I'm sure you're all sick of my spinels, but. . .

[T L]

. . . Here is a new cushion I just obtained. It's around 3.8 carats, and native cut. I had this LOGR legacy forever, it had a modified asscher spessartite that just didn't fit it well, but I had the hardest time locating a nice saturated stone for it. Well, I finally got my cushion. I posted some pictures in my other thread, but people wanted to see more. I will take sunshine shots IF the sun ever comes out. It is medium tone, and sparkles in any lighting. I really love it. It's a deep indigo blue in some artificial lighting, and more of a tanzanite in others, like fluorescents and yellowish incandescent. In daylight, it is more of a sapphire blue. It's more beautiful than the photos. I wish I could get you all the missing dispersion in these pictures. It has great fire and luster. The diamonds sparkle like mad too.

At Costco (love the lighting there).

 

[T L]

A combination of incandescent and dim evening diffused natural light.

This LOGR is so beautiful, I have been dying to get a stone for it for what seems like forever. That will teach me to buy the setting before the stone.

 

[faegrace]

TL ~

Lovely, like a pool you could dive right into and get lost in the colour!

~ faegrace


never sick of your pics, BTW

 

[T L]

Dim fluorescent office lighting

 

[minousbijoux]

My dear, you sure know how to pick 'em! How the heck did you know that that stone would be so gorgeous in real life? That's the one you bought fairly inexpensively from Tan, right?

 

[T L]

Thanks Facegrace!!

My dear, you sure know how to pick 'em! How the heck did you know that that stone would be so gorgeous in real life? That's the one you bought fairly inexpensively from Tan, right?

Thanks Minousijoux!!

Yes, I did get it from Tan. I thought that was assumed, as I get most of my stones from him lately. I tried to actually buy a stone from Barry's drop last night, I remembered to wait for the time he drops. My kids came in the room, and disturbed me right at the moment he did the drop, even though I waited up until the last second. I came back two minutes later and the one stone I wanted was gone!!

I give up!!

Tan actually told me it had a little grey, but I thought I'd take a chance on it because it had the dimensions I wanted. I don't see much grey. Last month I returned a spinel to him that he said had no grey (it looked great in the video). When I got it, it was very dark and very grey to me. It went back. This one looked better than the video, so I guess I lucked out, and since I never have good luck getting anything with Barry's drops, I figure, at least I have some good luck with Tan!

It's funny because I wasn't expecting this stone to look so good IRL, and I was already planning on returning it before I got it. Well, it's a keeper!! Glad my hunch was wrong.

 

[minousbijoux]

For a blue spinel, it sure looks grey-less IMO

 

[T L]

For a blue spinel, it sure looks grey-less IMO

I think so too. It reminds me of a sapphire, but with greater dispersion. It has bubble inclusions indicative of a spinel though.

Here's an unset photo of it in a combination of sunlight pouring in the window and incandescent light. You can slightly get a gimpse of the pink flashes that come from this stone in certain lighting. It's very tanzanite like here, except I don't have to be afraid of breathing on it, as it might crack.

 

[bright ice]

TL, that's a great looking stone and ring!

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

Oh YUM, Blueberry Delight !!!
The pictures are wonderful, I can really see how the blue
holds its color under all lighting conditions!
Sparkly Goodness !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's amazing to me that you (and others) can purchase gorgeous blue stones,
I don't have an eye for blue and I'm afraid of it !!!!
I think it's one of those colors that is very difficult to judge
from a vendor photo, and I am too lazy (no, busy.....yeah that's it ! )
to return stones....
Yep, I go for the safe stuff.... heehee

edited to add: How could we ever be sick of photo p**n !!!!!!!

 

[T L]

Thank you BrightIce, can't wait to see what Jeff cuts for you.

Oh YUM, Blueberry Delight !!!
The pictures are wonderful, I can really see how the blue
holds its color under all lighting conditions!
Sparkly Goodness !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's amazing to me that you (and others) can purchase gorgeous blue stones,
I don't have an eye for blue and I'm afraid of it !!!!
I think it's one of those colors that is very difficult to judge
from a vendor photo, and I am too lazy (no, busy.....yeah that's it ! )
to return stones....
Yep, I go for the safe stuff.... heehee

edited to add: How could we ever be sick of photo p**n !!!!!!!

Thank you Shiney!!

You know, for the longest time I hated spinels during my collecting career. They were either too dark, too grey, or too brown (in the case of red spinels). It was an epiphany the first time I bought a spinel I actually liked, as I would always avoid them. I saw some very pretty ones on PS, and that made me take a chance on them again. I now know why they are probably the most popular gem species in this forum because

1) They're relatively inexpensive next to comparable sapphires and rubies
2) They're very durable
3) They have great dispersion for a colored gem and a high RI.
4) They can be amazingly beautiful

I will say it can be difficult to find good quality ones, but when you fall in love, you get stuck. I am particularly fond of these indigo violet Tunduru spinels. I have some Mahenge too, but my heartstrings are really with my violets and blues. I need a blue shoe like Freke. Now if I can ever get a large one like this cut by Barry, I will have died and went to heaven.

