Pink tourmaline

[austinj]

Hey guys! I thought I would get the experts opinion on this tourmaline I want to buy and the price. If you guys think it is a good price or not. Im not going to say the vendor so I hope no one buys it out from under me! It is just over 4 carats and has a feather in the lower RH corner. And is 800$ usd. Let me know what you think! Thanks

 

[chrono]

I think this one will shift to a peachier orangish colour indoors and the inclusion on the lower right is too large to be hidden by a prong. Are you all right with both? Any price stated will never be acceptable unless the potential buyer is aware and accepts both the positives and negatives of the gem.

 

[austinj]

Yes the feather doesn't bother me so much. I don't mind inclusions so long as they don't take over the whole gem! And i love all colors in the Orange- pink spectrum so that won't bother me either! So with all that in mind do you think it's a fair price? I thought it was but I also didn't know about saturation until a few days ago.....

 

[minousbijoux]

I would like to see other photos to determine how it looks in various lighting and just how apparent the feather will be. Do you have other photos? Can you ask for a hand shot?

 

[austinj]

Here is one more photo although it looks pretty similar to the first one. And good idea I will ask for a hand shot!

 

[GregS]

That stone isn't very saturated, and like Chrono said it'll shift. That inclusion is big, it's dangerous being up against the girdle like that, I'd sweat it during setting. As for price here's what I feel is a much better stone priced at only $50 a carat more ($250 ppc $1390 for a 5.55ct. stone), still shifty and still some inclusions but a lot more pink/fuschia.

http://selectgem.com/collections/front-page/products/5-55ct-mozambique-rubellite-tourmaline

 

[austinj]

Ok see this is why it is a good idea to ask. I didn't know a feather was a weak spot! Thanks Greg. I do like that selectgem stone as well. I was drawn to the orange pink color of the first one but I see in the video there are orange flashes in the 5.5 carat as well. I may have to rethink!

 

[minousbijoux]

Those photos are taken in excellent - maybe close to ideal - lighting conditions. It is always a good idea to ask the vendor for additional photos showing the stone 1) on the back of the hand (for proportion, for determining visibility of inclusion, for assessing windows) and 2) in various lighting situations. Sometimes they will comply, sometimes they can't be bothered. I would not consider the stone you are looking at unless they either provided additional photos - particularly a hand shot - or were willing to describe, at length, how it shifts in various lighting situations (does it close up? turn brown at all? shift hues? does the inclusion become very evident?) HTH

 

[Arcadian]

If you like it or not will depend on what you want. I don't mind the shift of color, so that wouldn't bother me, we all have to find what works best for us or not. What would give me pause is the inclusion. I would ask about it (if its surface reaching etc) And I would be careful how you set the stone if you choose to get it. Should only be sent to someone who understand how to set colored stones.

Color I find to be a very personal thing. You have to decide if that rocks your boat. You may also want to ask for more images if you're not sure. The worse thing a vendor can do is say no, in which case thats probably not a vendor you want to deal with anyway.

 

[austinj]

Well the place got back to me today and sent some pictures which were ok but after seeing them decided the one from select gem was nicer so I went to purchase it and guess what. Sold! Darn it. I guess you snooze you lose

 

[movie zombie]

Well the place got back to me today and sent some pictures which were ok but after seeing them decided the one from select gem was nicer so I went to purchase it and guess what. Sold! Darn it. I guess you snooze you lose

has happened to most of us....sigh. with me it as an amethyst....

sorry but I have to say that was a sweet stone.........sigh.

 

[austinj]

Ugh.. So disappointing! I actually felt my stomach drop when I saw it saw sold. I never thought that would happen over a material object lol.

 

[GregS]

It's unfortunate that we can't send private messages in this forum. That would've enabled me to post a picture and if you were interested, message you the link. That stone has been sitting in his inventory for months, most likely somebody saw it posted here and snagged it. In time something better will present itself.