Mahenge spinel - big, neon but very included

[poppystar]

Out of interest, are the smudged looking places just smudges or are they inclusions?

there are smudges, but generally the stone has a lot of inclusions that make the stone look rather cloudy and blurry
but on the other hand, amongst a pile of small plastic bag containing many stones, the Mahenge jumped out at me cos of its colour, so yeah, its colour does look better than how the photos show it

i've been madly checking out red spinels (no pun intended) ever since i saw that Mahenge

as a contrast, Sereeni is offering a small but very nice looking jedi.

Sereeni Gemstones on Instagram: "1.02ct Pink Jedi Spinel, Namya Absolutely top color - the most neon pink!! Saturation, vibrancy both Some internal inclusions, nothing that compromises stability. Cut is slightly wonky thus price is very reasonably

37 likes, 0 comments - sereenigemstones on July 5, 2022: "1.02ct Pink Jedi Spinel, Namya Absolutely top color - the most neon pink!! Saturation, vibrancy both Some internal inclusions, ...".

www.instagram.com

what do u guys think of this? Sereeni says the colour is great but its shape is a little wonky and it's got some inclusions

 

[VividRed]

there are smudges, but generally the stone has a lot of inclusions that make the stone look rather cloudy and blurry
but on the other hand, amongst a pile of small plastic bag containing many stones, the Mahenge jumped out at me cos of its colour, so yeah, its colour does look better than how the photos show it

i've been madly checking out red spinels (no pun intended) ever since i saw that Mahenge

as a contrast, Sereeni is offering a small but very nice looking jedi.

Sereeni Gemstones on Instagram: "1.02ct Pink Jedi Spinel, Namya Absolutely top color - the most neon pink!! Saturation, vibrancy both Some internal inclusions, nothing that compromises stability. Cut is slightly wonky thus price is very reasonably

37 likes, 0 comments - sereenigemstones on July 5, 2022: "1.02ct Pink Jedi Spinel, Namya Absolutely top color - the most neon pink!! Saturation, vibrancy both Some internal inclusions, ...".

www.instagram.com

what do u guys think of this? Sereeni says the colour is great but its shape is a little wonky and it's got some inclusions

I would prefer this one for sure. Did you inquire about the price? I would probably pay 2k give size and color. Inclusions and shape are not the best so consider them in your decision

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Perhaps it's the life stage I'm at but I'd probably go for size.

I have a gorgeous burmese bright pink spinel that's close to 2cts (I think it's 1.97) and it's beautiful and glowy but size wise it just cannot compare to the giant rubellite monstrosity that I just bought. The rubellite just beats it in terms of impact and interest.

Go big if the color is bright and nice enough.

 

[JewelledEscalators]

there are smudges, but generally the stone has a lot of inclusions that make the stone look rather cloudy and blurry
but on the other hand, amongst a pile of small plastic bag containing many stones, the Mahenge jumped out at me cos of its colour, so yeah, its colour does look better than how the photos show it

I'd like to see more photos of it. Is it quite sleepy? I have a spinel that is included but it's not sleepy. I wonder if it be improved with a recut.

i've been madly checking out red spinels (no pun intended) ever since i saw that Mahenge

as a contrast, Sereeni is offering a small but very nice looking jedi.

Sereeni Gemstones on Instagram: "1.02ct Pink Jedi Spinel, Namya Absolutely top color - the most neon pink!! Saturation, vibrancy both Some internal inclusions, nothing that compromises stability. Cut is slightly wonky thus price is very reasonably

37 likes, 0 comments - sereenigemstones on July 5, 2022: "1.02ct Pink Jedi Spinel, Namya Absolutely top color - the most neon pink!! Saturation, vibrancy both Some internal inclusions, ...".

www.instagram.com

what do u guys think of this? Sereeni says the colour is great but its shape is a little wonky and it's got some inclusions

I'm not sure about that one, depends on price I guess. I wouldn't pay 2k for it myself. If you got it recut it would end up less than a carat.

Is your preference for a bigger stone related to finger coverage? If so, do you plan to cluster/halo a smaller stone to make up for it? If so, wouldn't that also inflate the total cost?

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Perhaps it's the life stage I'm at but I'd probably go for size.

I have a gorgeous burmese bright pink spinel that's close to 2cts (I think it's 1.97) and it's beautiful and glowy but size wise it just cannot compare to the giant rubellite monstrosity that I just bought. The rubellite just beats it in terms of impact and interest.

Go big if the color is bright and nice enough.

I can totally relate to this.

 

[icy_jade]

I can totally relate to this.

Me three. I’ll need to halo the heck out of a 1 ct anything. Even 3 ct sapphires look small to me at this stage.

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Any updates on this?

