Colour Me Pink

[chrono]

Choices...choices...choices

I am finally getting my pink spinel asscher but don't know which one to choose.

How does one define pink? Is it just a watered down red, or purplish light red or what? I've been looking at so much coloured stones lately that my eyes are getting crossed.

I've heard that a highly desired pink (as in a pink sapphire) should have a touch of purple, and yet the AGTA pink spinel asschers do not have the purple tint. http://www.agta.org/consumer/images/spectrum/2007ceb2nd.jpg
So I am quite confused. How strong a purple tint should a pink have?

My next dilemma (in a good way) is which one should I pick?
The pink on the left will end up around 1.5 ct (6.3 mm to 6.7 mm)
The darker pink on the right will be between 1.5 ct and 1.8 ct (6.5 mm to 7.5 mm)

Should I pick based on size too? I mean, I want a pretty good sized pink spinel. Will there be a noticeable difference in size between the two?

Or should I just bite the bullet and get Leon's ready-to-go pink spinel ring?
http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=245
It has the size at 3.9ct, and is a light pink colour AND it's already set in a Leon Mege setting!

Just kidding. I wonder how much that one costs? Anyway, it's not the right cut. I really want an asscher cut pink spinel.

Hmm...I wonder if the emerald cut is square enough for windmills... The pink looks rather peachy though, almost like a Pad colour. Do you think Leon would be willing to take a top down picture for me?

 

[Ellen]

Ooooh Chrono, I can''t wait to see this completed.

My humble .02 is that I would go with a lighter color. If it''s too dark, I''d be affraid the lines would get lost.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 5/1/2007 8:10:42 AM
Author:Chrono
Choices...choices...choices

I am finally getting my pink spinel asscher but don''t know which one to choose.

How does one define pink? Is it just a watered down red, or purplish light red or what? I''ve been looking at so much coloured stones lately that my eyes are getting crossed.

I''ve heard that a highly desired pink (as in a pink sapphire) should have a touch of purple, and yet the AGTA pink spinel asschers do not have the purple tint. http://www.agta.org/consumer/images/spectrum/2007ceb2nd.jpg
So I am quite confused. How strong a purple tint should a pink have?

My next dilemma (in a good way) is which one should I pick?
The pink on the left will end up around 1.5 ct (6.3 mm to 6.7 mm)
The darker pink on the right will be between 1.5 ct and 1.8 ct (6.5 mm to 7.5 mm)

Should I pick based on size too? I mean, I want a pretty good sized pink spinel. Will there be a noticeable difference in size between the two?

Or should I just bite the bullet and get Leon''s ready-to-go pink spinel ring?
http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=245
It has the size at 3.9ct, and is a light pink colour AND it''s already set in a Leon Mege setting!

Just kidding. I wonder how much that one costs? Anyway, it''s not the right cut. I really want an asscher cut pink spinel.

Hmm...I wonder if the emerald cut is square enough for windmills... The pink looks rather peachy though, almost like a Pad colour. Do you think Leon would be willing to take a top down picture for me?

Around 7 grand, the last I checked.

 

[FireGoddess]

I do love the color of the rough on the right - but it is a good point that a dark colored stone might lose some of the windmill effect? I do love the color though!

 

[innerkitten]

Some of the best pink spinels have a touch of orange in them. I think it''s a matter of taste. I like either purplish pink or orangy pink as long as it''s bright and beautiful.

 

[canuk-gal]

This pink sapphire/beauty is termed "medium dark slightly purplish (hot pink). Pretty in Pink to me!

http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=9&idproduct=2153

cheers--Sharon

ETA: pink spinel from AC Stones

http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=9&idproduct=2204 slightly purplish medium pink

http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=9&idproduct=540 slighlty brownish slightly purplish med. dark pink

 

[chrono]

Does this look pink to you? I like this colour and think of it as pink, not purple-y. I think it is just as pink as the native cut pink I posted earlier but just less saturated. Do you think the windmills will show up well in such a coloured stone?

