JNA Jan/ Feb 2021

MARKET INTELLIGENCE 52 | JNA Jan/Feb 2021 Colour is the primary price determinant for mint tourmalines, followed by clarity. With most varieties of tourmaline being of high clarity, there is little tolerance for glaring inclusions, according to Nelson. Saltzman said every range of mint appeals to different consumers. “Some prefer a lighter tone; others like it more saturated. The main consideration is a subtle yellow secondary colour. The more yellow secondary hue and/or more grey cast, the less desirable the stone,” he noted. Origin is only next to colour and clarity. For Dussart of Asia Lounges, antique cushion cuts are preferred by his customers. Kite shapes are also rising in popularity. Mint tourmalines above 10 carats are favoured by female consumers aged 45 to 55 years while younger women aged 35 years and below opt for 3-carat to 5-carat stones. Nazo Anna has direct connections with tourmaline mines in Afghanistan, revealed Nelson. His clients include jewellers, manufacturers and private collectors. Melee or even stones of up to 7 carats are used for earrings and rings while 10-carat to 20-carat gems are usually set in pendants. Mint tourmaline jewellery Singaporean jeweller Madly Gems is a fan of mint tourmalines. “It’s bright, refreshing and more affordable in big sizes compared to light green emerald or mint garnet,” said Sabrina Leong of Madly Gems. The jeweller described the mint tourmaline’s bright hue as “very wearable and easy-breezy” compared to more vivid tones. “Most clients don’t place too much importance on origin but Afghanistan and Congo mint tourmalines look completely different, so it’s down to the client’s colour preference,” she added. Los Angeles-based jewellery designer Erica Courtney regularly features mint tourmalines in her bespoke creations. “I love how well the minty green pairs with other tourmalines in my gemstone palette like Paraiba and canary tourmalines. Mint tourmaline also looks gorgeous on its own,” she remarked. Courtney said that origin comes into play when it’s instrumental in the jewellery piece’s story or when it affects the price. “Our clients are collectors of beauty who are looking for jewellery pieces set with the most exceptional gems, so colour and clarity are both important,” she added. Bright future Opportunities still abound for mint tourmaline traders amid uncertainties. A tight supply of gem-quality stones coupled with soaring demand for top-range pieces will likely push prices up, noted Dussart. According to Sultan, now is a great time to invest in mint tourmalines as prices are stable. Nelson meanwhile cited strong potential for designers to create truly unique pieces and for brands to develop distinctive jewellery collections using mint tourmalines. Mint-green hues are not commonly seen in other gemstones – even with sapphires in the minty green range, which are not as big, clean or bright, added Agarwal. Salahudeen, for his part, is bullish about prospects for mint tourmalines in Asia, adding that Chinese buyers will continue to follow colour trends in the west. As such, he expects mint tourmalines to attract more attention in the market. 薄荷綠碧璽帶有令人精神抖擻的色調，其較大的尺寸及相宜 的價格，讓彩色寶石商對它的的前景倍添信心。據寶石鑑定 公司 Nomad’s 的 Josh Saltzman 稱，自大概 20 年前運營以 來，清爽的薄荷綠碧璽在市場上越來越受歡迎。 在 2000 年代中期，阿富汗拉格曼省的礦床便成為歷史上 薄荷綠碧璽的重要來源，令這些備受喜愛的綠色寶石成為國 際關注的焦點。 美國碧璽專家 Intimate Gems 的 Farooq Hashmi 透露， 儘管在非洲許多其它地方偶爾也會發現薄荷綠碧璽，但上述 位於阿富汗的礦床至今仍在開採中。 Hashmi 說：“這種充 滿活力的薄荷綠最初被稱為'海的泡沫’。在巴基斯坦，他 們甚至稱它為'綠寶石顏色'。這種帶熒光的薄荷綠色後來卻 成了高質量和高價值的顏色標準。” 曼谷 Navneet Gems & Minerals 的 Navneet Agarwal 指 出，於 2018 年在剛果所發現的新碧璽礦，進一步促進了薄 荷綠碧璽的興起。碧璽目前在阿富汗、剛果、納米比亞、尼 日利亞、莫桑比克、巴西，甚至加州都有開採。 Nazo Anna 的總經理 Peter Nelson 表示，最受市場追捧 的薄荷綠碧璽均擁有“柔美飽和的原色及更為平衡的變色” ，大多來自阿富汗。 Nelson 補充道：“碧璽的晶體可以長 得很大，內部無瑕潔淨，因而能切割出優質透亮的寶石。” Becca earrings in 18-karat gold with oval mint tourmalines of 4.56 carats, and alexandrite and diamond accents by Erica Courtney 鑲有 4.56 克拉的橢圓形薄荷綠碧璽，以及翠綠寶石、鑽石的 18k 金 Becca 耳環，由 Erica Courtney 設計 A trillion-shaped Brazilian mint tourmaline of 53 carats from Right Gems Supplier Right Gems Supplier 的 53 克拉 巴西三角形薄荷綠碧璽