Should I get this tourmaline cut?

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Mooroolbark, VIC
Hey,

I've got this piece of light pink tourmaline (see pics below) that I'm thinking I might have someone cut for me...?

I picked it up for like ~$50 about 2-3 years ago so I figure I may as well do something with it. Don't know if I over paid. I just liked it so I bought it there and then. And so here I am now...haha

It's dimensions in mm:18 6.5 4.33

It has two cracks in it (see pics) but otherwise seems perfectly clear. I haven't looked at it with a loupe for ages but I don't recall seeing anything else in there.

I've never had a stone cut before so I don't know how much it'll set me back which might determine whether it would be worth it. Do you think it would it be worth it? I know I can send stuff to Thailand for cheap cutting but just wondering if I'd be better off getting it done in Australia, if at all...?

I want to get some custom jewellery made in the near future with some of the gold I've found plus a much nicer stone (I made a thread in General Chat about this) so I can maybe consider this a test run...

Sorry for the not so great photography. I've only got a phone camera to work with.

1455770897_imag11021.jpg
1455770951_imag11041.jpg
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1455771098_imag11141.jpg

The Cracks
1455771130_tourmaline.jpg
 
You should get quite a nice but smallish stone out of that piece. I'm not a gem cutter but I've seen some similar Tourmalines that Barney has cut and they came up really really nice.

Hopefully he see's this post and offers his opinion.
 
Yeah I wouldn't imagine I'd get anything too amazing out of it, but I thought I'd see if it's worth it nonetheless. I've never had anything cut for me before so should be interesting either way...if it's not just a massive waste of time that is.

Thanks for the input :)
 
I don't think it will be a waste of time, looks like a nice piece, should cut a very nice stone. Tourmaline is worth a decent amount, it's great looking stuff when cut. It will lose a bit due to the cracks though. If it were mine I'd get it done.
 
No waste of time there (judging by photos - really need to examine firsthand to be sure) - I would cut that stone without hesitation.

Should be at least one ok stone in it, possibly another very small one. Definitely one at least.

Worth doing I say.

Hmmm - to be honest I have only cut a few bits of tourmaline, I didn't know the very light-coloured stuff could still have a closed c-axis but that's that way it looks for the photo.
 
Thanks. That's was what I'm hoping for: one okay stone plus another small one. But I wouldn't be surprised or too disappointed if it couldn't happen.

So I'm sure I'm showing my inexperience and lack of knowledge by asking this but...what is a closed c-axis?
 
Okay I just had a quick read about the c axis with tourmaline...I now know what you were referring to.

I can tell you that the c axis on the above crystal is not closed. It looks fairly dark, but if held up to the light a fair but gets through and it looks a deep pink colour. I assume once it's cut down and the c axis shortened it will slightly improve also.
 
This material is well known for breaking up during cutting. Its started already. So no guarantee from any cutter.
 
It's not closed c- axis . The big problem is the 4 mm or so depth and what rough to cut said , cracking . The skin needs to Be removed and wait a few days to see if more cracks appear . Then you know , the outer skin removed releases pressure on the internal part of the crystal , then anything can happen . I've faceted up to three stones from a few like these that have started as one :)might get a Nice pair or a single out of it .
 
The few pieces I've done were a bit on the brittle side of things and were not hard to accidentally chip but I didn't have any problems with them fragmenting.

The skin needs to Be removed and wait a few days to see if more cracks appear . Then you know , the outer skin removed releases pressure on the internal part of the crystal , then anything can happen . I've faceted up to three stones from a few like these that have started as one :)might get a Nice pair or a single out of it .

Sounds a bit like Agate creek agate - saw a nodule in half and everything looks fine but a day or two later, big cracks can have developed. Seen that a few times. Hasn't happened to me but I watched a few people at the club lose cabs they were making from small nodules. One minute it was fine, the next moment the cab flew apart on the dop.
 
Well thanks guys. Hopefully it hold together enough to get something out of it. But I wouldn't be crazy disappointed if it fell apart and I got nothing. Twas a small amount of money a few years ago so no biggie. I'm more interested in ever to try to have it cut now tbh...who knows what could happen haha

Since there's a (possibly) high chance it might now work out, should I just send it to Thailand and see what happens? Or since it might be a tough job, should I get someone here with more skill to have a crack at it?
 
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