6.625 cts Natural Unheated Oval-cut Pink-Red Excellent-luster VVS+ Rubellite Tourmaline
New without Tags. This gem has never been used/placed/set in a setting.
It is utterly undamaged, unmarred and in perfect condition as expected of NWOTags.
I have included a Rubellite article below for your appreciation and enjoyment.
Summary from below: "They [the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICGA)] claim that "there are red and pink tourmalines in many nuances, which include a tender pink, a fine shocking pink, an intense violet and a bold ruby-red. However, only a few of these are entitled to call themselves 'rubellites'." The test for a genuine rubellite, according to the ICGA, is that true rubellite red shines just as intensely in artificial light as it does in daylight. Non-rubellites, on the other hand, will show a tinge of brown under artificial light." ... "Gemologists would agree that rubellite is not some specific variety of tourmaline, distinguished by its chemical composition in the way that elbaite, liddicoatite and uvite are distinct varieties. On the other hand, there is little point to the term rubellite if it refers to all the pink and red tourmalines. Perhaps that's the very reason why the use of the term has declined. We might think instead of rubellite as a qualitative term that picks out the outstanding examples of intensely red tourmaline that are truly ruby-like in color."
Type: Natural Rubellite (personally confirmed as Genuine Rubellite Tourmaline by digital refractometer (RI=1.658), dichroscope, polariscope, spectroscope, UV short&long-wave lamp, measured Specific Gravity=2.92) -- captej2012
Color: Pink-Red
Dimensions: 13.80mm x 10.00mm x 6.80mm
Weight: 6.625 cts
Luster: Excellent
Clarity: VVS
Hardness: 7.0 to 7.5 rating on the Mohs Scale
Treatment: Not Heated, Not Enhanced, Not Treated
Origin: Mozambique
Lady Lipstick -- be Thy Graceful Namesake,
Of Pink Glow on Marilyn, Angela, Gaga.
So Boldly do you Go.
So Slowly does visage Fade.
Her Wiles Rapt you -- like a silent Siren's Song.
Let Lady Lipstick come hither and nigh.
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Rubellite
Rubellite Tourmaline Crystals |
Rubellite is a highly prized -- and usually highly priced -- type of tourmaline. But there is a lot of confusion in the gemstone trade about what exactly counts as rubellite and how it can be identified. We've wondered ourselves which tourmaline to label as rubellite, and sometimes wondered whether we should have a category of rubellite at all on our website.
As we've looked into the matter, there seem to be two schools of thought. One view is represented by the mineralogist Walter Schumann, who wrote one of the standard texts in gemology, Gemstones of the World. According to Schumann, the term rubellite is one of a number of trade names used in the gemstone business to refer to different colors of tourmaline. These names also include terms like indicolite (blue), verdelite (green), dravite (brown), schorl (black) and achroite (colorless). In Schumann's opinion, rubellite tourmaline is "pink to red, sometimes with a violet tint." He also notes that "ruby color is the most valuable."
Schumann's opinion carries a lot of weight in the gemstone world, since his book is regarded as virtually a bible by serious students of gems. He goes on to observe that the trade names for colors are now often replaced simply by the color term added to tourmaline, as in "red tourmaline," and "yellow tourmaline."
Rubellite Tourmaline Setting |
A different view is expressed by the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICGA). They claim that "there are red and pink tourmalines in many nuances, which include a tender pink, a fine shocking pink, an intense violet and a bold ruby-red. However, only a few of these are entitled to call themselves 'rubellites'." The test for a genuine rubellite, according to the ICGA, is that true rubellite red shines just as intensely in artificial light as it does in daylight. Non-rubellites, on the other hand, will show a tinge of brown under artificial light.
How do we decide between these two influential authorities? It's not an easy question. Gemologists would agree that rubellite is not some specific variety of tourmaline, distinguished by its chemical composition in the way that elbaite, liddicoatite and uvite are distinct varieties. On the other hand, there is little point to the term rubellite if it refers to all the pink and red tourmalines. Perhaps that's the very reason why the use of the term has declined. We might think instead of rubellite as a qualitative term that picks out the outstanding examples of intensely red tourmaline that are truly ruby-like in color.
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Tourmaline is the gemmological name for an important group of complex gem-quality boron silicate minerals. Tourmaline gemstones can be found in all colours of the rainbow. Owing to its wide range of colour availability, tourmaline is considered to be one of today's most versatile gemstones. Its name is thought to be derived from the Sinhalese word, "turamali", which means "stone with various colours" in reference to its extreme versatility. Tourmaline was first thought to be used as a gemstone around the 1500s, but distinct mineral species were not actually described until the 1800s. In 1875,George Kunz, an American mineral collector, introduced green tourmaline from the Mount Mica mine in Maine, USA to Tiffany & Co., which sparked an interest in tourmaline and led to its popularity (along with other semi-precious gemstones) on the mainstream jewellery market.
