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

[Linda W]

Lauren that tourmaline is drop dead gorgeous. I love the mix of the blue and green.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:13:42 PM
Author: 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 . . .

Lauren, since you''re still on the fence about it, I''ll be honest and say it''s the first stone I''ve seen of yours that I''m not in love with. It''s photographing pretty dark and I don''t think it does the cut justice if I were to judge by the photos. I love it in the stock photos though.

 

[loriken214]

I love this stone!!!

Lori

 

[ma re]

Beauuuutiful! I love it!

In terms of setting it, I''d suggest going for yellow gold to keep the tone perception lighter, using some sort of a 4 prong setting to let as much light in as possible, and having diamonds as either side stones or accents to balance the blues and the greens (white would accentuate the blues, yellow gold would bring out the green). Hope this helps.

P. S. Considering the size of it, I''d use just some diamond accents, cause adding side stones could make the whole thing a bit huge - especially if you have small hands.

 

[Lovinggems]

Lovely colour!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:23:15 PM
Author: 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

Thank you, Bling Addict!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:31:36 PM
Author: mochi
I think it''s prety. IRL is it very dark? Asschers and greens are so hard to capture on camera.

Mochi, I was hoping you''d chime in. After thinking about it last night, I''m thinking it might actually be a tad on the too dark side for me . . . I will try and take some more pics of it when I get home, because I don''t think any but the pic of it in my palm is really showing the best representation of its colour, but it''s HUGE (to me), which may make my ultimate decision easier. I''m more of an ~8mm girl, not an over 9mm. I know, shocking!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:46:19 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

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.

I could walk around with a spotlight strapped to my head.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:43:35 PM
Author: 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

Yeah, I''d hate green, too.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Thank you, Linda! I love the cut, on the fence about the colour.

Date: 5/21/2009 12:37:59 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 5/20/2009 11:13:42 PM
Author: 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 . . .

Lauren, since you''re still on the fence about it, I''ll be honest and say it''s the first stone I''ve seen of yours that I''m not in love with. It''s photographing pretty dark and I don''t think it does the cut justice if I were to judge by the photos. I love it in the stock photos though.

Thanks, TGal. I''m having trouble with this one since the cut is so fabulous, but it''s really difficult to see. I appreciate your opinion, and yeah, when I saw the stock photos, I was like "YES, send it to me!!!!!"

Thank you, Lori and LovingGems!

Mr. Ma Re - thanks so much for the suggestions on setting. I think I''m putting the cart before the horse here, though.

My husband''s in love with the cut since he''s such a huge Asscher fan, and he''s actually urging me to keep it.

 

[chrono]

I am still finding that Gary’s pictures of his gemstones are not representative of them in person. In this case, the tourmaline looks awesome in his pictures but you have to tease it with strong lighting to look make it look like that. Lauren, whether you decide to keep it or return it, I think it would be a good idea to relay this to Gary as an improvement suggestion for his business. If you love the cut, I’d suggest looking for another gemstone that has the cut AND the colour to go with it. As mentioned in other threads, I don’t like to work hard to make the gem look pretty – it should look pretty most of the time without any help from me.

 

[chrono]

Karl,
I never liked green growing up either until I saw the right gemstone recently.

 

[D&T]

LTP- I love the asschers, that is a gorgeous green, my next gem stone will be an asscher (just gotta decide on a color)

 

[cinnamon013]

It is very pretty, but does come across a bit dark. That color of saturation might have been better served cut in some other fashion rather than an asscher. However, it is a nice stone.

 

[stepcutnut]

Gorgeous cut, kind of dark---if the size isn''t right for you either, I''d send it back.

 

[cushioncutnut]

Lovely cut stone. I do like the blue flashes!

 

[LD]

Sounds like you have too many reservations???? If you send it back will you have regrets? That''s always my starting point. I love the cut and the blue/green flashes are gorgeous. However it does look a little dark but then IRL it may not. If you do keep it, how about an open style pendant?

