Jedi spinels - show and tell

by arkieb1 » Feb 23, 2018

I'm a spinel hoarder, I probably have most colours I've culled a lot of the non neon stuff. I bought this sleepy Mahenge a week ago got it yesterday but it's more of a red to orangey red IRL not pink;

 

by leukolenos » Feb 24, 2018

Please excuse me while I ogle. What an incredible collection!

 

by arkieb1 » Feb 24, 2018

Mahenge rough left, Jedi rough right and my favourites are probably my Jedi "Angel cuts" where only the top of the crystal is very basically cut the bottoms are natural left as natural crystals;

 

by suzanne2 » Feb 24, 2018

Very rarely do I admit to sheer unadulterated lust. Those angel cuts look like you have turned up the saturation on photo shop ( I know there's no editing at all). They look other worldly. So intense. I'm searching for adjectives. Please, please if you ever want to let some go, put me in line! Edit: Especially the little pair at the top...

 

by Bluegemz » Feb 24, 2018

Those are absolutely a miracle of nature. I love those! I probably will never be able to find such beauties, but it’s a great pleasure just to see them. Thanks for sharing, Arkie.

 

by mw_thomas » Feb 24, 2018

Thank you! It's 6.1x4.7 from memory. I actually work for a jewellery manufacturer, so I am lucky enough to be able to make my own jewellery. I don't produce my own jewellery to sell though, so no conflict of interest posting here as far as I know. I started making the setting months ago and haven't had the chance to finish it, it's a three stone ring with the side stones being 0.14ct diamonds, the spinel will be in a semi bezel and the diamonds a full bezel.

Yours is beautiful, I don't have a nice pink yet, what are you going to do with yours?

 

by arkieb1 » Feb 24, 2018

There is no photo enhancement it's a badly taken photo inside my house on a sunny day (the stones aren't in direct sunlight in this pic) above my son's air hockey table taken with an old Iphone I have 6 or 7 other photos I took of those stones and they are that colour in every photo. For now they are stones I want to keep and make something out of one day. I've been trying to get enough that sort of match to make something out of them.

 

by arkieb1 » Feb 24, 2018

This is what the "Angel cuts" look like at two other spots inside my house, the first, in darker dimmer lighting and the other, in a slightly brighter area, still just across from indirect sunlight inside my house, sorry the pics are blurry I'm bad with my Iphone the pics have not been messed with in any way. I don't think I've taken pics outside of these they would probably be more vivid again this was no doubt how the first proper "Jedi" stones got their name it doesn't matter what lighting situation I put them in they are neon.

 

by Bluegemz » Feb 24, 2018

Those are just so beautiful. I can hardly bear it ....sometimes beauty is almost painful!

 

by suzanne2 » Feb 24, 2018

I didn't mean to say your photos were enhanced. I know they aren't. It's just that the color is so amazing it's hard to believe it's real. Another poster said they are like a "fever dream" and I agree. Please accept my apology for not being clear. I'm actually stunned by their intensity.

 

by arkieb1 » Feb 24, 2018

It's O.K I didn't take it that way - I hope that people don't mind me posting more pics of them. What is interesting is that at gemshows and on the internet these days most brightly coloured pinks and reds from the region are labelled "Jedi", anything with even the slightest neon quality or brightness to it is called that to sell it, and probably because it's so difficult to get nice pieces of it, but the really old vendors from the region say pppppffff that's not "Jedi" the original "Jedi" material is this stuff that is as you can see always neon or when the light hits it glowing.

The first deposits of Mahenge was pretty amazing too, one of the old vendor's son had a 5 and a half+ carat piece of Mahenge that was the same hot pink as Sparklie's two hot pink stones on the first page. Biggest I've seen that colour. He had turned down wholesale offers a couple of years ago for over $25 000USD and was hoping to get over $40 000 for the stone. The Mahenge I've seen out of the current mines in pinks isn't in the same league as that material.

 

by chatoyancy » Feb 24, 2018

Whoa! I need sunglasses! Those are awesome!

 

by Burmesedaze » Feb 25, 2018

I've seen Man Sin spinel rough being sold in the local markets here. Small crystals but stunning pinkish reds. But no Namya ones!

 

by arkieb1 » Feb 25, 2018

They can't get into Namya at the moment because of the conflict there, and anything the dealers have hoarded or had in personal collections is going for obscene prices at the moment. I personally think wait until they can get back in there and hopefully the prices will go back to being reasonable again some time in the future.

 

by arkieb1 » Feb 25, 2018

One of the dealers that I'm friends with videoed himself and a couple of guys he travels with in a forrest surrounded by guerilla soldiers all shooting at each other, they were crouched down low literally hiding in what looked like jungle with gunfire all around them. That was well over a year ago, near the mines, now they don't even go into there, they have been back a couple of times and to markets that are near there but the material is going for obscene prices, many times what it should be, so they are only buying very small amounts like a few pieces at a time and these are top top dollar when they go to sell the little they have. Sometimes they get lucky and find people that have stashes of it but again it is currently selling for top top prices. The Man Sin mines are still pumping out stones and other areas are too.

 

by Burmesedaze » Feb 25, 2018

Yes! I'm still waiting it out 2 bombs went off this week in 2 different insurgent areas by different groups. It's really no joke about the security situation here.

Baw Mar mine produces the Man Sin coloured spinel too but tiny. Like this crystal.

 

by suzanne2 » Feb 25, 2018

@Burmesedaze
That's frightening. I imagine you need to be very careful when you travel around. How large is the city you are living in? Hopefully you aren't in danger travelling to and fro to work...scary

When you and Arkie say they are going for insane prices, what does that mean? For example, how much for the little crystal on your finger? Or for say a quarter carat? I'm just curious and a little bit nosey.

 

by Burmesedaze » Feb 25, 2018

Ceylong Gems quoted my jeweller us$3k/ct for the faceted NM spinels.

For the crystals they sell by the lot and caratage for that. Us$100-200 can get you some depending on size and inclusions. This will be a mixed lot of perfect and maybe semi broken ones on the small side. The more you pay the better it gets.

 

by elliefire99 » Nov 13, 2018

Reviving this thread for this giant, glowy rough.. For funsies

And it's for sale!
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loo...stone/52-dot-40-carat-rough-jedi-spinel-burma
(Photos are from seller's LT listing)

 

by arkieb1 » Feb 11, 2019 at 2:29 AM

It's no secret I'm a spinel hoarder - purchased as "old Material" red Jedi from a gem show in Hong Kong end of last year they are flattish almost carre type cuts;


And new Jedi Crystals I purchased the latter half of last year, I'll hopefully get around to getting some cut this year (they should make some nice angel or rough crystal cuts with the top only faceted and maybe some other cuts) shown under two different lighting sources they look hot neon pink in brighter lighting and neon reddish pink in lower light;