opinions on this spinel

[fel]

I have learned so much from lurking here, but am still not so great at translating digital pictures to the true appearance of stones.

I have been thinking about buying a spinel, but don't have the $$ to buy the precision ones I really love in the preferred color, which would be a Mahenge pink with a hint of orange. Can you tell me what you think of this one? It is 1.21 carats. I wasn't thrilled about the pear shape, but love the color for the price. It is from an online seller with very good reviews, listed as VS1-2, from Tanzania.

Thanks!

 

[fel]

I haven't bought it yet. If/when I do, I will post real pictures. There are some great purple spinels around at low prices, but I really like the pinkish orange variety --in fact, the other stone I have been looking for is a fanta spessartite.

 

[chrono]

1. The spinel is shallow and windowed; you'll be able to see through it in the middle.
2. It has more than a hint of orange. The orange component is very strong.
3. Don't know if you are looking for sparkle or glow, but this one is very silky from microscopic inclusions so it won't be sparkly like the typical spinels.

 

[fel]

Thanks these are very useful comments.

I was thinking maybe it could be recut, but if the stone is too shallow that precludes any sort of easy fix, I guess. I do like the orangey-pink color, but was seeking sparkle rather than a 'sleepy' appearance.

 

[JewelFreak]

I agree w/Chrono on all her points. You definitely won't get the sparkle you're looking for from that stone -- and a re-cut wouldn't change it. Rather than buying something with the idea of re-cutting -- thus spending money twice -- you're better off to cough up that amount for one you like as is. Re-cutting often can't improve a gem & can create its own problems: loss of ct weight & saturation, for instance. Besides, if pear shapes don't turn you on, you'll find another shape that does -- your stone is out there. Good luck.

 

[LD]

Thanks these are very useful comments.

I was thinking maybe it could be recut, but if the stone is too shallow that precludes any sort of easy fix, I guess. I do like the orangey-pink color, but was seeking sparkle rather than a 'sleepy' appearance.

I agree with Chrono on all points and I would also urge you NOT to consider a recut. Typically windowed stones are caused by being too shallow - a recut would mean drastically reducing the size. 1.21ct of spinel is not huge (finger span) so you really don't want to reduce it. Also, that won't change the sleepiness that it has - that's inherent in the stone.

Now, having said all of that, if you want a pear and orangey pink AND you don't mind sleepiness, if the price is cheap it may be worth getting because once set the window MIGHT close up.

 

[fel]

It is decided, I won't get that one... Thanks for the comments.

What do you think of the 4th one down at finewater gems? http://www.finewatergems.com/spinel.html
It isn't quite the same as the other one, but is reported to have orange in it.

Do they ever negotiate at all on prices at finewater? I don't have much experience buying gems.

 

[LD]

That's a gorgeous gem BUT I doubt it'll have as much orange as you want (and certainly won't be as orange as the one you picked before). This one is a very lovely precision cut and worth the $500 so I certainly wouldn't attempt to bargain. It's priced because of the orange modifier but seeing orange in that stone in real life will probably need an experienced eye. Hope that helps.

 

[chrono]

Super well cut but not as neon as the previous spinel. Guaranteed to be quite the sparkler though, and as LD mentioned, just a bit of range, probably not enough for you though. I don't know if he negotiates but you can always ask. Won't know until you try.

 

[corundum_conundrum]

That spinel must have been on the holiday sale with the rest of finewater's stuff (exepting some of the burmese stuff, which is new). I think that was a 15% sale, so maybe that's not a bad price to suggest. I'm not saying he'll negotiate, but I don't think its rude to ask if you can still have it at the holiday sale price...

 

[fel]

Hi, that finewater spinel is on sale if I get it now. Here's the thing -- I don't wear a lot of pink --I tend to go with earth colors such as browns, oranges, purples, tan, peach, and green. I have my emerald/brown diamond ring for green days, but sometimes the bright green just doesn't go with my clothes. So what I am looking for is a shade that would work well with brown tones. What do you think -- should I wait or go for the spinel beautifully cut by Gary.

 

[JewelFreak]

It certainly wouldn't hurt to try it & have a look at it in hand. That spinel tempted me because if its slightly orangey modifier -- I love the earthiness of colors like that -- don't wear pinky-pinks either. It's beautifully cut, should give you brilliance. If it's not what you want, you can always send it back. I think it's a good price & if you can get it for the sale price, even better. It's a far better-quality stone than your 1st one, whether or not the color is what you want.

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

This spinel doesn't look like a bright pink but an earthy orange pink. It is much more muted than the first pear you were considering if that helps.

 

[fel]

Thanks everyone for your help. I actually just paid for the bottom spinel on that page -- Gary said it was brighter and more orange than the other one, which does sound like what I was looking for. I hope it is! I also do really love the rectangle cut. Well if it works out I will be asking you all about settings. I have to say, I am much more comfortable buying from a known cutter than an ebay type. I have purchased a few very cheap stones on ebay and they have not been great experiences.

Felicia

 

[fel]

Any thoughts on that spinel? It was above my price range, but I love the cut and I figure it is returnable if is not orange enough. Here's a picture...

 

[chrono]

A brighter and more saturated choice than the 4th spinel. It has a good mix of pink and orange without a lot of earthiness. I hope there's enough orange for you to keep it.

 

[JewelFreak]

You'll certainly get plenty of sparkle off that faceting. I'll be interested to see how its color looks IRL & under different lighting conditions.


