Green Paraiba Tourmaline ? - opinion please

[Bron357]

Mr Google isn’t helping much.
Without chemical analysis how do you distinguish between ordinary “green Tormaline” and “green Paraiba Tourmaline?
I’m trying to quantify this “glow aspect”.
What do you think ?
Ps it’s wee and I’m a rubbish photographer

 

[ringo865]

Doesn't seem very silky. It looks nice and clear. Is the silk what causes the "glow"?

 

[voce]

From all the photos I've seen of paraiba tourmalines, they're some kind of blue green. Even though yours looks super glowy, the color reminds me of chrome tourmaline, not paraiba.

Is this from the stash? Paraiba tourmalines only began to be mined in the early 90s, and were initially that famous Caribbean blue color (facts I learned from a book), long before gemologists were able to classify it with chemicals. I don't remember when the original hoarder retired or died, but the time frame that the tourmaline was acquired would be highly relevant to solving this little mystery.

Wish you luck!

 

[Bron357]

From all the photos I've seen of paraiba tourmalines, they're some kind of blue green. Even though yours looks super glowy, the color reminds me of chrome tourmaline, not paraiba.

Is this from the stash? Paraiba tourmalines only began to be mined in the early 90s, and were initially that famous Caribbean blue color (facts I learned from a book), long before gemologists were able to classify it with chemicals. I don't remember when the original hoarder retired or died, but the time frame that the tourmaline was acquired would be highly relevant to solving this little mystery.

Wish you luck!

I only thought Paraiba came in that lovely turquoise blue too but apparently they come in green as well. I’m more curious than anything. Mr Jeweller died 1996 I believe. You need to test the Tourmalines to authenticate, the few I have in this interesting highlighter green colour are quite wee. I half suspect people like to put the word “Paraiba” into their description because it’s worth more money. A bit like the Rubies that look to most like a pink Sapphire!

 

[Acinom]

Pretty stone! To me it looks like chrome tourmaline as well.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Gorgeous, but I agree it more closely resembles a chrome tourmaline. There have definitely been a few green copper bearing tourmalines arround but they're usually a different shade of green (at least not the ones I have seen)

 

[prs]

When I was looking at paraibas I learned a good way to detect the paraiba "glow" was to hold the stone in a very shaded area, e.g. under a table. If you can't still see the glow, it's not a paraiba.

 

[Barrett]

When I was looking at paraibas I learned a good way to detect the paraiba "glow" was to hold the stone in a very shaded area, e.g. under a table. If you can't still see the glow, it's not a paraiba.

Hi! Can you please elaborate some on what you mean in your post above?

 

[prs]

@Barrett Earlier this year I found a 3.4ct Paraiba at what I thought was a great price.

After asking for advice here I had second thoughts about the stone when the large window was pointed out. On returning to the store I happened to hold the stone at my waist level, and out of any direct light. On looking down I realized I could only see the Paraiba "glow" around the edges of the stone, and the center of the stone was dead. Further research on different stones revealed that well cut, true Paraibas glowed in the shade, without any direct light, whereas very thinly cut Paraibas needed direct light to show any glow, or sparkle in the case of non-paraibas.

Perhaps I should have said that only stones that deserve to be called Paraibas will glow in the shade.