Gem School 01: Watermelon Party
What's not to love about this gem?! The amazing way the tourmaline crystal grows to capture pink, white and green is so vivid and beautiful, it makes me think of Summer instantly. No two are alike and the ranges of colour vary from pastel tones to intense brights. Sometimes the green can be more olive hued, other times it’s almost emerald-like.
As much as I love this gemstone, it is not easy to source in Australia as it is mined and cut in other parts of the world. Like all my favourite gem hunting missions, the journey to source good quality watermelon tourmaline took me far from home. This time, I’ve found a great dealer based in Spain and Brazil who gets excellent supply of tourmaline mainly from Minas Gerais, one of the richest mining areas in the world.
Most watermelon tourmaline stones are cut to an emerald or baguette cut. This is due to the crystal structure being long and column in shape, which makes these cuts the best for maximising the rough. Stay tuned for more of this luscious gem appearing in my work, it's hard to not want to keep finding new ways to honour this spectacular mineral.
What's not to love about this gem?! The amazing way the tourmaline crystal grows to capture pink, white and green is so vivid and beautiful, it makes me think of Summer instantly. No two are alike and the ranges of colour vary from pastel tones to intense brights. Sometimes the green can be more olive hued, other times it’s almost emerald-like.
As much as I love this gemstone, it is not easy to source in Australia as it is mined and cut in other parts of the world. Like all my favourite gem hunting missions, the journey to source good quality watermelon tourmaline took me far from home. This time, I’ve found a great dealer based in Spain and Brazil who gets excellent supply of tourmaline mainly from Minas Gerais, one of the richest mining areas in the world.
Most watermelon tourmaline stones are cut to an emerald or baguette cut. This is due to the crystal structure being long and column in shape, which makes these cuts the best for maximising the rough. Stay tuned for more of this luscious gem appearing in my work, it's hard to not want to keep finding new ways to honour this spectacular mineral.