Grey Spinel HELP!

[Greylove]

Hi

Can anybody offer expert opinions on the cut of this stone? I find the colour very beautiful and appealing but unsure on the cut. Any advice would be really appreciated.

 

[Niel]

Seems very shallow with a large window

 

[Greylove]

Thank you Neil. That was my concern also. do you think it could be corrected?

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Do you mind some purple or blue hues in the grey stone you are seeking? For example Gemcal has a nice gray/purple 1.77 carat spinel that will face a bit smaller than the stone you posted, but will have much more sparkle. It's very hard to "correct" shallow stones with a re-cut without making the stone much smaller.

http://gemcal.com/gray-fancy-spinel-1-77-cts-2176

 

[Niel]

Thank you Neil. That was my concern also. do you think it could be corrected?

Being shallow no not without losing weight

 

[Greylove]

Hi LisaRN
Thank you for your comments. I would prefer to stay away from the blue/purple tones. I've really fallen in love with is colour, it was just that window that was worrying. Do you think it would have much sparkle?

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I don't think it will sparkle very much. Can you start a thread asking for help in finding a grey spinel if this one does not produce many recommendations? We have some forum members who do an outstanding job in helping other members find the perfect stone. Make sure you post the color (include the pic from this thread), cut and dimensions that you like best.

 

[Greylove]

thank you so much LisaRN and Niel. hopefully I can get some leads!

 

[lovedogs]

thank you so much LisaRN and Niel. hopefully I can get some leads!

http://gemcal.com/gray-fancy-spinel-1-51-cts-2180

http://gemcal.com/purple-gray-fancy-spinel-4-28-cts-2156

http://gemcal.com/silvery-gray-fancy-spinel-3-88-cts-2159


What about these? I especially like the first one if you want a "pure" grey color. I also like the last one, but I am a bit worried about the window. Anyone else have thoughts on these three?

 

[Niel]

thank you so much LisaRN and Niel. hopefully I can get some leads!

Did you try contacting prima?

 

[Greylove]

That last stone is really beautiful, thanks Lovedogs. it seems very deep though, is that an unusual depth for this size stone?

 

[GregS]

Here is one I feel may meet your needs.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/172382279/rare-burmese-white-spinel-nice
The stones I am seeing in this thread are poorly saturated purples and pinks with a slight to heavy grey cast. This is usually very undesirable. If that's what you're after there should be a plethora of stones for you to choose from. If you want a pure "gunmetal" type grey I would suggest contacting Jeff Davies, he was cutting tons of them a few years back. Even those seemed to exhibit an underlying purple or pinkish hue.

 

[minousbijoux]

That last stone is really beautiful, thanks Lovedogs. it seems very deep though, is that an unusual depth for this size stone?

Yes. For its weight, it faces up quite small, so you are paying for a stone that looks considerably smaller than it is. It could be a great candidate for a recut, though.

 

[MollyMalone]

* * * If you want a pure "gunmetal" type grey I would suggest contacting Jeff Davies, he was cutting tons of them a few years back. Even those seemed to exhibit an underlying purple or pinkish hue.

Perhaps you will have better luck, but when I asked Jeff in March/April -- in an e-mail thanking him for a stone I'd just received from him -- about the possibility of a gunmetal, grey, or silver spinel, he told me the availability of these was unpredictable & I should keep an eye on his posted inventory, i.e., he wasn't keeping any kind of wait list.

 

[dk168]

Jeff D only has one grey spinel listed in his eBay shop at the mo, it is a SI stone, and I can see a orange patch in the pics and video.

However, it is still good value for its size and cut:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CUSHION-C...WATCH-VIDEO-/321847310452?hash=item4aef983874

It is worth contacting him and asks if he has any suitable roughs, as he allegedly has a vast inventory of roughs as well as cut stones.

DK

 

[blingbunny10]

* * * If you want a pure "gunmetal" type grey I would suggest contacting Jeff Davies, he was cutting tons of them a few years back. Even those seemed to exhibit an underlying purple or pinkish hue.

