help choosing a silky or "sleepy" spinel.

[laurakayp]

I've been a lurker for a very long time and finally decided to post. I've been looking at a couple of sleepy spinels and am wondering what everyone thinks. I have this new obsession with spinels and It's here to stay.

here are the two that I'm trying to decide between...

 

[FrekeChild]

The top is more purple, the bottom is more orange-y? It's hard to see them next to each other, the top clearly wins. What are prices, dimensions, etc?

 

[cm366]

Laura, if I were you I'd change the file names on those pics

Gorgeous stones, I'd take the top one although I'm not sure about the 'wine' its description refers to, maybe ask the seller?

 

[Kim Bruun]

I love that fuchsia-coloured oval - that is a popping colour!

The other one has a very slight hint of brown which makes it less dramatic than the oval. It also looks sleepier.

 

[VapidLapid]

They are both around 1.25 carat and 620 - 690 $. The website pics of the oval are flooded with strong light, I would not expect that one to be as bright or light toned as it looks. Also, if you look at the picture here there is one facet around eight o'clock that shows a different hue; this could be the red wine color mentioned, which may be more prominent in real life. The shape is a little awkward too; do you have a plan for that? Even so if the return policy is good then it is worth a look. The other one looks a little paler and more narcoleptic. Also it looks like a candidate for 1/2 + 1/2 extinction.

 

[minousbijoux]

They are both around 1.25 carat and 620 - 690 $. The website pics of the oval are flooded with strong light, I would not expect that one to be as bright or light toned as it looks. Also, if you look at the picture here there is one facet around eight o'clock that shows a different hue; this could be the red wine color mentioned, which may be more prominent in real life. The shape is a little awkward too; do you have a plan for that? Even so if the return policy is good then it is worth a look. The other one looks a little paler and more narcoleptic. Also it looks like a candidate for 1/2 + 1/2 extinction.

I'm gonna remember this! Another highly technical gemology term for my arsenal!

 

[FrekeChild]

They are both around 1.25 carat and 620 - 690 $. The website pics of the oval are flooded with strong light, I would not expect that one to be as bright or light toned as it looks. Also, if you look at the picture here there is one facet around eight o'clock that shows a different hue; this could be the red wine color mentioned, which may be more prominent in real life. The shape is a little awkward too; do you have a plan for that? Even so if the return policy is good then it is worth a look. The other one looks a little paler and more narcoleptic. Also it looks like a candidate for 1/2 + 1/2 extinction.

I was thinking this too VL. I noticed that in the above picture that one side looks more purple, and the other side looks more reddish. I had a spinel in hand once upon a time that had half and half - I caught a view of one side getting natural light and the other side getting fluorescent light - the natural side was blue, the fluorescent side was purple. Very cool looking, but it did not appear that way all of the time!

 

[chrono]

Very tough call on both:

Top spinel
Looks gorgeous at first glance, very bright and sparkly. On closer inspection, strong lighting is used. The right half is purplish, the left half is slightly different in colour. No idea of dimensions but it will not fit a standard setting because the shape is a very elongated oval. This might show the half and half but in a different manner. I think it would be absolutely cool if one half is purple and the other half is wine (not true darkness).

Lower spinel
At first glance, not attractive. Orangish / brownish and sleepy. Not knowing the dimensions, I would verify if it fits a standard setting or needs a customized setting. I think it might have the potential to look better than pictured in real life.

This is where if the vendor is open to additional pictures, a hand shot will help give you (and us) a better idea of the spinel's true colour under normal lighting conditions. My preference is the top spinel but my gut feel says it doesn't look as great as pictured.

 

[NKOTB]

Hopefully you see this before a lurker does, if you like it, but any interest in this one? They're having a 10% off sale for another couple of weeks, too. http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/single/spinel/ysp931aa/&1244716636

Not as elongated, so less likely, I think, to exhibit the half/half thing...

Not bad, either: http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/single/spinel/sn10706aa/&124471663

 

[VapidLapid]

Hopefully you see this before a lurker does, if you like it, but any interest in this one? They're having a 10% off sale for another couple of weeks, too. http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/single/spinel/ysp931aa/&1244716636

Not as elongated, so less likely, I think, to exhibit the half/half thing...

Not bad, either: http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/single/spinel/sn10706aa/&124471663

The first one has inclusions other than the sleepiness, at least one feather, likely surface reaching (girdle or pavilion) with iron oxide stain (6 o'clock)

The second one is so sleepy only a Prince's kiss could wake it up, and then it would still have a huge window.

 

[laurakayp]

Thanks for everyone's opinions! I guess I'm going to take some more time to look. I'm fairly new to spinels and need all the help I can get.

 

[Kim Bruun]

The second one is so sleepy only a Prince's kiss could wake it up, and then it would still have a huge window.

Zing!

 

[NKOTB]

The second one is so sleepy only a Prince's kiss could wake it up, and then it would still have a huge window.

