This is a special gemstone. It is a GEM, exceptional gemstone and I personally got it from a fine individual who has since passed away. It has a great medium tone and a well saturated color. It weighs 7.99 carats. and it is from Nigeria.
Well this is my vote for the best Rubellite/red in the collection. I have bigger ones with great color and I have smaller ones with great color. Some are brighter and flashier than others and some have cleanliness problems. They were all factored into my decision. This is a GEM that I have looked at many times and I would like to tell how it came into my possession.
I have use the internet to see what is out there in the tourmaline world. I have gotten most of my material from two dealers in Africa and a Afghanistan connection, but I am always looking for new connections. At least 10 years ago, I found an intrepid soul that had lived in Brazil and been heavily involved in gemstones, worldwide. I of course was interested in tourmaline and we emailed about the big find that had occurred in Nigeria along with other gemmy things. I put out a challenge to him, I will buy the reddest piece of Rubellite that you have. He promised me that I would be impressed with the red, he was going to send me and I put my money down. A week or so later I received a patched together letter that he had sent me. Taped to the outside of a the damaged letter was the rough for this gemstone. He had sent me such a precious thing in a simple envelope without insurance and the bulk of the rough had prevented the passage of the letter through the canceling machine. As I said, fortunately the rough had been secured to the envelope, by an honest postal worker, which still had a legible address and I got my red tourmaline. He fulfilled his promise and I wish we could have continued building a relationship, but he passed away. Still I have the RED that weighs 7.99 carats and memories.
Bruce
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