The major tourmaline species include dravite, uvite, schorl, liddicoatite and elbaite. Schorl is the most common variety, making up nearly 95% of all tourmaline deposits, but it is not often desired as a gemstone. Most tourmaline gemstones are varieties of the elbaite family. Since tourmaline consists of a very large group of related gemstones, most tourmaline is traded under very colour-specific varietal names. Some of the more popular trade names include pink-red 'rubellite', blue-green 'paraiba', blue 'indicolite' and multicoloured 'watermelon tourmaline'. Lesser-known trade names include colourless 'achroite', green 'verdelite' and 'chrome tourmaline'. Like sapphire, descriptive names such as 'yellow tourmaline' or 'pink tourmaline' are also commonly used to market fancy-coloured tourmaline gemstones.
Tourmaline Gemstones |
Tourmaline is a boron silicate mineral often containing traces of aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, copper and potassium. Tourmaline crystals form in the trigonal crystal system and can be distinguished by their distinct three-sided triangular prisms. Tourmaline has very distinct gemmological properties which can help identify it from other similar coloured gemstones. Tourmaline has superior hardness (7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale), poor cleavage and strong pleochroism. Tourmaline is known to exhibit unique pyro-piezoelectric properties, which means crystals can produce and hold an electrical charge when subjected to mechanical stress, pressure or extreme temperature fluctuations, earning it the nickname of the 'electric stone'. When tourmaline crystals are rubbed, friction can cause static and when held over dust or ash, the static can attract particles, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the 'Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) magnet'.
Tourmaline is found in pegmatites and alluvial deposits all over the world. Tourmaline is the national gemstone for the United States, where it has been mined for centuries. In fact, up until the early 1900s, the United States was considered the primary source for fine tourmaline. Today, the most significant tourmaline deposits come from Minas Gerais and Bahia, Brazil. Other notable tourmaline sources include Afghanistan, Australia, Burma (Myanmar), India, Italy, (Elba) Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, (Tessin) Tanzania, the United States (California and Maine), Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Tanzania is known to produce fine emerald-green chrome dravite tourmaline, and in the late 1990s, a copper-bearing blue paraiba tourmaline was discovered in Nigeria; shortly thereafter, another deposit of a copper-bearing paraiba tourmaline was discovered in Mozambique. Both of Africa's paraiba tourmaline deposits were not as intensely coloured as Brazilian materials. Zambia is known for producing fine red rubellite and yellow canary tourmaline, while Afghanistan is famed for producing fine green verdelite and rare blue indicolite.
Tourmaline Colour
Tourmaline can occur in a wide range of colours from colourless to black. Colourless tourmaline is considered to be the rarest, but it is also the least valuable tourmaline. Black tourmaline is actually the most common colour occurrence. Most tourmaline gemstones display two or more colours in a single stone (or two tones of the same colour). Tourmaline crystals that exhibit green on one end and pink to red on the other, with a band of white in the middle are marketed as 'watermelon tourmaline'. Tourmaline exhibits strong pleochroism, which means its crystals can exhibit different colours depending on the angle from which they are viewed. Most red, pink and brown to yellow tourmaline is coloured by manganese, while iron and titanium can result in greenish to bluish-black colours. Lithium impurities can result in just about every colour, including blue, green, red, yellow and pink. The rare emerald-green chrome tourmaline is coloured by chromium (and sometimes vanadium). Many pink tourmaline crystals obtain their colour though a natural irradiation process. Cat's eye tourmaline is typically green or pink in colour, although it can also occur in other rarer colours too. The most valuable and rare tourmaline is neon green-blue paraiba tourmaline, which is coloured by copper. Other valuable colour combinations include purplish-red 'rubellite' and blue 'indicolite'. When buying tourmaline, colour intensity and saturation are the most important factors.
Tourmaline Clarity and Lustre
Tourmaline is typically transparent to translucent. Opaque material is common for cat's eye tourmaline and schorl. According to GIA, most tourmaline is 'Type II' material in regard to clarity, which means tourmaline is often included. The level of inclusions can vary depending on the type of tourmaline, with some colours being more heavily included than others. Green tourmaline is often eye-clean, while blue, red and pink tourmaline, including rubellite, paraiba and watermelon tourmaline, are almost always found with significant inclusions. Rubellite, paraiba and watermelon tourmaline are considered to be Type III clarity gems. Cat's eye tourmaline is usually translucent to opaque and owes its chatoyancy to thin needle-like inclusions. When cut and polished, tourmaline exhibits a vitreous to sometimes slightly resinous lustre.
Tourmaline Cut and Shape
Tourmaline is often cut into long rectangular bar shapes because of its elongated crystal habit. However, tourmaline is also available in various traditional and fancy shapes and a range of cutting styles. Due to the strong pleochroism of tourmaline, lighter coloured tourmaline is typically oriented with the table facet perpendicular to the main axis, in order to display the richest hue. Conversely, darker stones are usually cut with the table parallel to the main axis. Rare cat's eye tourmaline is cut en cabochon to best display the desirable cat's eye chatoyancy. Watermelon tourmaline is often cut into slices to best exhibit its characteristic and attractive colour zoning.
Tourmaline Treatment
Most tourmaline is completely untreated. However, some stones may be heated to improve colour and clarity. Yellow, pink and red varieties of tourmaline may be irradiated to enhance colour, although irradiation is nearly impossible to detect and does not normally affect value. Heavily included rubellite and paraiba tourmaline may be clarity enhanced.