Tourmaline Cleaning and Polishing

 

Introduction:

Thank you for your purchase.  Your treasure hunt has arrived and now the fun begins!  As this material is still dirty from the mine, the first thing you will want to do is wash it thoroughly in warm water and a little dish soap.  It is best evaluated while wet and under a good light source, such as a desk lamp.  This should give you a really good look at what you have.
 

A background about tourmaline:

Tourmaline is a gemstone noted for the large and unsurpassed range of colors in which it occurs. It is a tough stone hard enough to be used for a pendant or a ring.

Tourmaline is the protection stone and wards off fear and negativity and protects on all levels. It also enhances inspiration and encourages self-confidence and understanding. The different coloured tourmalines are wonderful stones to use with the corresponding chakras so it is not surprising that in this day and age many people are drawn to tourmalines. Pink Tourmaline promotes female balance and protection. Green Tourmaline promotes male balance. According to legend, all colors of tourmaline protect the wearer against many dangers and misfortune.
 

What should I do next?

After you have washed them in warm water and dish soap (this works very well in a strainer), there should be plenty of dark green tourmaline in plain sight and the black matrix often conceals very nice tourmaline hidden within.  Hold each piece up to the light to see if it has gem potential otherwise you could overlook something valuable.

Next, remove the matrix.  The easiest way to remove the matrix on the emeralds is to tumble them.  If you do not have a tumbler, the matrix pieces can be also be carefully broken open with a hammer to reveal the tourmaline within.  Because the matrix is not very hard, another good method is to flake the matrix off with a knife or a heavy sewing needle.  A dremmel tool with a diamond tip will also work, but it is a bit tedious.

It is not important which method you use and sometimes you may need to use more than one method to fully remove the matrix; the important thing is that sometimes the best stuff is found inside the matrix.
 

How can I tell if they are good?

The three factors of value for rubies and sapphires are Clarity, Color, and Cut (the 3 C's).

Clarity:  How well you can see light through the stone and (relative) absence of flaws.

Color:  The color scale is used to describe the color tones of a gemstone. For color gemstones, the color is measured by tone and hue. Color is the most important criteria in determining the value a colored gemstone has. More important than clarity and cut, even subtle differences in hue can correspond with marked variations in valuations.

Cut:
     -en cabochon - cut smooth and rounded, used for opaque stones like turquoise
     -faceted - cut with sparkling polished planes, like a diamond