 

[mochi]

Date: 5/21/2009 9:37:54 AM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 5/20/2009 11:31:36 PM
Author: mochi
I think it''s prety. IRL is it very dark? Asschers and greens are so hard to capture on camera.

Mochi, I was hoping you''d chime in. After thinking about it last night, I''m thinking it might actually be a tad on the too dark side for me . . . I will try and take some more pics of it when I get home, because I don''t think any but the pic of it in my palm is really showing the best representation of its colour, but it''s HUGE (to me), which may make my ultimate decision easier. I''m more of an ~8mm girl, not an over 9mm. I know, shocking!

Peter''s amethyst is on the dark side too, but it has it''s moment when it just wants to ''show off''. I also love the cut. I''m such a sucker for asschers and having a purple asscher was just enough to convince me to keep that stone.

Agree with you on the size of the stone. IMHO, asschers that is cut well and a lovely color (one that is not too dark) that shows off the cut, I don''t mind if it''s large. But if the stone is, well, on the darker size and it doesn''t show the cut well, it just sort of looks like a square. I just can''t live with that...

 

[princessplease]

So stunning!!! Love the color

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 5/22/2009 9:07:53 AM
Author: mochi

Date: 5/21/2009 9:37:54 AM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 5/20/2009 11:31:36 PM
Author: mochi
I think it''s prety. IRL is it very dark? Asschers and greens are so hard to capture on camera.

Mochi, I was hoping you''d chime in. After thinking about it last night, I''m thinking it might actually be a tad on the too dark side for me . . . I will try and take some more pics of it when I get home, because I don''t think any but the pic of it in my palm is really showing the best representation of its colour, but it''s HUGE (to me), which may make my ultimate decision easier. I''m more of an ~8mm girl, not an over 9mm. I know, shocking!

Peter''s amethyst is on the dark side too, but it has it''s moment when it just wants to ''show off''. I also love the cut. I''m such a sucker for asschers and having a purple asscher was just enough to convince me to keep that stone.

Agree with you on the size of the stone. IMHO, asschers that is cut well and a lovely color (one that is not too dark) that shows off the cut, I don''t mind if it''s large. But if the stone is, well, on the darker size and it doesn''t show the cut well, it just sort of looks like a square. I just can''t live with that...

Mochi, I completely understand . . . this thing has serious moments when it wants to show off, so I''m still so torn. I''m waiting another day to make a final decision, but I''m leaning toward keeping it after my latest photo shoot. I''ll upload pics in a moment.

LovingDiamonds, your post seriously helped me with making the decision. I''m not there yet, but yes, I think if I send it back, I will absolutely regret it.

Thank you everyone else for your opinions.

 

[icekid]

Lauren- it looks like a nice stone. Again, does not seem to match the vendor photos which is frustrating.

I suspect this was not an inexpensive stone (given the size) and would return it unless you''re absolutely sold on it.

I''ve often wondered how a darker stone would turn out as an asscher... so this thread has been very interesting for me, at least. Let us know what you decide!

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/22/2009 9:32:48 PM
Author: icekid
Lauren- it looks like a nice stone. Again, does not seem to match the vendor photos which is frustrating.

I suspect this was not an inexpensive stone (given the size) and would return it unless you''re absolutely sold on it.

I''ve often wondered how a darker stone would turn out as an asscher... so this thread has been very interesting for me, at least. Let us know what you decide!

I agree with Icekid''s 2 statements above.

 

[redfaerythinker]

*bump* Did you decide to keep the stone?

 

[marcy]

What lovely asschers.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 6/2/2009 12:13:08 AM
Author: redfaerythinker
*bump* Did you decide to keep the stone?

Hey Redfaerythinker - I actually did decide to keep the stone. It''s a pretty stone in person, and I would have hated for it to be recut, because the cutting was so gorgeous to begin with.

Besides that, if he had recut it, the price likely would have gone up significantly.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 6/2/2009 12:14:55 AM
Author: marcyc
What lovely asschers.

Thanks, Marcy! I have another on the way!

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 5/20/2009 11:10:28 PM
Author: 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.

THANKS I really like them and think you have a good eye for judging the cut.