Help me pick a red spinel

[Muhammad_Ali]

Hi,

I've been looking to add a fine red spinel to my collection for a while. That's not entirely true. If I'me being honest, I've been looking to add a nice ruby to my collection, but the prices of high-quality unheated ruby shook me to the core!

I've narrowed it down to a few neat options; open to seeing more options if you have any.

My budget is $4000 (US, which hurts a lot living in Canada )

https://www.gemrockauctions.com/auctions/untreated-red-spinel-pigeon-blood-148-ct-00713-rare-665578

https://www.gemrockauctions.com/auctions/blood-red-spinel-burma-212cts-tbm-92-384950

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/583...ga_search_query=red spinel&ref=sr_gallery-2-5

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/603...a_search_query=red spinel&ref=sr_gallery-1-38

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/608511465/natural-fine-vivid-red-spinel-gold-ring?ref=hp_rv

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/485...ga_search_query=red spinel&ref=sr_gallery-1-2

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/597...ga_search_query=red spinel&ref=sr_gallery-1-4

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/589...ga_search_query=red spinel&ref=sr_gallery-1-1

Thanks in advance

 

[NKOTB]

Out of those, my preference is for the one from OTL (“as red as can be”, Etsy CDGEMSTONE). It has the best colour in my opinion, and you don’t have to worry about cross-border issues.

 

[ShinyPink]

I wouldn't buy from the gemrockauctions sellers for this. They aren't known, you need to ask for more info., and returning it overseas might be a total pain. I also wouldn't make a major purchase from a new seller on Etsy with only two sales who is in India or four sales in Hong Kong, because of the return issue/shipping, plus lack of a sales record. I also am not a fan of the AllGems one. The clarity is not noted, it has a window, and is probably very dark and dull.

I have purchased from OTL, who is known here, and those stones are beautiful! If you have the money, go for the big, luscious red from CDGEMSTONE/OTL. It's yummy!

Gary at Finewater has several beautiful ones too, that you should look at. https://www.finewatergems.com/store/c13/Spinel.html

Slow down, and remember it's your hard-earned money, and you need to give it to a trusted seller who has a quality gem.

 

[chatoyancy]

What do you plan to do with it? The one that’s just under a carat is lovely and a good price, but I ordered a spinel (grey)that was just shy of a carat and it looked so small to me. The red spinel from CdGemstones is a great size and has hands down has the best color. Can you live with paying that much money for a stone that’s not eye clean though? Someone here just had a horrible experience with gemrockauctions. Finally, Gary Braun from Finewater Gems does always seem to have a good supply of red spinel. He probably has some in stock he hasn’t posted yet. You should contact him.

 

[Gloria27]

last two are awesome!

 

[Deathspi]

As soon as I read the title of this thread I thought of the one from OTL (CDGemstone). The last one from Hong Kong looks pretty too. What a nice decision to have to make!

 

[Muhammad_Ali]

Out of those, my preference is for the one from OTL (“as red as can be”, Etsy CDGEMSTONE). It has the best colour in my opinion, and you don’t have to worry about cross-border issues.

I thought long and hard about this one, and I just can't get past paying this much for an included stone!

 

[Muhammad_Ali]

I wouldn't buy from the gemrockauctions sellers for this. They aren't known, you need to ask for more info., and returning it overseas might be a total pain. I also wouldn't make a major purchase from a new seller on Etsy with only two sales who is in India or four sales in Hong Kong, because of the return issue/shipping, plus lack of a sales record. I also am not a fan of the AllGems one. The clarity is not noted, it has a window, and is probably very dark and dull.

I have purchased from OTL, who is known here, and those stones are beautiful! If you have the money, go for the big, luscious red from CDGEMSTONE/OTL. It's yummy!

Gary at Finewater has several beautiful ones too, that you should look at. https://www.finewatergems.com/store/c13/Spinel.html

Slow down, and remember it's your hard-earned money, and you need to give it to a trusted seller who has a quality gem.

It's tough with red spinel. I've purchased fairly cheap stones that were full in pics but lively in real life and ones that seemed like showstoppers in the pics but were beautiful irl

 

[Muhammad_Ali]

What do you plan to do with it? The one that’s just under a carat is lovely and a good price, but I ordered a spinel (grey)that was just shy of a carat and it looked so small to me. The red spinel from CdGemstones is a great size and has hands down has the best color. Can you live with paying that much money for a stone that’s not eye clean though? Someone here just had a horrible experience with gemrockauctions. Finally, Gary Braun from Finewater Gems does always seem to have a good supply of red spinel. He probably has some in stock he hasn’t posted yet. You should contact him.

Just add it to my collection, so size isn't too important.

 

[dk168]

I have not checked the stones in the link, however, if money is no object, I would not hesitate to go to Gary at Firewatergems for one of his, as I had been eyeing them ever since they appeared on his site.

DK

 

[chatoyancy]

Ok, then that would be a strong contender.

 

[Muhammad_Ali]

I have not checked the stones in the link, however, if money is no object, I would not hesitate to go to Gary at Firewatergems for one of his, as I had been eyeing them ever since they appeared on his site.

DK

Money is definitely an object, hence the $4000 budget. Otherwise, I'd be going for this: https://ivynewyork.com/collections/red-spinel-1/investment-gems-jewelry?sort_by=price-descending

 

[Arkteia]

I think it is slightly above your limit but not much and pretty clean. I bought a stone from this vendor, a 5-ct pink spinel, and it was better than in photo (he often has red spinels, perhaps even ask to look for one?)

https://gemcal.com/fine-gems/vivid-red-red-spinel-1-87-cts-2619

 

[Arkteia]

Also, the gemtrader posted beautiful, clean stone in your budget, but it is a trillion

https://thegemtrader.squarespace.com/new-items-june-2018/

 

[Cognition]

100% agree with the OTL's spinel. it is gorgeous

Also, the gemtrader posted beautiful, clean stone in your budget, but it is a trillion

https://thegemtrader.squarespace.com/new-items-june-2018/

is it Brad's new site?

 

[Arkteia]

100% agree with the OTL's spinel. it is gorgeous



is it Brad's new site?

I think his old is under some construction, but I just scanned what he posted.

 

[AGBF]

Out of those, my preference is for the one from OTL (“as red as can be”, Etsy CDGEMSTONE). It has the best colour in my opinion, and you don’t have to worry about cross-border issues.

I do not know the vendor and and one cannot go by photos alone, but according to what I see on my screen, this would be my choice, too. It looks like a knockout. When you buy a colored stone, you buy for color. My preference in red stones is "stoplight red", not "pigeon blood red" which is a deeper red. My first red spinel was a true red like this, but it was not just included. Its structure was at stake because it was such a fine stone that the crystalline structure could become compromised. PalaGems exchanged it for me. The next spinel I got from them was pretty, but was not the very true red I had had the first time. (Richard Hughes had seen and approved the first one.)

I now own another spinel as one as the one from PalaGems. Its color looks like the color of the stone on the screen. I think that color is beautiful.

Deb/AGBF