What do you think of this

[davi_el_mejor]

So, I found this stone from a seller on ebay from whom I''ve bought a stone before and was pleasantly surprised. I like the color personally, but I''m confused on the Paraiba part.

These are the comments for the sale:

Color: TEAL = BLUE-GREEN 1.4 CTS.: 8.91 X 6 X 4.38 MM
PEAR: BRAZIL 1.64 REFRACTIVE INDEX: COPPER BEARING

THIS IS A VERY NICE PARAIBA SHOWING MORE GREEN THAN BLUE, WITH VERY GOOD EYE APPEAL. IT''S BRAZIL ORIGIN PROBABLY INDICATES OLD MINE, BUT OBVIOUSLY, I CANNOT VERIFY THAT. I BOUGHT THIS GEM FROM A VERY RELIABLE SOURCE, WHO HAD GOOD CONNECTIONS TO BRAZIL, SO I HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE IN IT. IF YOU LIKE GREEN, YOU WILL LIKE THIS GEM.

and a question answered

Q. Hello. This looks like a beautiful gemstone! When you purchased this gemstone did it come with a certificate stating it''s origin, specific gravity and refractive index? If I purchase this stone do you offer any guarantee that it is an actual Paraiba tourmaline? Thank you.
A: No I did not get a certificate with this gem when I purchased it. What I can tell you about it, is this: It came from a very trusted source that I have bought many gems from, a lady who has mentored me frequently in this field. I have run a Refractive index reading on this gem (as I have a refractometer) and it is 1.64. The stone is slightly included as I have viewed it under my microscope, and has some small copper needles visible under high magnification. The color and its intensity are virtually identicle to the picture I have (on my computer screen). The gem is labled from Brazil, but I must admit I did not see it mined ... smile. I personally paid more for this gem than its start price on this sale, So I hope it gets bid up to my cost. It is a very pretty gem, but the best part of a purchase is simple, if you don''t like it, for any reason, send it back to me and I will reimburse you full costs of the gem including your shipping costs


Would it be safe to just disregard the Paraiba description part since it can''t be verified?

 

[RockHugger]

It''s not Brazilian if it IS copperbearing. The fact it has copper colored needles would place it as Mozambique origin.

 

[RockHugger]

It''s not Brazilian if it IS copperbearing. The fact it has copper colored needles would place it as Mozambique origin.

 

[Barrett]

Thats not the guy who has "american seller" in the subtitle sometimes is it? He gets all kinds of stones from mozambique? If so i got a yellow tourmaline..was heliodore....let me tell you about "reliable sources" i got 2 paraiba tourmaline crystals here in the last 2 months..some PSer''s saw one of them..that one tested for copper..got another one from the same source..identical in color on c-axis and a/b came from same person who bought them from same miner who got them from batalha mine..gladly the larger one tested positive..the smaller one did not ..came from about a reliable source as you can get..the small pieces i sent to brian which are posted under research section on the other forum..those showed copper...the ones he is testing now will more than liekly have copper..and some in the past i have had tested have proven positive like a blue-green 5.5ct facetgrade one did ...came from same person as the stones above..so even though MY source lives in Tefilo Otoni buys directly from the miners has a great track record with my rough testing positive for CU there is still sometimes that that is not ther case..not all stones that come from Batalha were CU bearing..have one specimen i just got rid of..was a purple cuprian from batalha..the larger crystal showed copper chromophores..not 2 inches away were 2 other crystals a greenish color..those showed no copper..2 inches away..the other thing that I hear or see often is the "these came from the area or ..these came from mozambique so good chance it''s copper bearing"..from my experience in the past 4 months with cuprians I don''t trust anything anymore..the variables are to great..the fact of the matter is with out a test there is no way you can tell if a stone has copper or not..90% of the ebay sellers don''t have them tested..1/2 those are regular tourmalines..a percentage is apatite(the fraudsters)..doesn''t make any sense why none of them get the stones tested for CU..i am pretty sure the fast track at agl shows that..an extra $55 for a report showing copper will give your stone so much more credence..

 

[LD]

Date: 5/8/2010 7:10:56 AM
Author: RockHugger
It''s not Brazilian if it IS copperbearing. The fact it has copper colored needles would place it as Mozambique origin.

I don''t believe that to be correct. Can you explain please?

Brazilian Paraiba Tourmaline IS copper bearing.

 

[LD]

Davi - if you like the look of the gem, and the price is acceptable for a "normal" tourmaline (forgot the Paraiba bit for a minute), then it may be worth getting for a look, especially as the vendor says they accept returns. If the price is hiked up because it''s being sold as "Paraiba" then I, personally, would steer clear. The reason for this is that it doesn''t have the "glow" or neon quality that you associate with Paraibas. It may well be a copper bearing tourmaline and it may be Nigerian, Mozambique or Brazilian.