Perhaps you will have better luck, but when I asked Jeff in March/April -- in an e-mail thanking him for a stone I'd just received from him -- about the possibility of a gunmetal, grey, or silver spinel, he told me the availability of these was unpredictable & I should keep an eye on his posted inventory, i.e., he wasn't keeping any kind of wait list.

OP, I also asked him about grey spinel a week or so ago and he said he didn't have any.

 

[Greylove]

* * * If you want a pure "gunmetal" type grey I would suggest contacting Jeff Davies, he was cutting tons of them a few years back. Even those seemed to exhibit an underlying purple or pinkish hue.

Perhaps you will have better luck, but when I asked Jeff in March/April -- in an e-mail thanking him for a stone I'd just received from him -- about the possibility of a gunmetal, grey, or silver spinel, he told me the availability of these was unpredictable & I should keep an eye on his posted inventory, i.e., he wasn't keeping any kind of wait list.

Thank you guys, I did ask Jeff a couple of months back and do watch his inventory often. He has some beautiful stones. Just so in love with the colour of the stone I attached originally. It's almost bronze tones. Just very worried it will look dull with the window. Saying that though, I've never known what a window was until I begun reading this amazing forum! Eek!

 

[blingbunny10]

greylove - I know you say you love the color of the first stone, but aside from the window issue folks have mentioned above, I'd be worried that the color would be darker than you expect. I would actually look for lighter grey spinels that have some of the purple/bronzy tones you like and go from there. Of course, buying with the option of returning is the best way to ensure you get what you want and expect, but if vendors are willing to provide video of the stones, that can also be a big help. I know I've had some surprises and disappointment expecting some of my purchases to resemble the photos....

 

[lovedogs]

That last stone is really beautiful, thanks Lovedogs. it seems very deep though, is that an unusual depth for this size stone?

Yes. For its weight, it faces up quite small, so you are paying for a stone that looks considerably smaller than it is. It could be a great candidate for a recut, though.

I think this might be a fantastic idea, Minous! Greylove I would contact one of the re-cutters commonly mentioned on the forum (I've worked with Dan Stair and think he's great, others have worked with different people although right now names are escaping me). If you attach a picture and dimensions in an email to Dan, he can give you a good idea of whether or not it's a good candidate for a recut. And if it is a good candidate, recut fees are extremely reasonable (approx $35 per hour), so that might be a good way to go if you like this stone!

 

[MollyMalone]

Don't know where you are in Australia, but have you reached out to Doug Menadue in Sydney? He may not be interested in taking on a recut at this particular time, but there's no down side to asking him if he would do a recut -- or custom cut a stone for you from rough.
http://www.bespoke-gems.com
(He listed a 4 ct grey spinel cushion a couple of weeks ago, but it sold quickly.)

Dan Stair and Jeremy Newman have excellent reputations, and deservedly so imo, but I'm thinking it would be nice if your stone didn't have to make trans-global trips.

 

[chrono]

You wrote that you are looking for a gray spinel but the first stone posted looks more like a brown spinel, so I'm confused about what you are looking for.

 

[lovedogs]

Don't know where you are in Australia, but have you reached out to Doug Menadue in Sydney? He may not be interested in taking on a recut at this particular time, but there's no down side to asking him if he would do a recut -- or custom cut a stone for you from rough.
http://www.bespoke-gems.com
(He listed a 4 ct grey spinel cushion a couple of weeks ago, but it sold quickly.)

Dan Stair and Jeremy Newman have excellent reputations, and deservedly so imo, but I'm thinking it would be nice if your stone didn't have to make trans-global trips.

Gah sorry OP! I didn't remember you were in AUS so obviously gave you Dan's name as someone I've worked with in the US. Definitely it would be easier if you could work with someone locally. Doug is wonderful, but I don't know if he would be able to take on a recut right now. But it's worth asking him. He is extremely nice and responsive, so reaching out to him can't hurt!

