Blue Spinel real or synthetic?

[mborda]

RI of 1.72
Has inclusions that resemble crumbs or dirt under magnification. Totally eye clean.
No reaction under UV
I don't have the extra money to send it to GIA.
Any ideas? Looks to be very old, and made of 2 pieces.

 

[Niel]

Well based in the color and size, yes, I do think it's synthetic


But only so much one can gauge from a photo

 

[bcavitt]

Lots of synthetic spinel found in older rings. Again, can't really tell from a picture. A G.G. worth his/her salt could tell you for sure but he/she may charge you.

 

[mborda]

See, that's the problem! Finding someone who can give me an answer is hard! Most jeweler's I've talked to don't know much about cooled gems!

 

[PrecisionGem]

Who took the RI reading? Normally lab created spinel is 1.73 and natural is 1.714

 

[mborda]

Some idiot at a jewelry store. He was the gemologist on duty. Got out his pretty little machine.
He thought it could have been a tanzinite until he took the reading. He said 1.72. I'm getting a second opinion.

 

[mborda]

Some idiot at a jewelry store. He was the gemologist on duty. Got out his pretty little machine.
He thought it could have been a tanzinite until he took the reading. He said 1.72. I'm getting a second opinion.

 

[chrono]

Highly suspect that it is synthetic based on the age, size, colour, and clarity.

 

[mborda]

I found this authentic, natural blue spinel online. The ring is around 8,000 dollars. I put my ring next to it to show the color comparison.
I went to a jeweler today but there was no one working who could give me a RI.

 

[stracci2000]

If this was natural spinel, I would expect the setting to be more lavish, with diamonds and such, befitting a great big spinel with that electric blue color. More like the ring in your comparison photo.

And why was the jeweler an "idiot'? Did he tell you it was synthetic, and you didn't like that answer?

 

[mborda]

He was an idiot because he thought it was a tanzinite. Then he walked away from me, leaving me standing in the middle of the store. So....are we done? His answer for most questions was "I dunno". You could tell that because it wasn't a diamond, he could have cared less.

 

[Niel]

He was an idiot because he thought it was a tanzinite. Then he walked away from me, leaving me standing in the middle of the store. So....are we done? His answer for most questions was "I dunno". You could tell that because it wasn't a diamond, he could have cared less.

Sorry, that's not how they should act.

 

[chrono]

I'm sure if you paid for the services of a reputable gemmologist, he or she will be more professional and give you correct answer, which probably will not be what you want to hear though.

 

[tourma-guy]

I'm sure if you paid for the services of a reputable gemmologist, he or she will be more professional and give you correct answer, which probably will not be what you want to hear though.

Yep. You can't expect someone who likely only deals with diamonds on a regular basis to know everything about colored stones. At first glance it very well may look like Tanzanite. Spinel isn't as well known of a stone. Plus (just to play devil's advocate) he wasn't going to make money off of reading the RI for you, which is probably why he didn't want to spend a bunch of time helping you. Not that that excuses the guy being rude.

Also depending on the quality of the refractometer, and skill of the person using it, 1.714 looks a lot like 1.72.

 

[digdeep]

Your best bet is to pay for the services of a lab and get the information that will validate the gem..........one way or the other. The odd's are that it is synthetic, but if you are invested in the answer..........that's your clear path as jewelry stores are not set up to identify gems.......especially colored stones.

 

[mborda]

Well, I've set up an appoint with an actual gemologist in april.
Now I wait...

 

[mborda]

Ok. Went to GIA certified gemoligist. The RI of the stone is 1.719.
He recommended to have it chemically analyzed to make sure, but it's pointing to a real stone!

 

[chrono]

Synthetic and natural spinel have the same R.I. which is why further testing is needed.

 

[mborda]

From what I've read, synthetic blue spinel is 1.728 plus OR -1.71. I've seen something about Russian synthetics having a RI of 1.719.

 

[Niel]

Just don't get your hopes up. I've never seen a spinel look exactly that color, and I've seen lots of synthetics look exactly that color.