Chrome Tourmaline (fantasy cut by Brett Kosnar)

Item Description

Tourmaline might be considered the most colorful gem in the world. Not only are Tourmalines found in every color of the rainbow, but they are one of the few gems that is found in bi-color and multi-color stones as well. Although, Tourmaline has been known for centuries, it wasn't fully identified until the 1800s. This is because Spanish explorers in the 1500s mistook green Tourmaline found in Brazil for Emerald, and it remained misidentified for a few hundred years. The irony is that black Tourmaline (Schorl) had been well-known in Europe, but it took mineralogists quite a bit of time to realize that the colorful gemmy crystals were part of the same mineral group as the opaque black crystals. This stone is a wonderful "Four-Leaf Clover" cut gem with virtually eye-clean clarity and a lovely intnse green color, which is due to chromium-content, hence the nickname "Chrome Tourmaline". What makes it really special is the fact that it has a "Fantasy" cut. This style of cutting is where the underside/pavilion/culet area of the gem has actually been carved to create beautiful geometric patterns, freeform designs or unique shapes that are seldom seen in any colored stones on the market today. The gem was cut by Brett Kosnar who is a 4-time AGTA Spectrum Award winning gem cutter. A really special and beautiful one-of-a-kind stone for any fan of Tourmalines. It would make a great center stone for a pendant or a ring, or as an addition to your gem collection. Again, I will point out that this stone is virtually eye-clean, which is quite rare for Tourmaline because they are classified as "Type-3" gemstones, which means that inclusions are almost always present, and accepted by dealers and collectors, so when you find a stone like this, it's a big deal. This gem was priced at $600 per carat high retail.