Finally, some decent pics of red spinel

[pregcurious]

I've been trying over and over again to get some decent pics of this spinel, for which you ladies/guys graciously gave me input for the setting: ([URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/poll-please-vote-on-settings-for-red-spinel.167947/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/poll-please-vote-on-settings-for-red-spinel.167947/[/URL])

I was finally able to get some in-focus pics using a bunch of bananas, and one in my hand. Both pictures were taken by a window using only natural light. The bananas make it look a little orangey. Outside, it shifts slightly towards red with a slight purple. Indoors at night and in my office, it looks true red (to me).

The last 2 pics are from the vendor, and I think they must have been taken with a good camera and a setup that allowed for even light from all directions (e.g. light box). They're pretty accurate, but what I'm finding is that the color depends on the light source. The stone is also deep, and has some extinction in real life when light is coming from 1 direction.

 

[Arkteia]

So pretty!

 

[FallenRox]

That looks like a lollipop! totally delish

 

[minousbijoux]

Is that a Roger Dery stone?

 

[T L]

While it does look pretty orangy in your photos above, it appears to have very little extinction, and is a nice tonality for red spinel. Many of them look like dark pyrope garnets, and yours does not. Congratulations.

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks Arkteia, Fallenfox, minousbijoux, and TL. It shifts very slightly (towards orange or purple) depending on the light source and surroundings, and the bananas don't help . It looks slightly pink to me in the vendor's pics. Martin Fuller appraised it with a set of standard red stones and he determined it to be between a true red, and the next stone which was red with a slight purple shade. I am planning on setting it in a white metal and white diamonds to help it hold it's color.

I bought it from Bruce Bridges, son of the late Campbell Bridges. When I saw it for the first time in Martin's office, and I made my mind up right then to keep it based on the color, and then Martin told me that it's internally flawless. I didn't realize at the time how lucky I was to find it. I'm still a complete noob compared to some of you ladies.

I'm actually looking for a big red garnet (not dark, 9 mm+) to set in a pendant if anyone know of any I can't afford (nor find probably) a big red spinel to match this one.

 

[pregcurious]

Just for comparison, this is another vendor pic that makes the stone look very neutral (at least on my computer screen). I think all of the vendor pictures are very accurate--it just depends on the lighting what I will see. The vendor was also very honest in giving me a verbal description (between stop light and rose red), which helped me as much as the pictures did. I was also fortunate to have an excellent appraiser on hand who helped me assess this at the time of purchase. Without the help of Martin, I would never have felt comfortable buying a high-priced colored stone.

As for photos, I've been told by experts here and have witnessed that digital cameras do not capture red (or green) very well. My camera makes this stone look orangey.

I think what I've learned from this is what everyone keeps on saying:
1) get a good verbal decription from a trusted vendor
2) look at pictures in different settings from the vendor (if possible), but be aware of camera limitations. Ask of pictures have been altered and why.
3) look at the stone in different lighting conditions before committing
4) and for noobs like me, consult an appraiser with expertise in your stone, or get a breakdown for color using a lab report.

 

[chrono]

It's a very pretty stone and I think it's normal for most red spinels to shift slightly under different lighting.

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, Chrono. Your spinel is one of spinels that opened me up to spinels during my red stone (started as ruby) search.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Very pretty red spinel. They are so hard to photograph. Mine do not look anything like their pics in real life. The camera just kills the red.

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, Lisa. Yeah, it's impossible for me to get a good picture of this thing. I'm not even going to attempt again until I get a special set up (tent, lights, maybe even a new camera). Is that a red spinel ring in your avatar?

 

[pregcurious]

Just wanted to follow up on Chrono's accurate statement about spinels shifting. Richard Hughes comments here that spinels shift color more than rubies:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pink-spinel-price.41700/#post-591872?hilit=spinel#p591872']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pink-spinel-price.41700/#post-591872?hilit=spinel#p591872[/URL]

 

[T L]

Almost all gems shift somewhat. The problem isn't shifting so much, unless you dislike a certain color the stone shifts too. What is disconcerting is when a gem loses a great deal of saturation in one light source vs another. For example, many Mahenge spinels keep their saturation, but all too many (especially the newer material) lose saturation in fluorescent light. One should also be careful to avoid extinction in red spinels as well.

 

[Aoife]

Very pretty, indeed!

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Thanks, Lisa. Yeah, it's impossible for me to get a good picture of this thing. I'm not even going to attempt again until I get a special set up (tent, lights, maybe even a new camera). Is that a red spinel ring in your avatar?

That is an old stock Mahenge. Pure neon pink but who could tell from the photos? lol I recently had a red spinel from AJS set in a three stone ring with diamond sides. Beautiful pinkish red but I fear photographing it as it will look horrid. I did a side to side with a lab ruby for comparison and the spinel was identical in color. But if I photographed it then it would like like a piece of coal .lol I did find solace in the thread from the poster looking for and finding at red spinel around 10K. Her spinel is of course amazing but the pics... well she posted her pics were not what the stone looks like in real life.