Watermelon Tourmaline Value
An expertly cut watermelon tourmaline gemstone is a collectible treasure. But do you know what to look for when buying? How do Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat Weight affect the value of this gem? Learn why color is the most crucial factor when selecting your stone and more in our comprehensive guide!
Watermelon tourmaline price combines four quality factors – Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat Weight. In the gemstone trade, we call these the Four C’s. While most people associate them with diamonds, they also apply to colored gems. Before you buy watermelon tourmaline, take your time to understand how these quality factors will impact your purchase.
Color
When selecting any colored gemstone, color is the most important quality factor. The saturation and depth of color can often make up any deficit in other areas.
Collectors gravitate to this bicolor gem due to its spectacular color. Natural watermelon tourmaline shows a rosy, pink center with a green band. It’s famous for these stones to be cut into slices and used in unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry.
Faceted watermelon tourmaline is also highly popular. Cutters will align the rough stone to display a great transition of color. Watermelon tourmaline, emerald cut, is one of the most popular ways to show this beautiful color shift.
Ideally, we desire a balance of colors. However, Mother Nature often has other plans! When selecting your stone, look for good color saturation. Vibrant and bright is typically considered the best. After that, view the balance between green and pink. Since green tends to be on the edge of the crystal during formation, cut watermelon tourmaline usually shows more pink than green.
The depths of greens and pinks can vary among these stones. Tourmaline is pleochroic, which means the color can shift depending on the orientation of the crystal. Greens can be bluish; pinks can be redder and more intense. Cutters are always looking to bring out the best of each jewel. As a result, some might be larger for a more prominent gem. Others might be smaller but more intense in color or balance between pink and green.
Clarity
Genuine watermelon tourmaline may show some inclusions. These stones form in environments that contain liquids. As a result, these liquids might develop as inclusions. Most of the time, these take the shape of thread-like inclusions.
Overall, as long as the color is good, inclusions don’t heavily impact the value of these gems. As a result, faceted watermelon tourmaline is rare. These stones are often cut as cabochons since it’s easier to minimize the appearance of any eye-visible inclusions.
Cut
When examining a faceted watermelon tourmaline, you might notice a trend. Many of these jewels favor an elongated cut. It’s not a coincidence that these stones frequently use the emerald cut.
For gemstone cutters, it’s often a practical decision. By working parallel to the length of the rough, it helps reduce waste. On the other hand, a lapidarist must also consider the gem’s pleochroic nature. Stones can display a lighter or darker color depending on the crystal orientation. As a result, the cutter might opt for a smaller stone with its table aligned perpendicular to the crystal axis. This process might result in a smaller stone but will show a better color.
Carat Weight
Who wouldn’t want a large watermelon tourmaline? They look great, and these stones easily find their place in most collections as statement-making pieces. However, the size of these stones dictates the price.
Watermelon tourmaline price per carat rises significantly with larger stones. As we’ve seen so far, cutters must contend with teasing the best color from the material while considering any inclusions that might be present. As a result, finished stones that are big, colorful, and pleasing to the eye become rare.
As discussed above, most material is used in a rough state or formed into cabochons simply because it’s easier. When we see watermelon tourmaline faceted, we know that we’re dealing with a stone that is among the best of its kind.
Watermelon Tourmaline for Sale
Our buyer, Suraj, met a collector in Thailand who has been collecting watermelon tourmaline for over 10 years. It is very difficult to find this gemstone and we were fortunate to buy this collector’s entire collection of 40 loose gems for our exclusive Collector’s Vault.
Our designers created beautiful mountings to best complement each stone and provide a carefully curated collection with an amazing variety. Every design was carefully reviewed to have the best complementing diamonds and gold mountings that help showcase the beauty of watermelon tourmaline!
If you’re ready to take the plunge and discover your next favorite find, consider Shop LC. Our team of gem buyers has decades of experience and a direct relationship with the mines producing these wonderful gems. And, since we make most of our product, there’s no pesky middleman markup. Save big and shop big when you choose Shop LC.
Shop for your watermelon tourmaline gemstone!
[…] […]