1.61 Ct. Tourmaline from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This specimen is a transparent 1.61 carat pink tourmaline from Ceylon offered by The Natural Gemstone Company, presented in a cushion outline with dimensions of 8.15 by 5.78 by 4.54 millimeters. The cutter used a mixed brilliant schema, combining a brilliant style crown with pavilion facets that incorporate both step and modified brilliant elements to optimize face up brilliance and window control. Clarity is graded very very slightly included at eye level, indicating that the stone presents to the unaided eye as effectively inclusion free, with only minute crystal and feather features visible under close inspection. Color intensity is recorded as intense, creating a strong, evenly distributed pink saturation across the table and crown planes. Polish is excellent, with facet junctions rendered crisply and facet planes exhibiting mirror smooth finishes that maximize specular reflection and gem brightness. There has been no enhancement applied to this material, ensuring that the observed optical character and color saturation are intrinsic to the natural crystal.

From a proportions and cut dynamics perspective this cushion shaped tourmaline has a measured depth that produces a depth ratio of approximately 65.2 percent when calculated relative to average girdle diameter, a value that balances color return and spread across the face up view. The mixed brilliant configuration places smaller star and kite facets on the crown to fragment incident light into scintillation points, while the pavilion incorporates broader facets that reflect light back to the observer as larger flashes. This interplay reduces windowing and increases apparent vitality compared with a purely step cut, and it benefits from the excellent polish to preserve high contrast between bright and dark facet facets. In practice this means the stone demonstrates lively patterned scintillation at typical viewing distances, and the cushion outline creates softer flash transitions than a square or round brilliant, which can be especially flattering in closed settings or when juxtaposed with pav set accents.

Optically the tourmaline class to which this piece belongs displays an index of refraction range roughly in the band of 1.624 to 1.644, with birefringence values in a low to moderate band that can produce discernible pleochroic shifts. In practical terms the viewer will notice color shifts from a richer, deeper pink along one crystalline axis to a slightly paler rose tone along the orthogonal axis, a quality that adds depth and liveliness that cannot be reproduced by singly refractive gems. Dispersion in tourmaline is moderate, and while it does not match the fire of diamond, which has an index in excess of 2.4 and high dispersion, this tourmaline compensates by exhibiting concentrated hue saturation and well managed facet architecture that emphasize color flashes. Compared with sapphire and spinel, which inhabit the higher index range of roughly 1.76 and 1.72 respectively, the tourmaline has a softer overall brilliance but a more vivid pink body color and a different scintillation character due to pleochroism and the mixed brilliant faceting. Where diamond excels in white light return and fire, and where sapphire excels in toughness and uniformity in color, this Sri Lankan pink tourmaline stands out for its intense, natural color, its distinct pleochroic personality, and the calming yet lively scintillation pattern produced by the mixed brilliant cushion cut.

From a craftsmanship and application viewpoint this gem is well suited for fine tailored jewellery where the cutter intent is to present a vivid color field with lively sparkle, for example as a solitaire ring center stone in a medium profile setting, or as a halo center paired with white diamond melee to increase perceived brilliance without altering the stone through treatment. The very very slightly included clarity grade and excellent polish allow for secure bezel or claw settings without obscuring the faceting scheme, and the unenhanced origin from Ceylon provides provenance valued by collectors who prefer untreated material. The Natural Gemstone Company can supply accompanying imagery and measurement data to support design planning, and we recommend standard hard stone care avoiding sudden thermal shock or harsh acids, and regular ultrasonic or steam cleaning only after consulting our technical team. This cushion pink tourmaline is a technically exacting example of deliberate faceting and select material, suitable for connoisseurs seeking a natural, intensely colored gem with superior polish and balanced optical performance.