Zing!

Yes, zing indeed. Apparently I'm still not that good at reading gem pics online.

 

[VapidLapid]

Not you nkotb, the stone. While every vendor has their photographic idiosyncracies, Multicolour is rife with them. The photos on the web pages are super hopped up on saturation and much purer of hue. The photos in the pdf gem report that you can click on for each individual stone is, in my experience, less idealized and closer to reality. Less idealized does not mean spot on, just not quite as exaggerated.

 

[NKOTB]

Yes, I figured you didn't mean that I had a window. You came down pretty hard on my suggestions, though, and pointed out some things I didn't see. I thought the first one especially was pretty! I still don't see a window in the second stone, so I'm thinking maybe I need some sleep (bad pun intended)!

 

[VapidLapid]

SOrry, I didnt mean to come down hard on your suggestions. It was probably my own disappointment coming through as I had already looked at both of those and tried to talk myself into them.

 

[Kim Bruun]

Yes, zing indeed. Apparently I'm still not that good at reading gem pics online.

I didn't take as a zinger against you so much as against the stone - that stone does indeed seem reluctant to perform. But - in all fairness - the op does seem to be on the lookout for a sleepy stone, and your second suggestion more than qualifies!

 

[Illinifire]

Could someone clarify what is meant by the term "sleepy"?

 

[Kim Bruun]

Could someone clarify what is meant by the term "sleepy"?

A sleepy stone has a hazy look to it, typically caused by many tiny needle-like inclusions. A sleepy stone obviously doesn't have the fiery/sparkly appearance of a stone with superior clarity.

 

[Kim Bruun]

And for the record, NKOTB, my "zing!" was merely because I found VL's critique of that comatose spinel humourous ("only a Prince's kiss could wake it" - haha! ). Reading gem photos is a skill unto itself, and I wish I was better at it - I would not have noticed, had it not been pointed out by VL, that the oval was flooded with light. My first thought was "gorgeous fuchsia!" - and had I bought it and that colour turned out to be darker, less neony, and perhaps even more brown than in the photo, I would have been extremely disappointed and ended up returning the stone, wasting money on shipping in the process.

 

[NKOTB]

Agreed, Kim, VL has come up with some funny descriptions of stones lately.

Alright, I will move past my slight oversensitivity, sharpen my critiquing skills and get back to the task at hand (with apologies to the OP)!

Sleepy spinels don't seem to be in abundance these days. I'm sorry I missed this one: http://www.swalagemtraders.com/search-gems/detail.php?pid=2389&cPage=1&sort=&perpage=8&cat=&display1=1&display2=&display3=0&category=&variety=&key=sleepy&match=&indicate=&reserve_type=&pagefrom=search

I will keep looking...Let us know in the meantime, Laura, if you end up deciding to see either of the ones you posted in person.

 

[Kim Bruun]

I just didn't want you to think I was trying to be mean!

And that one actually looks gorgeous, NKOTB - reminds me a bit of a rhodochrosite!

 

[laurakayp]

NKOTB, that one you just posted is amazing! However, it seems to be reserved I will absolutely post my dream stone when I find it! I have a blush colored spinel (less than Ideal color but still beautiful) being set with a pink sapphire halo! Will post that too when it's done. I'm super excited about it. I would've never known about the hidden gem spinel if it weren't for you guys on pricescope!

 

[VapidLapid]

I agree, that last one nkotb posted is disturbingly superb.

I think that rather than waiting for one to be publicly posted, you should contact the likely vendors and ask them if they have anything that satisfies your criteria. PrimaGems (you'll find them on the recommended vendors thread) would be a good place to start.

 

[Illinifire]

KB. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[laurakayp]

Thanks VapidLapid! I actually contacted swala and some other vendors if they had any in their inventory. Haven't heard back yet

I know this isn't a sleeper but what do y'all think of this pretty mahenge?

 

[chrono]

The MC pictures are unrealistic - I can barely make anything out but the bare minimum (some weird squiggly inclusions on stone 1 and the window in stone 2). That's it.

The latest cushion posted is nice but nothing to shout about. The saturation just doesn't scream Mahenge.

 

[laurakayp]

ok... last 2 that i'm trying to decide between. I'm learning... i promise! Chrono, thanks for your input.

 

[chrono]

The pear is the nicest, and not just because I'm biased. It just seems strange that none of them show that screaming neon colour; I wonder if it is due to the photography? The vendor now provides hand shots by request so you can ask him to do so for the ones you like (at the same time on the same hand). My preference are Mahenge's that show fluorescence under UV with as little orange shift indoors as possible.

 

[laurakayp]

I feel ya! Maybe there IS a shortage of amazing spinels! Ha! Well anyway... I finally found her! She may not be sleepy or color may not be ideal but, she spoke to me. Here is the vendor's photo. Will post "real life" pictures when it arrives!