Blue/Violet Spinel at Art Cut Gems

[omieluv]

Hello all...perhaps someone posted questions about this one already, but what do you spinel experts think of this one?
http://www.artcutgems.com/item.php?item_id=541&page=2&category_id=48

I like the idea of a blue to violet color shift, but I have not looked very long at these, so I am not sure if this could be a good one...

 

[AustenNut]

Though I''m far closer to being a novice than an expert,the stone does look pretty. It appears though as though there is some zoning (right word?) where there are some dark patches in the stone and the color isn''t spread out evenly. And the inclusion that appears to keep it from facing up eye clean is quite noticeable, looks like a twig. Now whether or not that would be easily seen when it wasn''t as magnified as in the photo, I don''t know. But considering the uneven color and the very obvious inclusion, I suspect you can probably do better, but I''d definitely wait to hear from the experts on this (as I''m not one of them).

 

[chrono]

Astphard,
I don't think what you are seeing is zoning for several reasons although I can see why you might think so:
1. The picture is taken at an angle, so due to the side/edges of the stone being thinner, light passes though it all the way, making that section of the stone lighter and brighter
2. I'm seeing a lot of shadowing in the stone due to the angle of the stone, which again, makes it look darker in certain areas.

Omie,
I think the colour is decent for the price. Cutting is good. There is some gray, but then again, many blue spinels show different degrees of grayness with the least commanding the highest prices. My only concern is the tone. Some don't mind a medium dark tone but others do. I personally prefer something a little lighter (medium) to give me more options with setting the stone. Oh, I almost forgot - the inclusion. It looks obvious in the picture but then again, it is magnified. Have you asked Rick how obvious it is in person?

 

[AustenNut]

Date: 8/15/2009 2:38:43 PM
Author: Chrono
Astphard,

I don''t think what you are seeing is zoning for several reasons although I can see why you might think so:

1. The picture is taken at an angle, so due to the side/edges of the stone being thinner, light passes though it all the way, making that section of the stone lighter and brighter

2. I''m seeing a lot of shadowing in the stone due to the angle of the stone, which again, makes it look darker in certain areas.


Omie,

I think the colour is decent for the price. Cutting is good. There is some gray, but then again, many blue spinels show different degrees of grayness with the least commanding the highest prices. My only concern is the tone. Some don''t mind a medium dark tone but others do. I personally prefer something a little lighter (medium) to give me more options with setting the stone. Oh, I almost forgot - the inclusion. It looks obvious in the picture but then again, it is magnified. Have you asked Rick how obvious it is in person?

Thanks for piping in, Chrono, as I am still very much a beginner. First off, what''s the difference between zoning and shadowing? And why is it that some of the edges are light whereas other edges are dark if they are supposed to be roughly the same thickness? (i.e. the top and left edges appear dark while the northwest and southeast corners appear light. And yes, I apologize for using geographic terms improperly here, but it was the best descriptors I could come up with.) Is this still because of the angle from which the picture was taken? And if this is considered a hijack just let me know and I''ll start a different thread.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 8/15/2009 2:38:43 PM
Author: Chrono

Omie,
I think the colour is decent for the price. Cutting is good. There is some gray, but then again, many blue spinels show different degrees of grayness with the least commanding the highest prices. My only concern is the tone. Some don''t mind a medium dark tone but others do. I personally prefer something a little lighter (medium) to give me more options with setting the stone. Oh, I almost forgot - the inclusion. It looks obvious in the picture but then again, it is magnified. Have you asked Rick how obvious it is in person?

You confirmed what i was thinking Chrono, as I am looking for a blue spinel more on the medium side in terms of tone. The price does seem reasonable though, but I do not think it is the right stone for me. I did not see the gray you are speaking of, but that could be due to my computer monitor and the fact that I have not looked at enough blue spinel. Some gray is not going to be bothersome, however, less the better.

 

[zeolite]

astphard: the top and left edges appear dark while the northwest and southeast corners appear light.

Don't you mean northeast and southwest? If you are referring to the bright areas here, they are reflections from the top facets, shining into the camera lens.

Look at the tanzanite picture, 3rd picture down in this thread:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/flower-gem-pics.121633/

The pale blue-white rectangular circle of star facets is at the correct angle to reflect into the camera lens. The gem color is uniform in the Tanzanite, as I am sure it is in this spinel.

 

[AustenNut]

Zeolite: Those were some beautiful pictures on that other thread! But actually, I did mean the northwest and southeast corners as in those areas it appears to be more of a medium-light blue whereas in other areas it is quite dark. I assumed that those areas that appeared rather white were due to the camera, but am not sure if it''s the angle of the stone or that the stone has an assortment of colors to explain the lighter and darker parts. Does this make sense?

 

[chrono]

Date: 8/15/2009 3:23:43 PM
Author: AustenNut

Thanks for piping in, Chrono, as I am still very much a beginner. First off, what''s the difference between zoning and shadowing? And why is it that some of the edges are light whereas other edges are dark if they are supposed to be roughly the same thickness? (i.e. the top and left edges appear dark while the northwest and southeast corners appear light. And yes, I apologize for using geographic terms improperly here, but it was the best descriptors I could come up with.) Is this still because of the angle from which the picture was taken? And if this is considered a hijack just let me know and I''ll start a different thread.

I believe the reason for what you are seeing is multiple fold: it is a combination of the angle of the stone when photographed in addition to the positioning of the lights, which creates the shadowing and the facet reflection.

 

[chrono]

Omie,
Are you searching actively or just browsing around? If you are looking to purchase right away, you can always email Rick to see if he has something a shade lighter.

 

[omieluv]

At this point, just browsing around. Would like a nice blue spinel, eventually...