help me decide, please

[Arkteia]

I have two days to return it back. It is a red (really red - no brown) spinel bracelet. 14 spinels, 14-ct gold. My guestimate is 0.5 ct per spinel, maybe slightly less but they are chunky. Asking price is 4K. These ones are Burmese (or claimed to be Burmese). Seen by an appraiser, not synthetic. Also, I can always return it back if any of them is synthetic. With the price of the goldwork, the red spinels... do you think it is too expensive? Or is it a fair price? I know the vendor well.

 

[Arkteia]

Another one

 

[Arkteia]

another one

 

[Arkteia]

This is out of focus, but color-wise it looks closest to evening color

 

[Arkteia]

this is in fluorescent light.
I have dual feelings about it. Something tells me it is a beautiful piece (and I shall wear it), something says that 4K... but if I lump together everything that I have bought... Plus this guy is close. It is his old stock. He used to buy stones for a major jewelry company.

 

[chrono]

Crasru,
Are all the stones clean? Well matched? The colour shift from outdoors to indoors is acceptable to you (doesn’t turn brown or too orangish)?

 

[Arkteia]

They are clean and bright. They are decently matched (almost all red, a couple pinkish, one very dark red but it is close to the clasp).
Actually, the color is the reddish red. I tried to convey it but for some reason my photo camera is not so sensitive to it. It is not brown - I specifically checked for it. It does not look orange. I know I shall be wearing it and on the one hand, I am doing the math:
the cheapest very included spinel I ever bought was $ 37.00. Supposedly each one costs 100.00 (given the color and the transparency). It will make 1400. That leaves 2600 for the goldwork and the gold is 14K but the work is very nice and given the price charged nowadays (even $ 100 for each stone + clasp = 1400 + 300-400?). It will probably be 1800 - 2000. But the reality is, I have browsed bracelets on Etsy and have never seen anything below 2.5 K. Without spinel,

I do not know. I know it is beautiful and I shall wear it. At the same time, it's 4K. At the same time, the cheapest decent spinel in Tan's website is already 200.00. We are talking about decent cuts; this one is very well cut.

I am just trying to compare with nowadays prices. I shall never get a similar bracelet for this price. Can I resell it at 6K? No. But the price of spinel is going up exponentially and the reddest spinel I had was $ 400.00. Granted, I might have overpayed. But this one has minimal extinction and, truth to be told, is cut better than many moder spinels I have seen.

I don't know. I shall try to make some photos tomorrow AM (it is my day off) and post it so that at least I have the end of the day to tell him what I think.

Dover sells garnet bracelets at 1.5 K. This is spinel.

 

[empress]

I think that's $570 per carat. Think that's worth it? (I have no idea)

 

[smitcompton]

Dear Crasru,

I like the fact the stones are red, really red, no brown. I think you should tell us what the appraiser said, as he , I hope, evaluated it. As long as you went to him did he say it was worth the $4,000.00.

This is what is commonly referred to as a line braclet. While it may be lovely looking, (I have a diamond one and a 4.50 ruby one with diamonds) I do not think the bracelet makes a statement. If I spend 4 grand, I want it to show more. I would prefer 1 7 carat, or 5 carat stone, vs the smaller ones. That being said, since this is old inventory, quite old in fact, why don't you bargain with the dealer.
I think it would be a mistake to pay full price. My ruby bracelet has 5x3 stones, and while I like it, I don't consider it a dynamite piece. I like this too and it may look gorgeous in real life for all I know. Gosh, these are hard decisions. Wait for the experts to show up.

Thanks,
Annette

 

[T L]

I have two days to return it back. It is a red (really red - no brown) spinel bracelet. 14 spinels, 14-ct gold. My guestimate is 0.5 ct per spinel, maybe slightly less but they are chunky. Asking price is 4K. These ones are Burmese (or claimed to be Burmese). Seen by an appraiser, not synthetic. Also, I can always return it back if any of them is synthetic. With the price of the goldwork, the red spinels... do you think it is too expensive? Or is it a fair price? I know the vendor well.

How did he determine they were not synthetic? I don't know your appraiser, so that's why I'm asking. The very good red spinel synthetics do have inclusions, so having inclusions does not rule out a synthetic. It's the type of inclusions that rule them out.

 

[Arkteia]

I can discuss it. However, tomorrow is the last day and I decided to return it back. First, because I have lots of other things. Second, because I see that I am persuading myself to keep it. It looked very red in the store and I snatched it but now I am thinking one can always get a better deal. Especially since TL kindly reminded me of Sarosi's rings. Just as a comparison.

As always, thank you for your kindness and for your unwavering support.