Look what I just bought...

[OTL]

After last time's try from litnon, I guess I am still hung up on bright blue tourmaline.
I saw this one under new arrivels and just hit the button(I promise it will be the last one this month ). I'm not worried about it being yellowish anymore, and it could be a copper bearing tourmaline! But from my one and only experience from litnon, their pictures seem to be a little saturation enhanced(look at the red fingers). The stone could be less saturated than photo

So after purchase, my only worry about it is the saturation. I hope it won't be too light...fingers accross!

Weight: 1.56 carats
Size: 6.8 x 5.2 mm deep
Clarity IF to VVS Top clean gemstone!
Cut: Portuguese style round brilliant
Color: Light greenish blue
Treatment: None, guaranteed natural color!
Note: Bright and pretty Tourmaline from Mozambique. Not tested for copper but hails from the same region as the copper bearing material.

 

[chrono]

Keep us posted. I doubt it has yellow but my concern with the light saturation is that it may end up grayish.

 

[OTL]

Keep us posted. I doubt it has yellow but my concern with the light saturation is that it may end up grayish.

Will do. Grayish...Oh No...
Fingers accross

 

[LD]

I doubt it will have yellow but agree with Chrono that it's quite pale and MAY have some grey. However, wait and see - you never know.

BTW, I'm sure you know this but even if it's copper bearing that doesn't increase its value because this isn't a "Paraiba" type tourmaline. As I said, I'm positive you know that but there's many people who think copper bearing means Paraiba but that's not the case.

Anyway, fingers crossed you fall in love with it when it arrives and promise to post photos please!

 

[NKOTB]

I have a big tourmaline of a similar colour from Gene. Although paler than most would like, it's a stunning stone, that pretty much everyone who looks at my collection points out/asks about, and there is no grey (at least that I can see). Fingers crossed that this one will be the same!

 

[OTL]

I doubt it will have yellow but agree with Chrono that it's quite pale and MAY have some grey. However, wait and see - you never know.

BTW, I'm sure you know this but even if it's copper bearing that doesn't increase its value because this isn't a "Paraiba" type tourmaline. As I said, I'm positive you know that but there's many people who think copper bearing means Paraiba but that's not the case.

Anyway, fingers crossed you fall in love with it when it arrives and promise to post photos please!

I know copper bearing does not mean paraiba, but I am not exactly sure about the reason. Does it need to reach some saturation level?

But I thought copper bearing tourmaline is generally more valuable than other tourmalines. Because copper bearing tourmaline usually has the pretty color people are after. Guess I was wrong?

 

[OTL]

I have a big tourmaline of a similar colour from Gene. Although paler than most would like, it's a stunning stone, that pretty much everyone who looks at my collection points out/asks about, and there is no grey (at least that I can see). Fingers crossed that this one will be the same!

Thanks so much, any thread about the big tourmaline?

 

[LD]

I doubt it will have yellow but agree with Chrono that it's quite pale and MAY have some grey. However, wait and see - you never know.

BTW, I'm sure you know this but even if it's copper bearing that doesn't increase its value because this isn't a "Paraiba" type tourmaline. As I said, I'm positive you know that but there's many people who think copper bearing means Paraiba but that's not the case.

Anyway, fingers crossed you fall in love with it when it arrives and promise to post photos please!

I know copper bearing does not mean paraiba, but I am not exactly sure about the reason. Does it need to reach some saturation level?

But I thought copper bearing tourmaline is generally more valuable than other tourmalines. Because copper bearing tourmaline usually has the pretty color people are after. Guess I was wrong?

Yes sorry that's not correct. A fairly large amount of tourmaline is copper bearing and you will see it being sold as Cuprian Tourmaline. Cuprian's can be good, bad and ugly! Non-copper bearing can be just as nice/nicer/worse! The difference with Paraiba is not just the saturation but it's the glow, the chemical composition and the neonicity of the gemstones. They literally don't look real! You will see many Cuprians being mis-sold as Paraibas when in truth they are just nice Cuprians. If there was a non-copper bearing of gorgeous colour/clarity etc and the same one but it was copper bearing, the price shouldn't be any different. Basically it comes down to each stone!

 

[OTL]

How to test whether it has copper or not?

 

[T L]

How to test whether it has copper or not?

Most labs can test for copper, but in this case, if it has copper, it is not going to make the stone more valuable. As others have mentioned, vendors use the "copper bearing" status to put a higher price on stones that otherwise wouldn't be as desirable, in order to sell them. It's marketing hype. I would just enjoy the stone for what it is, and I think it would look great in a halo, which would bring out the faceting and help deepen the color a bit. I have a copper bearing precision cut blue tourmaline in an 18K gold halo, and I think it looks great in there.

Enjoy and take pics when you get it.

 

[JewelFreak]

I have a question: I bought a peach/copper tourmaline from Steve Wallner a couple of years ago that I haven't set yet (speaking of photography, I absolutely can not get an accurate pic of its color). I haven't had it tested, nor did Steve, but it doesn't just glow, it practically lights up, even in fairly deep shadow. So, if copper were responsible for that, would it be called Cuprian? Or does Cuprian refer only to blue tourms -- I presume not, since it means "copper bearing," no? I don't care one way or another because I am in love with it, but this thread made me curious.

