Dravite (Tourmaline)
Date - Pricing as of April 2008

Color: Orange, honey, orange/red, yellow, gold, brown/orange, green/yellow/gold, coffee.

Note: Dravite contains a lot of colors and color combinations. There can be different pricing depending on the colors. Most Dravite is like what I have pictured (left). But some material maybe either very unusual or mono colored (like canary yellow) and in these cases the finished stones I generally will price either in the high range or in the special category.

Note2: It is also important to realize that when working with Dravite the dichroism is often very strong and can be orientated to either vastly improve the value of the finished gemstone or it can lower the value.

Note3: Color taste and trends also play a major role in Dravite Tourmaline's value. This material is more trendy in the market than about any other Tourmaline and can ping/pong in price significantly. So pricing this material is often about taste and what a person likes in colors.

Pale (almost colorless to 15% tone) - Pale to light yellow/green to gold/honey.
Comments - This material is actually one of the most valuable to me, especially in large pieces when cut into a large interesting design that takes advantage of the dichroism.
Pricing - I generally price this material $65/ct to $165/ct and a minimum of $150 for a small stone to cover the labor.

Light (15% tone to 30%) - Light yellow/green to gold/honey.
Comments - This material is one of the most valuable and I sell it faceted quite well, especially in large pieces when cut into a large interesting design that takes advantage of the dichroism.
Pricing - I generally price this material $80/ct to $240/ct and a minimum of $150 for a small stone to cover the labor.

Light/Medium (30% tone to 45%) - Light/medium yellow/green to gold/honey.
Comments - This material is valuable and not always easy to acquire. I cut this material in the medium size ranges and typically use unique designs and try to either take advantage of the dichroism or minimize it depending on the rough.
Pricing - I generally price this material $65/ct to $190/ct and a minimum of $150 for a small stone to cover the labor.

Medium (45% tone to 65%) - Medium yellow/green to gold/honey.
Comments - This material can be nice, but generally care in orientation and design selection is important. I cut this material in the smaller to medium size ranges (6mm to 18mm) and typically use unique designs
Pricing - I generally price this material $65/ct to $165/ct and a minimum of $150 for a small stone to cover the labor.

Medium/Dark (65% tone to 85%) - Medium/dark yellow/green to gold/honey/coffee.
Comments - This material can be nice if the light color is cut and the darker color is minimized. I cut this material in the smaller to medium size ranges and typically use unique designs
Pricing - Pricing this material is cost of goods and labor. I generally price this material $45/ct to $90/ct and a minimum of $150 for a small stone to cover the labor.

Dark (85% tone to 100%) - This material is around, usually very dark. I seldom cut any thing this dark.
Comments - The best use for this material is small (melee) stones so that the color will show. I almost never cut this material.
Pricing - Pricing this material is cost of goods and labor.

Special - As we all know as cutters some times a stone just comes out "special" for what ever reason. On these kinds of stones I basically price how ever I feel like. Because this stone comes under the "special" category I often do not care if I sell the stone or not. So I usually price it high enough that if I do sell it, I get a very good price. Enough to make me say "Oh well..." and sell it. So be aware that some times I just price a stone high because I do not care if I sell it. Ironically these stones usually sell the fastest...

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E-mail to inquire or order: jeff@faceters.com