We sell rough and cut gemstones, offering a wide range of rough gemstones for specimen-cabbing-facet and beautiful cut stones ready for your mount..Either for a new piece of jewelry or replacing a stone in an existing piece of jewelry.We offer thousands of lots, all with individual photos, what you see in the photo is what you will receive. Tommysrocks, an internet only business since 2002, giving our internet customers 100% of our attention.
CLARITY SCALE
IF VERY HIGH QUALITY & FREE FROM INCLUSIONS.
VVS HIGH QUALITY WITH VERY SLIGHT INCLUSIONS.
VVS1 HIGH QUALITY WITH SLIGHT INCLUSION.
VS FINE QUALITY WITH INCLUSION SLIGHTLY VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.
VS1 FINE QUALITY WITH INCLUSION VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.
SI GOOD QUALITY WITH INCLUSIONS VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.
SI1 INCLUSIONS BECOMING PROMINENT TO THE EYE.
I INCLUDED.
I am Tourmaline. I am every color of the rainbow. Sometimes I am serene and pastel. Sometimes I feel like celebrating, and I display bold, brilliant colors. Sometimes I am festive, and I combine more than one color. The people of ancient Ceylon called me "turmali," the Sinhalese word for "more colors."
For centuries I have adorned the jewels of royalty. The Empress Dowager Tz'u Hsi, the last empress of China, valued my rich pink colors above all other gemstones.
Vivid reds, hot pinks, verdant greens and blues abound in this marvelous gem variety. Earth tones as varied as a prairie sunset are readily available. Not only does Tourmaline occur in a spectacular range of colors, but it also combines those colors in a single gemstone called "bi-color" or "parti-color" Tourmaline. One color combination with a pink center and a green outer rim called "watermelon" Tourmaline, is cut in thin slices similar to its namesake.
Tourmalines are available in faceted or cabochon cuts and a range of sizes and shapes. They are mined in many parts of the world including Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa and the United States. They share birthstone status with Opal for the month of October.
Name
Tourmaline
Chemical Structure
(Li,Na,Ca)(Fe,Mg,Mn,Al)
3(Al,Fe)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH,F)4
AluminumBoroSilicate
(wide variety of substitutions)
Scientific Properties:
Mohs Hardness of 7.5 with a trigonal crystal structure.
Members of the tourmaline family of minerals have basically the same crystal structure, but occurs in many colors, each with their own name.
Red or Pink tourmalines are called Rubellite, these are the most highly prized.
Dark Blue tourmaline is called Indicolite, an is often heat treated to lighten it's color and create a more attractive stone.
Brown or dark colored tourmaline is called Dravite, and it's color is often lightened with heat treating.