 

[ElleK]

Considering a recut is a careful undertaking because the stone is under quite a bit of pressure while being cut. I would not recommend buying a stone to recut it, in general, especially on a stone that has no obvious cut flaws.

 

[minousbijoux]

I was speaking generally when I said that one of those stones would be a good recut candidate, and not suggesting that it would be right for you, OP. There are risks in recuts and while many here have done them successfully, it is not typically those just starting out that take on the process. And I'm not even sure it was you who loved the stone that was really deep or another PSer. The bronze color you seek is not as sought after as a silver/platinum/lavenderish stone, so there may be vendors on ebay selling them fairly cheaply. I would have a look around there and see. You could do a gemstone search for platinum, grey, bronze spinel and then sort by vendors with good feedback and return policies. If you find stones you like, check them out on toolhaus.org to see how they've fared on feedback. Then contact the vendor with all your questions and move on to another vendor if they don't respond or they give you cryptic answers. Finally, vet the stones here. I think you likely can find what you seek perhaps more quickly by going the ebay route than waiting until that color shows up one of the PS-vetted vendors.

 

[Greylove]

Re: Grey Spinel HELP

thank you so much to everyone who has made suggestions. I've always loved light/mid grey spinel stones but after now discovering this bronze like colour it's made me re-think a little.

has anyone ever come across bronze spinel stones before? I would like to find one that is between 2.5-3.5 in size

 

[ElleK]

Well that's a whole new ballgame you're bringing up now. Gray spinel was never popular until more recently, so it was never cut. Typically cutters cut what they think will sell. So pink? Yes! Red? Definitely! Green? For Sure! Bronze? Huh?!

So odds are, you're going to have to comb through eBay carefully, as Minou suggested, and you might throw in "walnut" as a search term. I cannot suggest specific vendors for you, but there are some out there who sometimes have a brown/gray spinel.

Hah! Start calling it "Mink Spinel" and watch the craze begin.

Have you thought about what color you'd set a stone that's that color in? I think that you should think carefully about that when you find a stone you like. White metal may make it look very brown, yellow metal make make it look more gray, so it may be a bit of a balancing act when choosing how to set it.

 

[arabella]

Re: Grey Spinel HELP

thank you so much to everyone who has made suggestions. I've always loved light/mid grey spinel stones but after now discovering this bronze like colour it's made me re-think a little.

has anyone ever come across bronze spinel stones before? I would like to find one that is between 2.5-3.5 in size

I'm not sure how close to "bronze" this is to you... I just saw ElleW's mention of "walnut" and that made me think of this one, which I came across the other day. It's smaller than you want, and I'm not 100% sure on how good the cut is (still trying to figure that out from pictures), but at least you can see an example of something that's being described as walnut.

http://gemcal.com/walnut-fancy-spinel-1-36-cts-1234

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

There is a grey diamond for sale on loupe troupe. It is being sold by a knowledgeable PSer for a reasonable price. I don't do links, so you must check it out yourself.

Annette

 

[lovedogs]

Hi,

There is a grey diamond for sale on loupe troupe. It is being sold by a knowledgeable PSer for a reasonable price. I don't do links, so you must check it out yourself.

Annette

Here's the link if you are interested. I almost posted it for you the other day, but didn't know if you would be interested in a diamond.
http://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-diamond/1-dot-13ct-gia-fancy-gray-diamond

 

[Greylove]

Hi,

There is a grey diamond for sale on loupe troupe. It is being sold by a knowledgeable PSer for a reasonable price. I don't do links, so you must check it out yourself.

Annette

Here's the link if you are interested. I almost posted it for you the other day, but didn't know if you would be interested in a diamond.
http://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-diamond/1-dot-13ct-gia-fancy-gray-diamond

Absolutely beautiful stone just not the right size for what I'm looking for.