This Barion cushion at 21.4 carats is one of the more important gemstones in the collection. It has a stable, sultry red color that is on the purple side and is eye clean with fine crystal.
When I retired, I put my money into tourmaline rather than the stock market or the bank. The rough for this 21.4 carat, red, Barion cushion with a three step crown was purchased with some of that retirement money. It has a medium dark tone level except for a corner that is colorless. The color zoning can not be seen face up and has no impact on the gemstone unless you turn it upside down. The red color does not go brown in artificial light and is on the purple side of red rather than the orange side of red. This red, with a touch of purple, is stable and is more sultry than exceptional bright. Its radiating flash enjoys a nice bright source of light, but it is still active under moderate lighting. The three step crown, which was cut with relatively low angles, acts like a big window into the heart of a high quality, crystal clean, red that I never expected to see in the collection. I would certainly not be able to afford this stone in today’s tourmaline market.
Bruce
