Pink tourmaline help

[athenaworth]

Now I'm obsessed with colored stones. Thanks a lot guys. . Anywho, now I'm drooling over pink tourmalines. I love the vibrant color and that they don't seem all that expensive. What do you guys think of this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-20-Cts-GENUINE-NATURAL-ULTRA-RARE-TOP-PINK-TOURMALINE-/310302550181?pt=Loose_Gemstones_1&hash=item483f7928a5#ht_3577wt_996

 

[T L]

I don't trust pink tourmaline in a hot pink color, as it could be irradiated. Unless you don't care about treatment, that's something to consider. If it shifts to orange, or some brownish or peachy color, than it's probably not treated. I personally like my pink tourmaline to stay pink in all lighting, so it's a no win situation for someone like me to continue buying them.

Besides, that photo is obviously enhanced, and it's either irradiated or a shade of peachy pink, and/or in not as light in tone as the photo suggests. I don't care if the listing states "not treated."

Some tourmaline tends to go extinct, but some dealers show them off looking bright and pretty, so that's something else to consider when buying any color tourmaline.

 

[athenaworth]

Thank you TL. I love this place.

 

[LD]

Agree with TL - that photo is definitely tampered with.

Having said that, if you like that colour of Tourmaline then you're better off looking for an excellent Rubellite. As TL has said, tourmaline (pink and rubellite) can go a horrible orangey-brown in incandescent lighting so be prepared you may have to buy a few until you find one that doesn't. Try Gene, Dana or John at Gemrite as I think they've all had some in in the past year or two.

TL - I'm pretty sure that even irradiated Rubellite will change in incandescent lighting. Not sure that that's an indication of irradiation etc. The reason I know this is because I once bought (and returned) a piece that had been irradiated and it most definitely shifted to a horrible colour!

 

[T L]

TL - I'm pretty sure that even irradiated Rubellite will change in incandescent lighting. Not sure that that's an indication of irradiation etc. The reason I know this is because I once bought (and returned) a piece that had been irradiated and it most definitely shifted to a horrible colour!

Really LD? That's interesting because there are some people that research treatment a lot and I asked them about it, and they thought that the non-irradiated stones do not shift. Well, that's even worse, so what pink tourmaline CAN you trust (unless you dug it up yourself)??

 

[kelpie]

I didn't know irradiation was a concern but I agree the pic has an unlikely color. You should check out Bob Kast for inexpensive pink tourmalines.

 

[colorluvr]

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-45-Cts-GENUINE-NATURAL-RARE-TOP-PINK-TOURMALINE-PAIR-/190505272664?pt=Loose_Gemstones_1&hash=item2c5affc558

Runaway from this seller - same stone photo as OP posted, but next to itself for a "pair" - shame shame....

 

[LD]

TL - I'm pretty sure that even irradiated Rubellite will change in incandescent lighting. Not sure that that's an indication of irradiation etc. The reason I know this is because I once bought (and returned) a piece that had been irradiated and it most definitely shifted to a horrible colour!

Really LD? That's interesting because there are some people that research treatment a lot and I asked them about it, and they thought that the non-irradiated stones do not shift. Well, that's even worse, so what pink tourmaline CAN you trust (unless you dug it up yourself)??

Honestly 100%. It didn't hold it's colour and was irradiated. Thankfully all mine are old material but if I were looking now ..... I don't know what I'd do.

 

[lavatea]

Doug has some really nice pink tourmaline. I want one cut in his phi flower dome. Yummy.