--- Laurie

 

[T L]

I have a question: I bought a peach/copper tourmaline from Steve Wallner a couple of years ago that I haven't set yet (speaking of photography, I absolutely can not get an accurate pic of its color). I haven't had it tested, nor did Steve, but it doesn't just glow, it practically lights up, even in fairly deep shadow. So, if copper were responsible for that, would it be called Cuprian? Or does Cuprian refer only to blue tourms -- I presume not, since it means "copper bearing," no? I don't care one way or another because I am in love with it, but this thread made me curious.

--- Laurie

Laurie,
A cuprian can only be called a cuprian if it gets its color from the copper before or after plain heat treatment. In other words, if it's blue or green, or a combination of the two (like a turquoise color). There are lots of tourmaline in the world that contain copper, not just the finds in Africa and Brazil, but when the famous Paraiba blue tourmaline were found, the color was so out of this world, they determined it was colored by copper. With other tourmaline, like your peachy stone, copper is not the chromophore (coloring agent), so unfortunately, I wouldn't call it a cuprian. Some blue cuprians are a lot more saturated than others though, but the blue green color is indicative of copper as the coloring agent. However, there are some blue tourmaline that are not colored by copper either. I think in those cases, iron may be the chromophore, but I'm not sure.

In any case, too many people fall for this marketing hype, and it's unfortunate because they can be overcharged for a stone that really is only as valuable as what it's color demands in the trade. HTH answer your question.

 

[chrono]

Copper bearing is overused for the past decade and often used to push sales or inflate the price of a tourmaline. Many other stones also contain copper. A true paraiba isn't only coloured by copper but looks electrifying fake, like an amazing apatite or super blue irradiated topaz but more so. A cuprian still has that saturation but lesser and is still coloured by copper. I've also seen some horrendous tourmalines (with copper needles).

Don't buy the hype unless the stone is worthy of the name. There's a reason why some vendors say it comes from such and such parcel but it was not tested. Testing costs $. If he was truly confident about it, why not have it tested and sell for more? Why just hint and imply?

For this stone, if you like it, just keep it and enjoy it. I do not think it makes financial sense to send it to a lab for copper content testing.

 

[OTL]

I never plan to send for a lab to test it, just wondering is there any easy self-check way.

Anyway, I understand the color is already what it is, whether a cuprian or not does not change the value. I like it because I always like a mint blue tourmaline as long as the saturation is like in the pictures. I just thought it would be cool to know if it is copper bearing by myself.

 

[chrono]

I wish there's an easy method but no, you'll need special equipment. Mine has faint copper needles so that's my easy self check method.

 

[OTL]

I wish there's an easy method but no, you'll need special equipment. Mine has faint copper needles so that's my easy self check method.

I love cool needle inclusions!A little bit needles do not affect the beauty of a stone, but add an interesting flavor to it.
Off the topic...I just received a heated sapphire, which has a bit gold/silver metallic needles in it.
Is that an indication that it has not been be-treated? I think I read somewhere that difussion treatment will make them disappear?
It is from a vendor I trust, so I would take his word anyway, just want to confirm this idea I got...

 

[NKOTB]

I have a big tourmaline of a similar colour from Gene. Although paler than most would like, it's a stunning stone, that pretty much everyone who looks at my collection points out/asks about, and there is no grey (at least that I can see). Fingers crossed that this one will be the same!

Thanks so much, any thread about the big tourmaline?

No, sorry. And I only currently have this picture, which makes it look gray, as do all the pics of my stones in this room, with this camera.

 

[OTL]

I have a big tourmaline of a similar colour from Gene. Although paler than most would like, it's a stunning stone, that pretty much everyone who looks at my collection points out/asks about, and there is no grey (at least that I can see). Fingers crossed that this one will be the same!

Thanks so much, any thread about the big tourmaline?

No, sorry. And I only currently have this picture, which makes it look gray, as do all the pics of my stones in this room, with this camera.

If that's an indoor picture, I'm sure it will look terrific under sunlight!
Lovely stone! I hope our stones look like twins

 

[OTL]

I wish there's an easy method but no, you'll need special equipment. Mine has faint copper needles so that's my easy self check method.

I love cool needle inclusions!A little bit needles do not affect the beauty of a stone, but add an interesting flavor to it.
Off the topic...I just received a heated sapphire, which has a bit gold/silver metallic needles in it.
Is that an indication that it has not been be-treated? I think I read somewhere that difussion treatment will make them disappear?
It is from a vendor I trust, so I would take his word anyway, just want to confirm this idea I got...

thoughts?

 

[chrono]

Based on colouration and inclusions, it is unlikely but I don't know for sure. Just because corundum is heated to almost melting point to diffuse the minerals does not mean the stone is now clean. A good example is ruby - many diffused rubies are still clarity challenged.

 

[OTL]

I have a big tourmaline of a similar colour from Gene. Although paler than most would like, it's a stunning stone, that pretty much everyone who looks at my collection points out/asks about, and there is no grey (at least that I can see). Fingers crossed that this one will be the same!

Thanks so much, any thread about the big tourmaline?

No, sorry. And I only currently have this picture, which makes it look gray, as do all the pics of my stones in this room, with this camera.

Hi NK

is this your stone? I just found out I saved that photo from Gene in my hard drive for a while.

Looks similar to yours