BTW, this is the photo of the one I returned to Tan. It was clean except for one small bubble, but you can see the obvious difference in grey. It was pretty at times, when the light hit it just right, but because it was so dark, and not as saturated as my others, I just couldn't keep it. It wasn't cheap either.

 

[y2kitty]

Another knockout!

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

Thank you BrightIce, can't wait to see what Jeff cuts for you.

Oh YUM, Blueberry Delight !!!
The pictures are wonderful, I can really see how the blue
holds its color under all lighting conditions!
Sparkly Goodness !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's amazing to me that you (and others) can purchase gorgeous blue stones,
I don't have an eye for blue and I'm afraid of it !!!!
I think it's one of those colors that is very difficult to judge
from a vendor photo, and I am too lazy (no, busy.....yeah that's it ! )
to return stones....
Yep, I go for the safe stuff.... heehee

edited to add: How could we ever be sick of photo p**n !!!!!!!

Thank you Shiney!!

You know, for the longest time I hated spinels during my collecting career. They were either too dark, too grey, or too brown (in the case of red spinels). It was an epiphany the first time I bought a spinel I actually liked, as I would always avoid them. I saw some very pretty ones on PS, and that made me take a chance on them again. I now know why they are probably the most popular gem species in this forum because

1) They're relatively inexpensive next to comparable sapphires and rubies
2) They're very durable
3) They have great dispersion for a colored gem and a high RI.
4) They can be amazingly beautiful

I will say it can be difficult to find good quality ones, but when you fall in love, you get stuck. I am particularly fond of these indigo violet Tunduru spinels. I have some Mahenge too, but my heartstrings are really with my violets and blues. I need a blue shoe like Freke. Now if I can ever get a large one like this cut by Barry, I will have died and went to heaven.

It's interesting how taste evolves!
You have obviously crossed over to the "Sophisticated Side"
where many of you reside with your beautiful blue stones
that make me gasp!!!

I love the pictures of everybody else's blue Spinel, but
when it comes to Spinel,
I am so satisfied with my pinks and reds...
There is something soul-satisfying about them, to me.
I wish I could afford more.

 

[T L]

Thanks Herekittykitty!!

It's interesting how taste evolves!
You have obviously crossed over to the "Sophisticated Side"
where many of you reside with your beautiful blue stones
that make me gasp!!!

I love the pictures of everybody else's blue Spinel, but
when it comes to Spinel,
I am so satisfied with my pinks and reds...
There is something soul-satisfying about them, to me.
I wish I could afford more.

Thanks again! I too like pinks and reds, but some people are drawn to a certain hue more than others, and I cannot explain why. I have always been drawn to blues, and that's why I went a little nuts with cuprian tourmalines a few years back. In fact, I was one of the first people to ever buy a tanzanite, when no one knew what tanzanite was. I love the color of tanzanite, but it's not durable enough for me.

 

[K9]

Wow TL, that really does look like a sapphire!!!! ooo~shiney nailed it - looks like a yummy blueberry!

 

[T L]

Wow TL, that really does look like a sapphire!!!! ooo~shiney nailed it - looks like a yummy blueberry!

Thanks K9, she did make a good comparison, but I think it looks more like blueberries with a little pink in there.

 

[Novel]

TL, lady, please, like we could be sick of your spinels. We're just heartsick we don't own them.

 

[velouriaL]

Not sick of!

 

[Arkteia]

Yeah, sick, for sure. Of envy...

Beautiful stone. Another drooling theme.

 

[Indylady]

Stunning; I love the classic look.

 

[T L]

Thank you all so much!!

The sun came out this morning - yay!! I think in the bottom photo, you can kind of sense the high RI and great luster on this stone. I realize in these closeups, I need to clean the gold as there's some oxidation from lack of wearing it.

 

[FrekeChild]

I'm just glad you don't like the gray ones....more for me! Muah hahahahahaha!!!!!

You do need a blue shoe btw...

 

[T L]

I'm just glad you don't like the gray ones....more for me! Muah hahahahahaha!!!!!

You do need a blue shoe btw...

LOL Freke!!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Oh wow, that color is gorgeous! It looks really nice with that setting.

TL, I absolutely love your threads. You have such beautiful stones and you take such nice pictures.

 

[JewelFreak]

Oh very pretty, TL. Love the sunlight pics. It's the blues for me too -- reds & pinks are gorgeous but blues make me lose my breath.

You are the cutest thing to go to Costco for the lights!!!

--- Laurie

 

[iolitedreamer]

TL your spinel is so beautiful. I am so happy you found a great replacement to set in your ring. You have taken some wonderful pictures as well. Seriously, it looks like a sapphire in some of the pictures. That blue is to die for.

 

[Lovinggems]

Lovely spinel and ring.

 

[T L]

Oh you are all so very nice. Thank you all for the kind words on my ring and my photography.

I took some evening photos around 5:00 PM in my car. The prior photos were around 8:00 AM. The really bright shot was kind of neat as the sun was hitting it and I got all the shimmer, and you can see how well the diamonds in the LOGR sparkle. They're really nice upgraded stones. I tried to clean the oxidation off the metal, but I need some washing soda.

 

[marcy]

Gorgeous. I never tire of your spinels.