I have a real issue buying "Paraiba Tourmaline" from a private vendor who has normally bought the gem without any certification or proof of origin. Unfortunately however, there is such a lack of good material on the market that when private buyers who look for it (like me!!!!) sees a good example they get snapped up instantly if all the info adds up!

If it''s a price that you can afford and think you''ll love the gem then it may be worth a risk BUT if it is the seller than Amguy referenced above (and in another thread) I would swerve away very quickly.

Good luck and if you get it will you post pictures?

 

[T L]

Date: 5/8/2010 6:15:11 AM
Author:davi_el_mejor

Would it be safe to just disregard the Paraiba description part since it can''t be verified?

Yes. If it''s affordable, buy it as an indicolite, but don''t buy it as a paraiba. As LD said, it really has none of the glow associated with this material. It has a grey mask.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Thanks Rockhugger, Amguy, LD, and TL

The starting price is 19.99 with 0 bids so far and free shipping with 5 hours left. I''m one of those evil bidders who will snipe the bid in the last minute with my max bid. I think I''ll get

Amguy, I''m pretty sure it''s not the same person you''ve dealt with. This vendor is out of Boca Raton FL and I bought This from them:

Here is another Tourmaline they have for sale, but the starting price is 29.99. I think this one fits the mold of "paraiba" better, from other pictures I''ve seen.

$ POOL BLUE PARAIBA TOURMALINE 1.25 CTS VERY DESIRABLE$

PAT''S COMMENTS: THIS IS ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL NATURAL PARAIBA TOURMALINE. IT HAS EXCELLENT "EYE APPEAL" AND BRILLIANCE. THIS GEM WOULD MAKE A BEAUTIFUL RING AS A SOLITARE.

 

[LD]

You''re right Davi - the colour of the second "Paraiba Tourmaline" is much more what one would expect. For a starting price of 29.99 I''d be sniping that one instead I think - however it does have a window which you may not like. For the starting prices, it''s unlikely that these are Paraibas but again they''re worth a look but disregard "Paraiba" and think "mmmmm lovely Tourmaline"!

 

[Barrett]

yep davi..i went back and looked at my old messages..the guy i was referring to is in baltimore..that pool blue one has enough flaws in it to make a low price like that not to out of the realm of reason..heck..if you can get it for a good price then jump on it..when it gets there take your knife and scratch it right across the table..tourmaline..no issues..if apatite then big scratch but then it''s not your issue..buddy tried to pass off a fake stone(fake as in wrong stone)..hehehe..thats real dic* to do put hey..should have been tourmaline to begin with

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Date: 5/8/2010 2:50:49 PM
Author: amethystguy
yep davi..i went back and looked at my old messages..the guy i was referring to is in baltimore..that pool blue one has enough flaws in it to make a low price like that not to out of the realm of reason..heck..if you can get it for a good price then jump on it..when it gets there take your knife and scratch it right across the table..tourmaline..no issues..if apatite then big scratch but then it''s not your issue..buddy tried to pass off a fake stone(fake as in wrong stone)..hehehe..thats real dic* to do put hey..should have been tourmaline to begin with

LMAO, i wish i had the (wait for the bad pun) stones to do that!

 

[Barrett]

LOL..i love gemstone and mineral puns..he davi it won''t be your FAULT if it scratches..lolol..oh..sorry..that was bad..chirp..chirp..chirp

 

[T L]

Date: 5/8/2010 2:03:05 PM
Author: davi_el_mejor
Thanks Rockhugger, Amguy, LD, and TL

The starting price is 19.99 with 0 bids so far and free shipping with 5 hours left. I'm one of those evil bidders who will snipe the bid in the last minute with my max bid. I think I'll get

Amguy, I'm pretty sure it's not the same person you've dealt with. This vendor is out of Boca Raton FL and I bought This from them:

Here is another Tourmaline they have for sale, but the starting price is 29.99. I think this one fits the mold of 'paraiba' better, from other pictures I've seen.

$ POOL BLUE PARAIBA TOURMALINE 1.25 CTS VERY DESIRABLE$

PAT'S COMMENTS: THIS IS ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL NATURAL PARAIBA TOURMALINE. IT HAS EXCELLENT 'EYE APPEAL' AND BRILLIANCE. THIS GEM WOULD MAKE A BEAUTIFUL RING AS A SOLITARE.

I have a three carat one the same color as the one in your below photo. I bought it about five years ago on ebay for around $200 from a reputable seller (he no longer sells on ebay but sells to some dealers I know). Oh ebay, those were the days. I still haven't set it though, it's not neon enough.

 

[Barrett]

sigh..i wish it was still the same as you descibe TL..you have some good buys from back in the day..sigh...

