This stone is exceptional and one of the finest in the collection. It has a yellow crown and a rust pavilion. It has a full set of twelve mains and has no problems. It weighs 12.95 carats.
I have put together a general post about Del Gado and other sources of rough that peaked at different times in my time of collection building. Still it should be said here that Del Gado, which is the most northern of all the states in Mozambique is not known as a source of tourmaline and the period of availability of rough was very brief. The GIA has determined that the material from there might be either Liddicoatite (my guess in this case) or Dravite. They are both much less common members of the tourmaline group of related minerals than Elbaite, which is the dominant species of gem quality tourmaline. The rough was water worn, very blocky and often bicolor. I certainly was not sure what level of orange I would get with the bicolor piece of rough that became this gemstone, but layering the colors as I did was the only way to get as deep as stone as I could and get a decent yield.
What do you get when you have a yellow crown and rust in the culet, the most incredible orange that I have ever seen in tourmaline. Of course if you tilt the gemstone far enough off face up, you can see its secrets, but face up in my secret place, next to a small twisted florescent light in a yellowish shade, the headlight of orange is overwhelming. There is absolutely nothing in this large deep round that inhibits the beauty of the orange glory, Nothing included or brownish, that is for sure. The gemstone has twelve horizontally cut mains in the pavilion and a high crown with twelve mains. It weighs 12.95 carats of one of the most sought after colors, for me, in the glorious rainbow of tourmaline colors (also includes gray and brown).
Bruce
