My new obsession: pink spinel + yellow gold beauty

[alh56]

This is my first ever PS thread, and I'm a little nervous to post and have people rip this apart, but I am in love with this ring I purchased and wanted to share!



I purchased this (presumably vintage-- 80s? 90s?) pink spinel and diamond ring on eBay from a seller I didn't know, but that has a long selling history and great reviews. Took a chance because the price was right regardless of whether the spinel was real or synthetic.

This wide heavy band/baguette diamond style is definitely not my usual cup of tea, but now that I have it, I am super into it. It makes me feel like one of my mother's wealthy bridge-playing friends who care nothing for the current fashion of dainty jewelry and go loaded to the grocery store. But mostly, I am just blown away by the color of the main stone. It is a vibrant rich pink that sometimes reads more red, and other times more purple-y or orange-y.






I have no idea if the stone is natural or not--the seller claimed it was natural, according to her jeweler, but even even a newcomer to gemstones like myself doesn't expect to find a 1.8 carat bright pink spinel like this for under a grand.

There are some surface scratches on the stone (disclosed by seller) as well as some inclusions visible to sharp eyes or a loupe. I'm not experienced enough to be able to tell whether they're indicators of being a lab stone or not, and one on the end could definitely be damage from being set.
Maybe you guys have an idea? If folks here think it may be natural, I can spring for a GemBrief...though I will be happy with this ring regardless




If you have read this whole thing, thanks! Hopefully it has shared the joy with you a bit.

 

[blingmeupscotty]

sooooooooooooooooooo pretty!!!

 

[nutellakitty]

The spinel is a a nice color. The cut is not symmetrical and the inclusion tell it is not a synthetic stone. The inclusion and lines may lead to crack if you put it into an ultrasonic cleaner or accidentally drop the stone.
I feel the setting is older and the stone is not the original center stone of this setting.

 

[alh56]

The spinel is a a nice color. The cut is not symmetrical and the inclusion tell it is not a synthetic stone. The inclusion and lines may lead to crack if you put it into an ultrasonic cleaner or accidentally drop the stone.
I feel the setting is older and the stone is not the original center stone of this setting.

Thanks @nutellakitty! I have been resisting putting it in my ultrasonic for exactly that reason, so glad to hear you think the same.

The spinel does seem to be set a hair closer to one side of the setting than the other, so I also wondered if this was the original stone. Any thoughts on when this style was popular? I have seen similar settings on stiff I assumed was from the 80s/90s, but have no idea what to call them...and usually don't like them!

I am pretty happy how neon this stone seems to me -- the color is so vibrant that it seems wild that something like this could be natural. I'm pretty terrible at capturing the impact.

One more picture, just because:

 

[Dandi]

What a glorious colour!!

 

[lala646]

Just here to say awesome find!! I agree it wouldn't typically be my cup of tea, but as a whole it totally works!

 

[Buttercookies]

That is a beautiful ring you found. The spinel is a lovely color, reminds me of Mahenge spinel (is it?) Enjoy it and who cares what the current jewelry trend dictate. ;D

 

[Shazam22]

I am mesmerized by the color. Gorgeous!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Gorgeous color, reminds me of a piece of watermelon candy

 

[stracci2000]

What a stunning ring!
The setting looks older, 1980s-90s.
The baguettes look nice and clear, and the stone is fab!

 

[alh56]

That is a beautiful ring you found. The spinel is a lovely color, reminds me of Mahenge spinel (is it?) Enjoy it and who cares what the current jewelry trend dictate. ;D

Thank you! No idea on where the stone might be from...the ring was apparently found at an estate sale. It is still a question mark in my mind as to whether the spinel is natural, tbh, given that the whole ring cost less than a grand, and is 7.9 grams of gold and about 0.8 carats of diamond in addition to the spinel, which was estimated at 1.8 carats. I was actually in the market for a bolder pink spinel and hadn't found similar stones within that price range here in the States...much less set.

I am def happy to enjoy the heck out of it, though, 1980s setting and all, and regardless of origin and potential cracks

 

[kgizo]

Beautiful pink spinel and the yellow gold really makes it pop. Agree with others that the setting looks 80/90s. Great find.

