Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel Recut

[FrekeChild]

Long story short because my daughter is going to wake up sooner rather than later:

1. I got an amazing stone from a PSer, who had bought it from Tan long ago.
2. It sat in my gem box for a long time, waiting for a setting.
3. I found a setting for it, but when I took it to the jeweler, he noticed it had a crack along the bottom, and said he didn't feel comfortable setting it. Also, it would need new prongs because the stone was just too deep for the setting.
4. I sent the spinel to Jerry for a recut to see if it would be possible to take off enough depth on the stone to get rid of the crack without making the stone super shallow and totally diminishing appearance.

Guys, Jerry is a miracle worker. The crack was pretty significant, but I'd never really looked at it closely enough to examine why the stone wasn't as sparkly as it could have been, just attributing it to silk. Turns out it was the crack. It ran almost parallel to the pavilion and was almost the same length as the keel.

Originally: 1.84ct, 7.3 x 6 x 4.67mm
Now: 1.55ct, 7.3 x 6 x 3.8mm

Pics! I hear a child stirring!

BEFORE:

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

I should have named this thread "Crack is Wack". Next time.

CRACK:

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

AFTER, Jerry's pics:

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

AFTER, my pics:

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Last one:

 

[innerkitten]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Lovely! Are you pleased with it? I've been thinking of having something recut myself. Maybe he's the guy to go to.

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Some technical details, paraphrased from Jerry:

15.76 % loss

The cut he used is a Double Taper Barion, adding 24 new facets. The pavilion facets are mostly long and narrow, but also only one degree apart from each other and one index away from each other. This results in, in such a small stone as this, kind of a blurring or glowing optical performance, preserving the color and weight. This type of pattern is good for larger stones with larger facets. Perhaps a design with a more pointy, brilliant culet would have been a more scintillating choice, but it would have meant a much greater loss of yield.


Overall, I'm thrilled. Preserving the color was paramount in my requests, but I also needed the stone to be wearable, and the crack rendered it potentially dangerous to be worn, even though it was on the very bottom of the stone. Because the stone wasn't particularly scintillating with the crack in it before, I don't mind that he chose the cut that he did - I played with it under the Christmas tree lights and it's plenty scintillating!

Did I mention how fast he was? I sent the stone out 12/12 and asked him to hold off on shipping it back to me until 12/20 since I was out of town. So I think he held back from cutting it until later in the week.

 

[derbygal]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

It looks like it is glowing after the recut. So happy it turned out so well!

 

[mochiko42]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

AFTER, my pics:

What a transformation! It just glows Glad that it could be given the "Cinderella" treatment!!

 

[redwood66]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Freke this turned out so beautiful! I love this color and the cut makes it just glow! Gorgeous!

 

[nottospec]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

He's a magician! You must be very happy with it

 

[chrono]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Holy crack! It's looks like a totally different stone. Jerry did an outstanding job time and again. I'm delighted he was able to redo your spinel with such little loss of material considering the original clarity.

 

[Aerix]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Wow! The recut turned out well. Thanks for posting! If I ever need something recut I'll be getting in touch with him. I bought some Montana sapphire melee from Jerry not too long ago. He's wonderful to deal with.

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Thanks everyone! He did an amazing job.

These are just cell phone pics that I could take quickly, and it's fog season, so the stone looks a bit blah in the later photos because of yucky lighting. Tomorrow, if I have enough time, I'll try to take some better pics.

 

[Indylady]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Gorgeous! I love the recut.

 

[distracts]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Wow, it looks awesome!!

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

I played with it a little today. Here are a few pics of it...not the most ideal time of day for pics, but that's winter for you. It's much harder to take decent pictures of now without that inclusion screwing up the light that enters it!

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

It looks like a different stone!

 

[royalstarrynight]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Wow, Freke! It's such a lovely stone before but what a difference recutting made!
I'm glad it still remains a stunning but safer stone to wear.

 

[katharath]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

This is so wonderful. I am really inspired by it - I've been seriously considering asking Jerry to recut a couple of mahenges for me, and now I think I'm going to have to do it. Your gem came out perfectly!!!

 

[jstarfireb]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Wow - he did an awesome job! No face-up size loss or color change. And no window too (which would have been my concern with cutting the pavilion more shallowly). Looks like it glows!

 

[kgizo]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

That turned out great! I would've been intimated by that crack so good for you for seeing its potential.

 

[endless_summer]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

It looks amazing! Jerry is quite the magician to use someone else's word - So happy for you that it turned out so well and that you were able to receive it back before the new year! Absolutely stunning

 

[alice87]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Freke, beautiful stone, beautiful recut. Jerry is good!

 

[Laila619]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Beautiful! It glows!

 

[chrono]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

I'm super impressed with the polish too; have you noticed how fine it is and what a difference it makes?

 

[wordie89]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Thought the original stone was pretty and glowing but that recut is gorgeous!!! I still have my oval red spinel waiting for a recut and I've spoken with Jerry about it; sooooo good to have even more proof of his expertise!

 

[Starzin]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Congratulations!!!

It does indeed look like a different stone - except that now she's got her party dress on Brilliant job by Jerry once again.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

It is truly gorgeous - I'm glad you stopped when you did -the glow is off the charts and the color is impressive. He does seem to be a talented guy!

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Jerry Newman, Gemart Services: Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel R

Oh, and fwiw, your stone is a great example of the type of shadowing or half and half phenomenon that I don't mind because each side expresses such fantastic color - different but each as dramatic as the other.