 

[icy_jade]

i'm after good colour, and hopefully in a size above 1.5ct
and these days that seems quite a difficult endeavour with the good quality spinels

My jeweller got 2 mahenge spinels recently. A 2-plus ct heart and 4 ct cushion. Not sure if he still has them but can call to ask if you are interested.

 

[landscape]

This is not a neon Mahenge spinel because of the purple tune. I post a comparison photo of mahengai spinel, the one on the left is a Burmese spinel, and the 3 on the right are Mahenge spinels, their colors are 3.02ct orange-red,4.13ct red, 2.14ct pinkish-red, and none of them are purple tune

 

[landscape]

Neon-colored Mahenge spinel is expensive even with inclusions, such as this 5ct+ red Mahenge spinel with inclusions, but because of its good color, the price will also be 1000usd+/ ct, Mahenge spinel without purple tone is relatively rare, and the price will be more expensive, so for Mahenge spinel without purple tone, inclusions can be tolerated, Mahenge spinels with purple tone are more common, try to choose good clarity

 

[LilAlex]

A friend told me I shouldn’t get it cos it’s got zero investment value but I can’t get over the neon-ness.

There is a lot in this sentence. Maybe you are familiar with this already but know that almost nothing any of us here buys has true "investment value" -- meaning that we could expect to see "realizable" growth in value (i.e., after fees, commissions, inflation, etc.).

What many of us are looking for is some retention of value -- meaning that it has some genuine intrinsic value above and beyond just being a pretty pebble. I know I am at least 50% "in the hole" the second I have completed a transaction; I don't want to be 100% in the hole.

Also, despite all the rules we think we have and all the (accurate) guidance we receive from actual experts on the rarity of a certain gem of a certain quality in a certain size, we have all fallen for oddballs and one-offs that somehow work for us even while we recognize that others may find them lacking (or worse). The more I've learned, the more emboldened I've become to choose what appeals to me and not what is the most "desirable." It is also more cost-effective to chase what is out of fashion and not at the top of everyone else's "must have" list. It takes some ego strength, though, which took me a while.

 

[icy_jade]

The more I've learned, the more emboldened I've become to choose what appeals to me and not what is the most "desirable." It is also more cost-effective to chase what is out of fashion and not at the top of everyone else's "must have" list. It takes some ego strength, though, which took me a while.

This! And fwiw on hindsight I have regretted some items that I passed up too (didn’t meet PS standards etc). Ah well, we live and learn.

 

[icy_jade]

5ct+ red Mahenge spinel with inclusions, but because of its good color, the price will also be 1000usd+/ ct,

Prices are way past that for a 5ct. Happy to buy if you have any to spare.

 

[LilAlex]

Happy to buy if you have any to spare.

@landscape pops down from Mt. Olympus every few months just to show us mortals what we can never have! Fun to look at, that's for sure!

 

[landscape]

Prices are way past that for a 5ct. Happy to buy if you have any to spare.

Sorry I'm just collecting, no extra gems for sale

 

[landscape]

@landscape pops down from Mt. Olympus every few months just to show us mortals what we can never have! Fun to look at, that's for sure!

@landscape pops down from Mt. Olympus every few months just to show us mortals what we can never have! Fun to look at, that's for sure!

I just wanted to share some of the rarity of the gem itself, not the added value of the business name. Nowadays, many gems are added with a lot of unnecessary commercial value, which confuses everyone, but lacks attention to the rare attributes of the gems themselves. For example, theMahenge spinel in this thread, if you focus too much on the commercial description of neon, it is easy to ignore the true rare color of Mahenge. For more than 10 years of gem collection, I have always insisted on focusing on the rarity of the gem itself and turned a blind eye to the commercial name. The end result is that the price of the gems I collected before has become out of reach.

 

[JewelledEscalators]

This is not a neon Mahenge spinel because of the purple tune. I post a comparison photo of mahengai spinel, the one on the left is a Burmese spinel, and the 3 on the right are Mahenge spinels, their colors are 3.02ct orange-red,4.13ct red, 2.14ct pinkish-red, and none of them are purple tune

Since i could never afford one like the first one at the top, I would love to buy a lab grown spinel this colour. Anyone know anywhere I could get one?

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Since i could never afford one like the first one at the top, I would love to buy a lab grown spinel this colour. Anyone know anywhere I could get one?

Honestly, I've been thinking the same as of late. The prices are just too out of range for me. If you do find any I'd love to know myself!

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Honestly, I've been thinking the same as of late. The prices are just too out of range for me. If you do find any I'd love to know myself!

Yes will do. Have looked sporadicallly but no joy so far!

 

[poppystar]

My jeweller got 2 mahenge spinels recently. A 2-plus ct heart and 4 ct cushion. Not sure if he still has them but can call to ask if you are interested.