 

[T L]

Here's a photo I just took of it as a point of reference. It has some inclusions and a window, and a little glow to it. Natural diffused light.

 

[Stone Hunter]

So you were happy with your other stone you bought from them? And you like the photo of the pear right?

So go ahead and get it!! Nice stone, nice price not high for tourm.

OK enabling over and out.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

I won the auction

, the only bidder, 19.99 USD. Here''s hoping shipping is the only INCLUDED thing... that was for you Amguy, I spent hours trying to figure out how to work that in

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Congrats!!! I can''t wait to see it

 

[LD]

Date: 5/8/2010 10:03:09 PM
Author: davi_el_mejor
I won the auction

, the only bidder, 19.99 USD. Here's hoping shipping is the only INCLUDED thing... that was for you Amguy, I spent hours trying to figure out how to work that in

Tee hee - you and Amguy are a regular double refraction act!

Sorry couldn't resist!!!!

Hope it turns out ok - please post it up when it arrives won't you?

 

[Barrett]

oh davi..haha..ya know i have a few paraibas..yours looks a little different but MIN-ER-AL the same..if you do have it checked for copper and find out it's lacking don't go off and get angry and commit BASALT and battery. You see I am a down to EARTH person who really DIGS paraibas. I think they ROCK. If you show me it has a copper maybe I will get a little BOULDER and buy from them too. I have already SPHENE others stones not test right for copper. But since the price was so cheap chances are it's very included or not very gl;owy.as the great sherlock holmes once said.."it's SEDIMENTARY my dear Watson"

hey good buy at $20..hope it's pretty sweet once you get it..can't beat a $20 stone, ya know

 

[Barrett]

oh yea..I LAVA paraiba too. yoohoo

 

[RockHugger]

Date: 5/8/2010 9:08:30 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds

Date: 5/8/2010 7:10:56 AM

Author: RockHugger

It's not Brazilian if it IS copperbearing. The fact it has copper colored needles would place it as Mozambique origin.

I don't believe that to be correct. Can you explain please?


Brazilian Paraiba Tourmaline IS copper bearing.

I don't know what your questioning? Is it is in fact copperbearing it would be Mozambique not Brazilian As the seller stated if it has the signature needles (orangy needles).

Doesn't matter anymore cause op bought a different stone. I like the 2nd one better btw!!!

 

[T L]

Date: 5/9/2010 7:23:37 PM
Author: RockHugger

Date: 5/8/2010 9:08:30 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds

Date: 5/8/2010 7:10:56 AM

Author: RockHugger

It's not Brazilian if it IS copperbearing. The fact it has copper colored needles would place it as Mozambique origin.

I don't believe that to be correct. Can you explain please?


Brazilian Paraiba Tourmaline IS copper bearing.

I don't know what your questioning? Is it is in fact copperbearing it would be Mozambique not Brazilian As the seller stated if it has the signature needles (orangy needles).

Doesn't matter anymore cause op bought a different stone. I like the 2nd one better btw!!!

Yes, Brazilian Paraiba is copper bearing RH. There are three known deposits of copper bearing neon turquoise tourmaline, Mozambique, Brazil, and Nigeria. Copper is the chromophore that gives these gems their turquoise color.

 

[RockHugger]

I know Brazilian paraiba is copper bearing. Didn''t say it wasn''t... I think something was misunderstood.lol. All I said was if it has the copper colored needles, then it is a Mozambique stone, not brazil. Mozambique paraibas are known for the copper needles.

 

[T L]

Date: 5/9/2010 8:21:23 PM
Author: RockHugger
I know Brazilian paraiba is copper bearing. Didn''t say it wasn''t... I think something was misunderstood.lol. All I said was if it has the copper colored needles, then it is a Mozambique stone, not brazil. Mozambique paraibas are known for the copper needles.

Oh, I understand now. Gotcha

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/8/2010 9:24:51 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 5/8/2010 6:15:11 AM
Author:davi_el_mejor


Would it be safe to just disregard the Paraiba description part since it can''t be verified?

Yes. If it''s affordable, buy it as an indicolite, but don''t buy it as a paraiba. As LD said, it really has none of the glow associated with this material. It has a grey mask.

Ditto to that.

 

[LD]

Date: 5/9/2010 8:21:23 PM
Author: RockHugger
I know Brazilian paraiba is copper bearing. Didn''t say it wasn''t... I think something was misunderstood.lol. All I said was if it has the copper colored needles, then it is a Mozambique stone, not brazil. Mozambique paraibas are known for the copper needles.

I''m still confused (sorry)!!!!! Brazilian material can have copper needles. Any gemstone that has copper as one of the agents may/may not show needles. Unfortunately seeing a copper needle is no more a way of determining locality than the colour of a gemstone.