Your photos look good to me, but I know what you mean about not getting the right color on the camera that you see with your eyes.

Do you plan on setting this?

Thanks Stone Hunter . . . I appreciate the kind words about my pics. I''ll be an unstoppable force with a DSLR (yeah, right!)

I am still deciding if I should keep it. I''m in LOVE with the cut, but I''m not sure if the colour is too dark. It has some great colour, but I''m still working on dealing with the extinction I''m seeing. I''m leaning towards keeping it. And, if I do, it''ll be a solitaire ring, or if I can find some tiny step cut traps, I may do that . . . I don''t know.

Ideas? Suggestions? I''m open to them.

 

[strmrdr]

makes me almost like green

green is the hardest color to get right in photos.

It is the color that the sensor is least sensitive to.
As a matter of fact they have for every 1 red and one blue they have 2 green sensitive areas to make up for it.
But the photo ends up using the red channel(most sensitive) the most and the red channel doesn't react to green but does some to blue.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:02:23 PM
Author: Stone Hunter

ETA: Could you list who cut each of your stones? That would give PSers an idea of who to go to for Asscher cuts!

Great idea! I went back to the pic of all 4 Asschers face up and posted who they are cut by. Aqua and Afghan Tourmaline are by Gary Braun. Moragnite and Scapolite by Peter Torraca.

 

[chrono]

If you decide to keep it, it'll need a very open setting because it looks darker than Gary's picture. There's no question the cutting is excellent but the tone does appear rather dark.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:09:41 PM
Author: strmrdr
makes me almost like green

green is the hardest color to get right in photos.

It is the color that the sensor is least sensitive to.
As a matter of fact they have for every 1 red and one blue they have 2 green sensitive areas to make up for it.

Almost, Karl?

I have huge amounts of frustration from tonight''s photo shoot - but in the profile shot on the back of my hand, you can see how I calmed my frustration . . . 12 Mile Trail Merlot.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:11:04 PM
Author: Chrono
If you decide to keep it, it''ll need a very open setting because it looks darker than Gary''s picture. There''s no question the cutting is excellent but the tone does not seem suited to a deep step cut stone.

Yeah, I was definitely thinking 4 prong solitaire of some sort if I keep it. I was worried it would be too dark, and there are moments where it is pretty dark in direct sunlight, but in those moments, there is a flash from deep within of green or blue . . .

 

[bling addict]

Gorgeous asscher collection! I have no idea how I missed your scalpolite ring...but it''s gorgeous!

Love your new green stone too ...well all of them really

 

[mochi]

I think it''s prety. IRL is it very dark? Asschers and greens are so hard to capture on camera.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:11:57 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 5/20/2009 11:09:41 PM

Author: strmrdr

makes me almost like green


green is the hardest color to get right in photos.


It is the color that the sensor is least sensitive to.

As a matter of fact they have for every 1 red and one blue they have 2 green sensitive areas to make up for it.

Almost, Karl?

I have huge amounts of frustration from tonight''s photo shoot - but in the profile shot on the back of my hand, you can see how I calmed my frustration . . . 12 Mile Trail Merlot.

green is my least favorite color, I grew up in a puke green house

 

[T L]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:07:51 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 5/20/2009 11:02:23 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
WOW the cut is really nice, captivating. Your photos look good to me, but I know what you mean about not getting the right color on the camera that you see with your eyes.

Do you plan on setting this?

Thanks Stone Hunter . . . I appreciate the kind words about my pics. I''ll be an unstoppable force with a DSLR (yeah, right!)

I am still deciding if I should keep it. I''m in LOVE with the cut, but I''m not sure if the colour is too dark. It has some great colour, but I''m still working on dealing with the extinction I''m seeing. I''m leaning towards keeping it. And, if I do, it''ll be a solitaire ring, or if I can find some tiny step cut traps, I may do that . . . I don''t know.

Ideas? Suggestions? I''m open to them.

If a tourmaline is naturally extinct, there''s really not much you can do to "open it up" except shine super bright lights on it all day. That''s just the nature of tourmaline with a closed c-axis.