Thanks! Wriston right? I went to check out the Mahenge spinels but I don’t like heart shape

 

[poppystar]

There is a lot in this sentence. Maybe you are familiar with this already but know that almost nothing any of us here buys has true "investment value" -- meaning that we could expect to see "realizable" growth in value (i.e., after fees, commissions, inflation, etc.).

What many of us are looking for is some retention of value -- meaning that it has some genuine intrinsic value above and beyond just being a pretty pebble. I know I am at least 50% "in the hole" the second I have completed a transaction; I don't want to be 100% in the hole.

Also, despite all the rules we think we have and all the (accurate) guidance we receive from actual experts on the rarity of a certain gem of a certain quality in a certain size, we have all fallen for oddballs and one-offs that somehow work for us even while we recognize that others may find them lacking (or worse). The more I've learned, the more emboldened I've become to choose what appeals to me and not what is the most "desirable." It is also more cost-effective to chase what is out of fashion and not at the top of everyone else's "must have" list. It takes some ego strength, though, which took me a while.

Can’t agree more. U definitely phrased it a lot better than I did, i know I’ve spent way too much money on stones, I just hope that they have some retention value

 

[poppystar]

Any updates on this?

Sorry about the very late reply I’ve been busy with work and on a side note, I just came back from Bangkok. I feel slightly sorry for myself, I was so busy with work I didn’t manage to go to JTC at all
Here are some photos of the 4.5ct Mahenge. I do think it’s got a purplish tinge. It’s from Nish gems
He posted it on IG recently

Sapphire & Spinel Specialists on Instagram: "Natural Mahengy Spinel 4.52Cts STONE SPECIFICATIONS Item Number:INV-SPM-00053 Weight:4.53 Size:9.73X9.01X6.11MM Color:Pink Clarity:SI Origin:Mahengy Treatment:UNHEATED UNTREATED Certificate:On Request

16 likes, 3 comments - nishgems on August 7, 2022: "Natural Mahengy Spinel 4.52Cts STONE SPECIFICATIONS Item Number:INV-SPM-00053 Weight:4.53 Size:9.73X9.01X6.11MM Color:Pink Clarity:SI O...".

www.instagram.com

 

[poppystar]

Photos here. They didn’t go thru earlier

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Photos here. They didn’t go thru earlier

Thanks for the photos and the vendor info. Seems the video looks better than the photos. Looks like a hot pink colour, like a pink highlighter colour or a hot pink sapphire. I tend to go for warmer pinks myself (not limited to spinels) but depends what kind of colour you are into. In real life, is it closer to the video or the photos in colour?

 

[poppystar]

Thanks for the photos and the vendor info. Seems the video looks better than the photos. Looks like a hot pink colour, like a pink highlighter colour or a hot pink sapphire. I tend to go for warmer pinks myself (not limited to spinels) but depends what kind of colour you are into. In real life, is it closer to the video or the photos in colour?

In real life it definitely looks closer to the photos than the IG video but to be fair I saw the stone indoors whereas the video looks like it was taken outdoors

 

[poppystar]

Neon-colored Mahenge spinel is expensive even with inclusions, such as this 5ct+ red Mahenge spinel with inclusions, but because of its good color, the price will also be 1000usd+/ ct, Mahenge spinel without purple tone is relatively rare, and the price will be more expensive, so for Mahenge spinel without purple tone, inclusions can be tolerated, Mahenge spinels with purple tone are more common, try to choose good clarity

Hi landscape, have you come across rubellites that look like Mahenge? Cos I saw this heart shape rubellite and to my inexperienced eye it looked a little like a Mahenge. Here are a few photos, all were taken outdoors so I have no idea why the stone looked different in the photos

To complicate matters, I brought it to NGI to ask for his view and he said it wasn’t red enough to be a rubellite.

 

[landscape]

It is impossible to distinguish mahenge and rubellites through pictures, and real objects can be distinguished by diachroscope or refractometer. Rubellite means like a ruby, and many pinkish red tourmalines are now called rubellite, but rubellite in the strict sense should really be close to the color of pigeon blood rubies

 

[icy_jade]

To complicate matters, I brought it to NGI to ask for his view and he said it wasn’t red enough to be a rubellite.

Yeah, for NGI to class as rubellite it must have some red. Suspect some of the dodgier labs will label as rubellite but those are dodgy labs lah.

 

[poppystar]

It is impossible to distinguish mahenge and rubellites through pictures, and real objects can be distinguished by diachroscope or refractometer. Rubellite means like a ruby, and many pinkish red tourmalines are now called rubellite, but rubellite in the strict sense should really be close to the color of pigeon blood rubies

Landscape pls show us some pics of your rubellites? I loved your garnets thread, Afghan ruby thread and Mahenge vs Jedi vs Burma spinel thread