Paraíba tourmalines from São José da Batalha, Paraíba state, Brazil, purchased at FIPP2005 and FIPP2006

Tiny but faaaaabulous!!!!

I think the biggest one might have been 10 points. And this photo was taken in the shade because in direct sunlight they just knock you out!

These 3 were bought at FIPP2005. I sure wish that I still had them! The word on the street (March '09) is that the Japanese are paying top dollar for even the tiniest ones of just a few points (although the cutting on these might not be up to par for the Japanese -- for that matter, they might even be too included), and they only want the real ones, not those Nigerian or Mozambique wannabees.

[Post incomplete -- more later . . . ]

OK, I'm back. The word on the street circa March 2009 is that there is no production of the true paraíba from São José da Batalha. This is exactly what the word was back in early 2007. So, is there any production?

Yeah, maybe, but I would be willing to bet (and I am very risk averse) that there are buyers right there at the mines scooping up whatever little gem material rough is coming out.

I was told (extra large grain of salt) that the tiny good real paraíbas of just a few points were going for US$300 per carat because the Japanese wanted them so bad, that they were being cut and sold in Hong Kong, and that (and now get this cute little detail -- who knows if it is really true?) you can't even pick out the ones that you want -- you take what you are given. LOL

So, who is going to do the good cutting for those tiny stones? Not around here, probably. I am pretty sure that no one in Teófilo Otoni has either the skill or the equipment to do precision cutting on tiny stones. Maybe in Governador Valadares. If I find out more on this, I will report back to you. If I am wrong about this, I will correct this post, but in the meantime, take it with a grain of salt (GOS).

Copyright © 2009 N. Tenney Naumer -- All rights reserved.