 

[Ellen]

Wowzers, looks pink to me! Although to my eyes (and monitor) I see ever the slightest touch of purple. It''s really pretty/yummy.

As far as seeing the windmills, I would "think" you would see them well in this.


Chrono, to save yourself some guessing though, you might ask whoever (is it RH?) is going to cut it, what color/shade you need to stay at to best show the windmills.

I really like this stone though!

 

[innerkitten]

Thats a lovely color. It will be a little paler when I cut I think because you''ll be loosing some material.

 

[chrono]

You guys are just the best!

Just posting my thoughts out here and getting feedback clears things up in my head. I"m pretty sure now that''s the shade of pink I want. Unfortunately, that''s just a picture and that pink rough is sold (from a different vendor). The cutter I am working with hasn''t seen this picture yet. He thinks the lighter pink native cut should do the trick in showing the windmills but honestly, I wasn''t blown away by the colour. I guess it''s the right pink colour but I need more saturation. This cutter is new to me (and PS too) so I''d like to keep his name under wraps for a wee bit longer. So far, he has been a pleasure to work with, emailing me daily, and putting up with my indecisiveness.

 

[chrono]

I found this on the QVC website. Can anyone photoshop it into that pink shade? Pretty please

?

 

[pricescope]

sort of like this

 

[pricescope]

smaller size picture and rings further away from each other give a better independent evaluation option omho

 

[chrono]

Thanks, Irina. Love the pictures.

I talked to the cutter over the telephone this afternoon for the first time after all the daily emails back and forth and he is just so patient and sweet. I can''t wait to finally be able to have him cut a stone for me. It looks like it''s going to be almost impossible to find a large hot pink spinel (over 2ct) in that shade. Bummer.

He is sending the purplish pink one away and will try to see if he can find a bigger pink stone for me (I want it BIG to be able to see the windmills without a loupe

). If not, I''ll fall back on the native cut pink spinel. He guesses that most of the extinction in the current stone will go away and it might even gain saturation with the recut. He has lots of cool tools for me to play with too.

He has computer programs to simulate the cut stone and one that shows a rotating stone and more!

I''m keeping my fingers crossed. It sounds like it''s going to be one exciting project. I can''t wait to out his name here on PS. I hope you guys are interested in this too, otherwise I''ll just shut up about it.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/3/2007 12:58:46 PM
Author: Chrono
Thanks, Irina. Love the pictures.

I talked to the cutter over the telephone this afternoon for the first time after all the daily emails back and forth and he is just so patient and sweet. I can''t wait to finally be able to have him cut a stone for me. It looks like it''s going to be almost impossible to find a large hot pink spinel (over 2ct) in that shade. Bummer.

He is sending the purplish pink one away and will try to see if he can find a bigger pink stone for me (I want it BIG to be able to see the windmills without a loupe

). If not, I''ll fall back on the native cut pink spinel. He guesses that most of the extinction in the current stone will go away and it might even gain saturation with the recut. He has lots of cool tools for me to play with too.

He has computer programs to simulate the cut stone and one that shows a rotating stone and more!

I''m keeping my fingers crossed. It sounds like it''s going to be one exciting project. I can''t wait to out his name here on PS. I hope you guys are interested in this too, otherwise I''ll just shut up about it.

Are you serious?? *smack* I''m living vicariously though you on this.

I LOVE, LOVE the bright pink one Irina did. You must search the ends of the earth for this color/size. I don''t care how tired you get.

It will be worth it!

 

[colormyworld]

Hi Chrono, While not quite as strong a color as the hot pink rough you posted but this looks pretty close in hue. http://www.supershinegems.net/shoparea/itemdetails.php?item_id=1013 It is large enough to cut a very nice assher.
While I have never bought from this vendor directly. I have bought from his partner in the U.S..

