What can be hidden behind the name "watermelon tourmaline"? An unusual delicacy, a variety of melons or an outlandish gem? If you do not know the answer to this question, read our article - from it you will learn all the details.
Watermelon color
This is a type of tourmaline. There are many subspecies of this mineral and each of them is beautiful in its own way. The name of the stone is due to the unusual color. A gem of amazing beauty has a truly unique range: inside the stone is pink, and its edges are painted in emerald green. There is a feeling that the pebble glows from the inside. Jewelers try to emphasize the outlandish color when cutting, so jewelry with this stone looks really fabulous.
Much less common is an even more unusual color of the stone, when a pink edge is combined with a green middle. These nuggets have an even greater price and value.
But nature has rewarded this mineral not only with beauty, but also with extraordinary properties.
Powerful aphrodisiac
Watermelon tourmaline was very popular in India. In ancient times ithighly valued by men. Hindus wore rings and rings with this gem as an amulet that could increase attractiveness. It was considered a natural aphrodisiac. The stone was considered so powerful that women were forbidden to wear it, so that under its influence they would not become too seductive and liberated.
This gem came to Europe from Ceylon. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Dutch brought it. But in Russia, watermelon tourmaline was already well known by that time. It got there from the East in the 16th century and found wide application.
Practical use
Surprisingly, Europeans did not immediately see the beauty of watermelon tourmaline. The stone was attracted by its property of attracting warm wood ash, due to which it was used for a long time to clean smoking pipes.
The pyroelectric effect is also noticeable: heated tourmaline begins to electrify. The use of watermelon tourmaline in jewelry in Europe began a little later.
Russian craftsmen used this gem to decorate church utensils and the clothes of clergymen, to make jewelry, combining outlandish stones with gold and silver. A fabulously beautiful gem was also used in the world, but only the most prosperous could afford jewelry with it, because it was not cheap.
Watermelon tourmaline is also present in some of the works of the great master Faberge.
Gem mining
This mineral is mined in granites and granite pegmatites. Sometimes crystals are found in shales and gneisses. In appearance, they look like thin longprisms with vertical grooves.
There are many known deposits in the world. Fabulous tourmaline with a watermelon color is also mined in Russia, in the Urals. It is impossible to grow a stone with a similar color artificially. But the risk of running into a fake is quite high.
Cutting Methods
Watermelon variety of tourmaline, some jewelers prefer to leave raw. This allows you to convey its natural beauty. The stone has above average transparency, small inclusions are acceptable.
Cabochon cut for a shimmering cat-eye effect. But much more often you can find step and mixed cuts. A thin cut of the stone looks so unusual and intricate that jewelers do not strive for symmetry, preserving the natural shape and only polishing both surfaces of the tourmaline. Jewelry with such stones has a peculiar charm.
Jewellery Application
Many are fascinated by the vibrant beauty of watermelon tourmaline. I want to consider a photo of this stone for a long time, to say nothing about jewelry. Some owners of gems of this type claim that the stone has such a juicy appearance that you want to taste it.
Bracelets, beads, rings, earrings and pendants are made from this gem. Jewelers combine the watermelon variety with other tourmalines, complementing the composition with gold or silver.
This mineral is very much loved by collectors. Moreover, they are interested not only in stones processed and set in precious metals, butand uncut nuggets, reminiscent of juicy slices of ripe watermelon.
It is noteworthy, but today the stone has found application not only in jewelry. Watermelon tourmaline is also used to produce pressure gauges, some electrical appliances and even medical equipment.
Stone Properties
Specialists believe that this mineral, like many of its counterparts, has the ability to emit negatively charged ions and infrared rays. The gem can block low-intensity electromagnetic radiation.
Almost all varieties of tourmaline have healing properties. At the same time, the range of their application is quite wide.
Watermelon tourmaline is a stone whose properties allow you to fight diseases of the liver, circulatory and cardiovascular systems, and skin. It allows the owner of the jewelry to keep his youth, helps him get rid of cramps, problems with blood vessels, pain in the joints.
Some believe in magical properties as well. It is believed that this stone gives self-confidence, protects from ill-wishers, enhances attractiveness.
How much does a watermelon gem cost?
For some varieties of tourmaline (Paraibu, for example), a potential buyer has to pay a tidy sum. The cost of a watermelon gem can be called average for this category of stones. On average, a carat will cost 900-1200 dollars. When purchasing jewelry, be sure to checkcertificate.
