under rated tourmaline

sollogems · **Joined:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:33 am **Posts:** 7

chrome tourmaline is a rare gem and comes with a vivid green color . I dont seem to understand why the market has really warmed up to this (mature emerald) .

RichardD · **Posted:** Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:49 am

sollogems wrote:

chrome tourmaline is a rare gem and comes with a vivid green color . I dont seem to understand why the market has really warmed up to this (mature emerald) .

Yes, chrome tourmaline can be most beautiful. Its rarity means that it enjoys a small market, also many consumers just want an "emerald" no matter how bad it is. [Just guessing what you mean by "really warmed up."]

BTW what is a "mature emerald?" Or an immature emerald, for that matter.

-Dick Davies
Sometime faceter

Nader · **Posted:** Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:57 pm

It's really quite unfortunate indeed, but for every vivid green chrome tourmaline, there seems to be a thousand that are just too dark.

lembeckgems · **Posted:** Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:42 pm

also again undervalued. brazilian greens (non-chromes) and pinks. IMO

gsellis · **Posted:** Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:29 pm

Underrated? I guess you have not seen the price of good rough.

One of my favorite sites has it at $200/ct. Rubellite is the same. I like it. Tsavorite is still much more though.

johnddyer · **Posted:** Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:30 pm

From a cutter's perspective I would say that Chrome tourmaline often disappoints color wise. As previously mentioned for every one that is gorgeous there are too many that are at best so so. I have almost stopped buying the rough for this reason.

Slight differences in orientation etc make too big a difference in the finished gem and with the price of the rough you can't afford to throw a lot away looking for the perfect orientation for the color.

gemnut · **Posted:** Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:14 pm

The best thing about chrome tourmaline is, because it co-habits with tsavorite, you can get a surprise when you buy rough. I purchased a piece of chrome tourmaline rough a few years ago, and it turned out to be top grade tsavorite.

John, you are spot on re: the vagaries of cutting chrome tourmaline. I don't know about whether chrome tourmaline rough routinely has dark or closed C, but much of it over 3 ct is over dark. That being said, when you get one that's good color, the secondary yellow and red that comes out of the stone is something truly unique. I wish I could have captured those two secondary colors when I took this photo, this stone is much better than pictured.

under rated tourmaline

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