Hi, I buy gemstone beads, and someone on another forum suggested I post here with this question that's been nagging at me: This issue has been bothering me again lately as I still see strands of colored gemstones labeled as "tunduru sapphire" Just the other day I asked the vendor, isn't tunduru sapphire just garnet? and they said yes. But I've still been unable to find much definitive information about this seeming misnomer online. Same as how smoky quartz is often labeled as some version smoky topaz or something like that, they're often even placed together, and yet the "topaz" will sell at 2 to 3 times of the smoky quartz. The things that have always seemed off to me about tunduru sapphire is - - it is often the same color as multicolor garnet - it costs much less than sapphire of the same size, saturation and clarity (yet more than garnets) - it just doesn't have the same "look" refraction/reflection as sapphire - the colors are too clean and saturated to be turned into beads at that price - but the funny thing about it is they often throw in a deep indicolite/blue tourmaline colored bead into the mix, and as far as I know, blue garnets are very rare and only recently found. Is it possible that "tunduru sapphires" aren't all garnets but a mix of strongly colored gemstones of all types? I don't have a scale to test density or anything like that, but this issue w/ tunduru sapphires drives me nuts and i figured by now someone must have come up w/ a definitive answer Sometimes I think maybe they are like "umba" or "sri-lanka" sapphires.. that they come from a specific area. It seems often umba sapphire beads are so named because of their color.. sort of like "kashmir" sapphires in the cut gemstone market. But the color and price for tunduru's don't seem to make any sense Any one know anything about these sapphires? They are also spelled as: tundura, tundru, tundra Other common marketing names for sapphires (rondelles and briolettes) in the gemstone bead business are: "umba sapphires" (opaque/translucent multipastel), "thai sapphires" (tiny drop shaped briolettes that are mostly clear in yellow/orange/greens), "pink sapphires" (always translucent/opaque and pink), and recently "ceylon sapphires" (light blue w/ heavy zoning) thanks for any clues! http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,89859#msg-89859 Tue, 21 May 2013 07:29:39 +0000 Phorum 5.2.15a http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,262185#msg-262185 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,262185#msg-262185 Tim Jokela Jr Fakes, Frauds and Marketing Ploys Wed, 30 May 2012 16:57:14 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,258307#msg-258307 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,258307#msg-258307
[www.mindat.org]]]> Stephanie Martin Fakes, Frauds and Marketing Ploys Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:20:47 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,258305#msg-258305 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,258305#msg-258305 John Almasi Fakes, Frauds and Marketing Ploys Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:52:51 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,94771#msg-94771 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,94771#msg-94771 Paul Stahl Fakes, Frauds and Marketing Ploys Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:42:32 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,90168#msg-90168 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,90168#msg-90168 Ray Ladbury Fakes, Frauds and Marketing Ploys Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:44:31 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,89859#msg-89859 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,89859,89859#msg-89859
I buy gemstone beads, and someone on another forum suggested I post here with this question that's been nagging at me:


This issue has been bothering me again lately as I still see strands of colored gemstones labeled as "tunduru sapphire"

Just the other day I asked the vendor, isn't tunduru sapphire just garnet? and they said yes. But I've still been unable to find much definitive information about this seeming misnomer online.

Same as how smoky quartz is often labeled as some version smoky topaz or something like that, they're often even placed together, and yet the "topaz" will sell at 2 to 3 times of the smoky quartz.

The things that have always seemed off to me about tunduru sapphire is -
- it is often the same color as multicolor garnet
- it costs much less than sapphire of the same size, saturation and clarity (yet more than garnets)
- it just doesn't have the same "look" refraction/reflection as sapphire
- the colors are too clean and saturated to be turned into beads at that price
- but the funny thing about it is they often throw in a deep indicolite/blue tourmaline colored bead into the mix, and as far as I know, blue garnets are very rare and only recently found.

Is it possible that "tunduru sapphires" aren't all garnets but a mix of strongly colored gemstones of all types? I don't have a scale to test density or anything like that, but this issue w/
tunduru sapphires drives me nuts and i figured by now someone must have come up w/ a definitive answer

Sometimes I think maybe they are like "umba" or "sri-lanka" sapphires.. that they come from a specific area. It seems often umba sapphire beads are so named because of their color.. sort of like "kashmir" sapphires in the cut gemstone market. But the color and price for tunduru's don't seem to make any sense


Any one know anything about these sapphires?
They are also spelled as: tundura, tundru, tundra

Other common marketing names for sapphires (rondelles and briolettes) in the gemstone bead business are: "umba sapphires" (opaque/translucent multipastel), "thai sapphires" (tiny drop shaped briolettes that are mostly clear in yellow/orange/greens), "pink sapphires" (always translucent/opaque and pink), and recently "ceylon sapphires" (light blue w/ heavy zoning)

thanks for any clues!]]> sapphire Fakes, Frauds and Marketing Ploys Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:33:11 +0000