An interesting spinel

[RevolutionGems]

I finished cutting this stone last night and I have been trying to classify the color ever since. I just can''t wrap any accurate verbiage around the color on this stone. The best description I can come up with is "vermillion". It is ever-so-slightly more orangy than the pic indicates and has an absolutely PERFECT medium saturation. I LOVE the color and it isn''t nearly as included as the pic might indicate. Under 10x, it has 1 small needle and a tiny bubble inclusion. Otherwise, it is spotless.

What would you call it?

BTW, it is .30 ct and cut in a modified RB. I believe it is Thai material that is unheated (some others in the parcel are pretty sleepy which tells me the silk hasn''t been burned off) and was the only stone in the parcel of this color. The others are steely blue, mauve, purple and a few tiny pinks and reds.

 

[Indylady]

Very pretty! Are spinels heated? I thought they were typically untreated.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Gorgeous colour!

I thought spinels were untreated, though. I have heard of heat treatment but only as speculation. Has it been confirmed?

 

[VapidLapid]

I would like to call it Sun-dried Rose

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Saturated pad

 

[m00sie]

Tamarillo comes to mind lol

It is sort of rosey too, maybe antique rose?

 

[VapidLapid]

In that case i would like to call it pad-thai

 

[RevolutionGems]

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

 

[RevolutionGems]

But seriously, folks....

I keep thinking pad but I didn''t want to say it outright. I wanted more input to make sure I''m not crazy. (well, at least not craziER)

IRL, it really does look like a saturated pad. I am seriously considering getting a stud made to replace the montana sapphire I currently wear. Or maybe I could replace the little silver hoop...hmmmmm.

 

[FrekeChild]

Salmon!

 

[virgoruby]

Peach?

 

[whitby_2773]

bruce?

 

[T L]

I wouldn't classify that as a padparadscha color since it is a bit too brown. I've seen spinels that color before. They're more reminicent of what some dealers sell as padparadscha color from Africa. I recently obtained a 1.5 ct spinel that is AIGS certified and has the color "orangey-pink" on the memo. It's more of a traditional padparadscha color than your stone, but if it's not a sapphire, it isn't worth as much. That is a shame since these stones are untreated and have more sparkle than sapphires IMO, and no zoning.

Nice faceting. I bet it's a real sparkler. Would love to see pictures of your other spinels.

 

[RevolutionGems]

To be brutally honest, this is only the second spinel I have cut. I just went through the parcel I have and picked out about 6 or 8 pieces that are cuttable. The biggest piece is about 4 carats but pretty dark purple. Most of the pieces will cut between 30 and 50 points but I MIGHT be able to get close to a carat out of the bigger one.

 

[ma re]

Not trying to be funny here, but color really reminds me of some types of dried meat. Of course that wouldn''t exactly be a good selling point, but that was my first association.

 

[gemgirl]

I''m with Freke. I''d say salmon because it looks very similar to a salmon tourmaline I wanted and didn''t buy. Delicious color.

 

[delayedreaction]

I''d call it dusty rose. (Although salmon works as well.)

 

[Kismet]

I was thinking it looks like a sunstone.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/13/2010 9:57:13 AM
Author: Kismet
I was thinking it looks like a sunstone.

Wow, you''re right!!

 

[PumpkinPie]

a very pretty colour - but really hard to choose the right word to describe it

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Well, I suggested "saturated pad" with my tongue firmly in my cheek, as I feel that applying that term to stones other than sapphire has a very "eba-y" (in the bad sense!) feel about it, like "paraiba apatite". As if you were trying to use the term to push up the value of the spinel. Call me a purist, if you like.

I wouldn''t call it rose, because of the orangy component, although the term did cross my mind. However, how about sunset? Pink and orange in a medium saturation sounds like a good sunset to me!

 

[RevolutionGems]

I think I like the idea of sunset. It isn''t quite orangy enough to be salmon.

 

[Pandora II]

Pomegranate?

 

[RevolutionGems]

Hmmmm, that''s even better than sunset!

 

[Arcadian]

Thats really a lovely stone Jeff!

-A

 

[Richard M.]

If padparadscha sapphire is the color of the lotus blossom, then I have no problem calling this Sri Lankan spinel "padparadscha-hued."

One problem of many in this endless debate is that lotus blossoms vary a lot in hue. Though Sri Lankans insist genuine pad sapphires are found only in their country, sapphires from other locations can lack the brownish overcast referred to and can be identical to Sri Lankan stones in hue.

Sapphires sold as "padparadscha" vary enormously in hue. I know because I''ve spent hours searching through dealer inventories trying to memorize that elusive color. Instead I''ve found "pads" from pure pink to pure orange and everything in between, including stones with distinct purplish overtones. I''ve concluded that the padparadscha hue (and name) lie in the eye and mind of the beholder.

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

 

[Arkteia]

Congrats on a nice cut and color but I''d stay away from "pad" because it is such an elusive term. I tend to agree with Ma Re - it does remind bacon crumbs. Which is great, because I find bacon "yummy"!
Your cuts are getting better and better. Still not on vendor''s list?

 

[brandy_z28]

Date: 3/13/2010 1:54:36 PM
Author: Pandora II
Pomegranate?

I second the pomegranate color! Too purpley to be pad, IMO. Still a very nice color and cut!