This deep, split horizontal main, round has light inclusions that are minor. It weighs 10.49 carats, has a nice color and tone level.
I have not cut pink/red tourmaline from every location that it is available from, but I have worked at it. My principle sources have been Mozambique, Afghanistan and Nigeria with just a touch of Brazil and various African locations, for taste. I have found that only Nigeria has produced truly pure pinks and reds in abundance. The rest of the world produces pinks like this large (10.49 carat) deep (split horizontal main) round gemstone. She is really not a veiled lady, but I just noticed a slight one toward the girdle, but has a significant number of tiny brightly reflecting naturals. They give the impression of a dusty lady, that can not be cleaned.
This is personal (then what isn’t on this site), but I don’t find this level of inclusion objectionable. If the stone is ever set and the owner keeps it clean enough to notice these inclusions under normal conditions, I would sing their praises. Most of my tourmalines are not lop clean and VS and VSS have little meaning in my colored world. If the “natural” inclusion do not bother me, I don’t discount the stone. Of course a great many very small inclusions, that may not even be visible with the lop, can effect the transparency of the gemstone and that does mater. In general I do not purchase or cut tourmaline rough that does not have good transparency because I facet rather than cut flat sided cabs.
Bruce