--- Laurie

 

[LD]

A lovely cut stone but I'd echo what Chrono says in that I doubt it will have enough orange for you. The thing is that if you buy gemstones all the time, you become very atuned to the nuances of colour but when new, you need a good dollop of colour to differentiate. That's a sweeping statement and of course one size doesn't fit all! Looking at your first stone, I'm wondering whether you need good dollops and not subtle nuances? BTW there's nothing wrong in that at all - I prefer dollops!!!

 

[fel]

For the first stone I displayed, I requested yesterday that the ebay vendor- desertfox-- send me another picture, such as a hand shot. He declined -- he doesn't do that. Since I have no knowledge of this vendor from PS (he is not on the list of trusted vendors by members), I would be afraid to purchase it. This is a shame because I still really like the color. I would even consider buying both and saving one for later. But at present I have no way of telling if the image is photoshopped, since he uses a neutral background that would be very easy to manipulate.

For the one from Gary I have a lot of faith that the pictures represent the stone (given how accurate his other pictures have been for PSers). I adore the cut -- the question will be if the colors go with my earthy clothes. I really have nothing against true neon pink -- it just doesn't work for me as a clothing color. If I were blond haired and blue eyed I would wear pink all the time.

 

[LD]

Desertfox - I've bought from them twice. Their stones are ok but I'm not sure I would rave about them. Photos typically looked more saturated than the gems when they arrived. Having said that, they were good to work with.

Finewater - if you like earthy tones then I think this spinel will be fine for you as it has quite a lot of brown. It's most definitely NOT neon pink. Hope that helps.

 

[colorluvr]

FWIW, I have purchased several stones from desertfox and he is a very reputable vendor. When I was buying from him, he was great with returns and great with email back and forths. What I can say about his stones are that they are usually nicer in person than his photos. He takes IRL photos and not vanity photos and I have never seen one of his stones that have been photoshopped.

Many of his stones do not have great cuts (most have windows) but that is often reflected in his prices. I have also discovered that he often takes offers lower than his asking price (and not just a few dollars like some vendors). If you really like the stone, I'd give it a shot. HTH.

Edited to say that I just saw LD's post about DesertFox's photos. I didn't have the saturation issue that LD had, but I'm sure each stone is different.

 

[fel]

So, I asked the vendor of the first spinel if it had a window. His reply was that it does not so long as we define window as "the lack of faceting that allows one to see complete images through the table, ie. printed words or such". How do you folks define window -- I thought it was a plane where light passed all the way through without return -- i.e. you can see through it. Of course if the gem is cloudy a bit, it might have a window but still might not allow one to see print. Does that make sense?

Thanks for all your help!

fel

 

[chrono]

It is windowed enough to the point I see a colour difference in the center, where light is leaking through instead of bouncing it back to the eye. If the window is large enough, then yes, you can read print through it. If even medium sized, you will see your skin colour show through the windowed area. If small enough, an enclosed type setting can minimize the apparent size of the window.

With the stone that small in real life, you will not see complete images through the window because the image dwarfs the stone. You will see either skin or a single printed letter through it though.

Windowing is not caused by a lack of faceting but rather the last few pavilion tier facets are not cut to optimal angles in order to preserve or maximize carat weight.

 

[fel]

So I got my rather expensive spinel, and have some concerns about it.

First, I love the color -- the pink is enough on the rosy side that it blends with my clothes.

But, even though I loved the cut in the pictures, and that was the big attraction, in person the cut may be problematic.

It has a tilt window, and I am wondering if that is to be expected in a spinel of this quality, or if it shouldn't be there.

Second, it seems to go at least half dark in many/most lighting situations. Please help -- I have a few days only to make a decision.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

The best advice I received from a PS member was "If the stone does not knock you socks off right from the box- return it". For me a tilt window is nothing to be concerned about, but how lively is the stone? A half and half extinction in all lighting conditions would be a return for me.

 

[tara3056]

If your pictures are accurate to how you see the stone in person, I personally would return it. The most important thing, though, is that you don't love it. Since it was an expensive purchase for you (or at least more than you'd hoped to spend at the outset), it would be even more important to me to make sure I loved it and wouldn't have regrets each time I looked at it.

Ebay is a bit of a scary place and I wouldn't have purchased the one you posted at the beginning of this thread. However, you ought to take a look at what Tan has available. Tan is an ebay seller many here have used and he is on the recommended vendors list. His stores are vvs1gem, odysseygem, thegemology, and gemcatalogue. If you do an advanced search for "spinel" and click the button that lets you list which stores you want to search from specifically, you will see he has quite a few. Many/most are windowed, but you can often get lucky by finding a stone which either doesn't have a window or has a small enough window that it closes up when you put it on your hand/set it. I actually had a lovely Mahenge-with-a-hint-of-orange that I sold a few months ago which had originally come from Tan. A poster from here bought it and loves it now. Good luck!

 

[chrono]

A tilt window doesn't bother me that much but I don't like the half dark effect in my gems. If you don't like it, then don't keep it.

 

[fel]

The hand picture is pretty much what I am seeing -- does that look half dark to you? Perhaps I am expecting too much?

 

[chrono]

How dark is the darker half? Can you still see colour or does it become too dark to make out the colour?

 

[fel]

The dark areas are brown but at the same time there are very bring pink sparkles peaking out of the brown in some lighting situations.