Doug

 

[colormyworld]

This is a picture from the same vendor. I don''t know whether it is large enough to cut the assher you seek but I think the color is a very pure pink.
Doug

 

[chrono]

Here''s a mini diversion for your viewing pleasure. A blue Montana sapphire from Dan Stair in an asscher cut. For some reason, I always miss buying all the good stuff. I missed his pink asscher cut spinel a while back too. Oh well...

 

[Nicrez]

More please....more asscher cut gemstones....MORE MORE!

So what''s the status of your lovely pink???

 

[chrono]

My cutter gave me a whole bunch of options to choose from:

1. 6.3 mm - 6.7 mm, light pink, eye clean (The original native cut stone)
2. 6.8 mm - 7.4 mm, medium pink, eye clean
3. 7.3 mm - 7.7 mm, light pink, eye clean
4. 6.9 mm - 7.5 mm, light pink, eye clean
5. 7.3 mm - 7.7 mm, rich raspberry pink, some bubble like inclusion
6. 7.8 mm - 8.5 mm (around 3 cts.), rich reddish pink, eye clean

They all piqued my interest but the price tag floored me. All the 5 new options are more than double the original option, and one was at least 5X more than the original option. Just crazy.

Then Ellen had a very good suggestion: why not ask the cutter what is the minimum size he would recommend to be able to see the windmill pattern easily. That led me to asking asscher owners in RT about their own asscher diamonds and how they visible they felt the pattern are in person.

That really helped a lot because pictures just aren't the same size as seeing them in real life. So I decided to have the native cut spinel recut for 3 big reasons:
1. A lighter colour will not overly mask the steps.
2. It appears that 6.3 mm is plenty big to see the steps. If it ends up 6.7 mm, it's a bonus!

3. It doesn't make sense to pay more than $$$2x just for a 0.5 mm increase. Or even 3x to 4x more for a 1 mm increase.

I've given the cutter the green light to start. I like that he has a 15% deposit required before we start; I don't have to pay him the full amount. If I end up liking the stone, I pay the balance. Otherwise, I only need to return the stone and he'll keep the 15% deposit. This way it is fair to both of us since we have no idea how this will turn out as it is a custom job. Still the risk has been minimized with all this discussion, rough options, pictures and et cetera.

He even sent me a plot of how he plans to cut the stone. I think it is awesome. I hope he won't mind me putting up here. I'm just so excited.

 

[strmrdr]

With the lower RI than diamond 6 should be fine if the angles are right.
A normal asscher is 3 and 3.

 

[Pandora II]

Mmmmm, love that bright pink one!

Just out of interest Chrono, how do you buy Dan''s stones? I can''t find a buy-it option on his website anywhere...

 

[chrono]

Pandora,
You have to email him and do it ASAP. His stones move fast. Somtimes shortly after he puts it up, he gets a few people in line already for the same stone. I usually check his website a couple of times a day to be sure that I'll be 1st in line for his latest cut stone if it's something I am interested in based on the rough he posted. You can also email him with a request and he will check his parcel of rough to see if it's something he has.

FYI,
The cutter I am working with is new to Pricescope. Since I have chosen him to custom cut a gem for me, I guess I can safely out him now.

He's Jeff White of www.whitesgems.com His rough runs out even faster than Dan's! His stuff is excellent.

This is what made me decide he's the cutter for me:

 

[Linda W]

Wow, Chrono that is GORGEOUS.

Linda

 

[pinkdreamer]

His prices seem very reasonable! Good find! That stone is fabulous!

 

[Ellen]

Chrono, I am so excited for you! and anxious to see how this turns out.

Did he give you any kind of time table?

 

[Pandora II]

Wow, wow and thrice wow!

That stone is amazing!

 

[innerkitten]

Do you have one yet?

 

[FireGoddess]

Wow that stone is fabulous. I am getting anxious to see your spinel!

 

[chrono]

Update:
Deposit sent and received. Jeff will be cutting the stone this week. I have requested the before and after pictures to feed the Pricescope wolves. I too am very excited about this project and have started thinking about settings already!