Unheated Pakistani Indicolite 0.35 (bLtu035)

0.35 Carat
Metallic Navy
Medium Dark 75
Lightly Included

GRADING REPORT BLtu035

• Identification: Natural Unheated & Untreated Tourmaline
• Carat: 0.35
• Shape: Round Brilliant
• Measures: 4.66-4.76x2.73 (millimeter)
• Color Grade: Excellent+
• Tone: Medium Dark 75
• Color Zoning: None
• Clarity: Lightly Included
• Cutting Grade: Very Good 
  • Brilliancy: 75%
  • Depth: 59% 
• Origin: Pakistan
• Treatment: None

Certificate No: IGE 07122 & IGI 380995053 (test-gem from parcel)

Overall Grade: Excellent

Comment: Indicolite is defined as blue tourmaline, however, they are mostly bluish green or, at the very best, greenish blue. Here, however, I cannot detect any green at all, not as a visible 2ndary color. Researching blue-only tourmaline turns up very few samples and many look either photo-shopped or turn out to be mislabeled sapphire or kyanite. I will later publish a pair with this gem where the other tourmaline does shows an itsy-bitsy whiff of green, so much so that I had to reweigh them at times to make sure I got the correct one, although it always does show again later on, with a change of light or angle. To my memory this would be the first tourmaline I'd call blue-only. With near 5mm it is big enough for a slender ladies' ring or add to a master-collection of tourmalines not only with its rarest color but that in its purest form. A small inclusion in the outer edge is visible only under the lens and with good eyesight and, also, on our images if you look closely. Show me a purer blue in a tourmaline and I promise a humble public revision and repent on FB; till then, I'll boldly claim this to be the bluest tourmaline thus far. BTW, in a bigger size, say ten carats, this hue may well 'tune' too dark and become unattractive blackish. Here, though with some green, you can see the beginning of that effect. In this size the color stays pure. 3*NOS done. The parcel of tourmalines this 0.35 was selected from, was tested, and certified as a lot (not by seller), plus I had one double-tested at IGI for this, clearly more green, 0.72 pair a while ago. If you'd like another single IGI report, or any other type of report, we need extra time and budget (depending on the lab you chose). Among the shades of blue, neither teal nor demin is fitting, while royal is 'reserved' for sapphire. Deep navy with a metallic shine describes the hue best.