Opinions and info on recutting an ebay spinel

[Hellebore]

Hello all-
I recently purchased a dirt cheap (ten dollars) spinel off of ebay. The cut is absolutely abysmal evidently done in some backwater by someone with minimal skill, but the color is so glorious...the stone has a sort of incandescent glow. The stone was marketed as natural Burmese red spinel, oval mixed cut, with a weight of 2.12 carats and dimensions of 6.8mm X 7.8mm X 4.7mm. I don't know anything about gems, but the color of this stone really appeals to me, and I am considering having it recut. Do those of you in the know think that it would be worth recutting, or is this type of stone a dime a dozen? How much does recutting typically cost? How would I locate a good stone cutter? I'd greatly appreciate any input. Thank you!

 

[Pandora II]

I'm rather suspicious - I would put money on that being a synthetic if it is even a spinel.

A spinel that colour and that size would never be that cheap I'm afraid.

 

[lelser]

I'm rather suspicious - I would put money on that being a synthetic if it is even a spinel.

A spinel that colour and that size would never be that cheap I'm afraid.

Oh yes. That looks very dodgy. Can't ID from a photo, but I would not buy that stone lunch based on what we can see here.

 

[Hellebore]

Well I'm glad I only spent 10 bucks on this rock! I think I will take it to a jeweler and have them take a look before I return it, on the off chance that its the genuine article. Is a jeweler able to tell pretty easily betwee synthetic and natural? Thank you for the input.

 

[VapidLapid]

I checked the feedback on this seller. Lots of stones returned for being lab created, and/or fake.

Member id haveagoodsale..777

 

[VapidLapid]

More on that seller

Their entire selling history of the last month spans only one week. They have no active listings currently. They ask you to allow 4-8 weeks for shipping. They had a 26 carat Red Topaz that is a great match for your spinel. All their stones are huge and flawless.

 

[Hellebore]

Oh...It seems I have been taken. Next time I'll be a little more careful before handing over money to an unknown ebay vendor. This was only my second ebay buy ever...and perhaps my last Thanks for the info.

 

[VapidLapid]

Hellebore, I am very sorry to bring you that information. Please know that we ALL have a drawer full of learning stones, and some of them were not inexpensive lessons like yours. At least you were able to identify that as a great color and possible recut material! If nothing else, you found pricescope and so are in a great position to avail yourself of the opinions and buying experiences of a lot of jewelry freeks, I mean consumers.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Look at it this way. A 2+ ct red spinel should be around $1000 to $1500 per ct. So would someone risk selling a $2000 to $3000 stone for $10? When a deal sounds too good to be true it most likely isn't true.

 

[chrono]

So sorry but I'm guessing it's either a synthetic spinel or some other synthetic or highly treated simulant.

 

[Pandora II]

Well I'm glad I only spent 10 bucks on this rock! I think I will take it to a jeweler and have them take a look before I return it, on the off chance that its the genuine article. Is a jeweler able to tell pretty easily betwee synthetic and natural? Thank you for the input.

If they are also a gemmologist then yes - there are various differences between the two but you need equipment to test them. There are also certain inclusions that will indicate a natural stone and a total lack of inclusions will also raise a suspicion as to it being synthetic.

If the jeweller is not also a GG or FGA then the answer is almost certainly not.

Unless you have a very tame jeweller it will probably cost you more to have it tested than it is worth.

 

[deorwine]

Hey, don't feel too bad... for $10 you have a great "reference stone" to compare others to! I actually think it's kind of neat to have a couple of these around just for color calibration... so I know the great top-color natural stones when I see them