 

[CSpan]

Color is king and that is some fabulous color. Looks like it holds that shade well in various photos, spinel can be so shifty (in a good way!) I'm voting it is natural. I love a "healthy setting regardless the era. Great find!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

This is my first ever PS thread, and I'm a little nervous to post and have people rip this apart, but I am in love with this ring I purchased and wanted to share!



I purchased this (presumably vintage-- 80s? 90s?) pink spinel and diamond ring on eBay from a seller I didn't know, but that has a long selling history and great reviews. Took a chance because the price was right regardless of whether the spinel was real or synthetic.

This wide heavy band/baguette diamond style is definitely not my usual cup of tea, but now that I have it, I am super into it. It makes me feel like one of my mother's wealthy bridge-playing friends who care nothing for the current fashion of dainty jewelry and go loaded to the grocery store. But mostly, I am just blown away by the color of the main stone. It is a vibrant rich pink that sometimes reads more red, and other times more purple-y or orange-y.






I have no idea if the stone is natural or not--the seller claimed it was natural, according to her jeweler, but even even a newcomer to gemstones like myself doesn't expect to find a 1.8 carat bright pink spinel like this for under a grand.

There are some surface scratches on the stone (disclosed by seller) as well as some inclusions visible to sharp eyes or a loupe. I'm not experienced enough to be able to tell whether they're indicators of being a lab stone or not, and one on the end could definitely be damage from being set.
Maybe you guys have an idea? If folks here think it may be natural, I can spring for a GemBrief...though I will be happy with this ring regardless




If you have read this whole thing, thanks! Hopefully it has shared the joy with you a bit.

Its so pretty !
Congratulations on your new gorgeous ring

It is very unusual on PS once someone has purchased a piece of jewlery for people to then rip it apart
So thank you for shearing and giving me something cheerful to look at

I hope they are natural stones, im hopeless at that stuff
still from my perspective down here in NZ it seems like a fair price that you paid

as far as the scratches go, that's your rings life story, like smilie lines

If it were my ring, yes its be curious if they are real stones, but i would try very hard not to obsess and look too long at it through a loupe

Enjoy and wear it in good health

Just enjoy wearing it and when people compliment it - let them - don't point out the scratches or worry a stone might be synthetic

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

If its an 80s setting that explains why i love it so much

 

[AprilBaby]

Stupendous color combination!

 

[LorettaB]

It’s a beautiful ring! I love the color!! You did well!!

 

[rosethorn]

That’s a stunning pink! You should post this over in colored stones so more people can ooh and ahh over it.

It’s not the kind of setting I usually like, either, but I LOVE it. Something about it just really works.

 

[peacechick]

It is a gorgeous ring and yes, something about it seems like a modern cut spinel put into a 1980s setting, which I love because it looks so updated now. There’s something about hot pink that captures the vibe of the 80s to me. Not neon pink, which I think was already popularized in the 60s, but a certain intense pink like your spinel.

I have a trillion cut pink tourmaline ring that is modern but really reminds me of the 80s too! Whenever I wear it, I feel like I’m someone who lives in a swanky 80s glass-block apartment with a white baby grand in the living room.

 

[alh56]

Thanks everyone for all your kind words! I've been wearing this spinel and having a great time seeing it in all types of light this weekend...up until this evening when it sadly did not fit with my last minute dead-queen costume, and had to be temporarily replaced by more gothy and less cheerful colors .

@rosethorn-- I didn't post this over in colored stones since I wasn't sure it was natural and didn't want to break any rules. Thank you for suggesting it, though....maybe if I end up having it verified as natural I'll make a new post

@peacechick LOVE your bright pink tourmaline. And yaaaaas on this color of pink feeling like it should come with a can of aquanet lol. I follow this 80s instagram account, and there is a LOT of pink in their feed!

 

[alh56]

Just a quick update for you all: the afternoon sun is shining in my office windows...

Holy moly!

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

Congrats to you on your awesome find! That spinel is an absolutely gorgeous color. Deals like that are exhilarating to find, especially when the retro setting starts growing on you.