Possible damaged spinel HELP!

[Sarahm637400]

Hey all!
I have been dithering back and forth about posting because I'm very afraid of the response- a CRACK in my spinel e-ring. I haven't even been engaged for 2 full months yet the stone is a precision cut 1.88ct asscher spinel, bezel set but open underneath.. I don't SEE a crack with my eyes and I don't have a loupe. I can see my skin through the stone at the top and bottom as you can see in the pictures below..the color of the spinel looks "patchy" now because of being able to see my skin color through it..I'm new to buying CS and an unsure how else to describe it. It did look this way somewhat when my fiance proposed but now it looks worse. I've been very careful with my ring; I don't sleep with it on or do any household chores, cooking etc. It was purchased from a vendor who has a lot of respect from what I have read here on PS and described as "eye clean". I read every PS thread I could find on spinel before deciding with my fiance that it was the stone I wanted in my e-ring and I'll be heart sick if it is damaged. I'm taking it to a local family owned jewelry shop that has been in my area nearly 100 yrs because I have read here that the "chain" stores- Zales, Kay's etc may not be as experienced nor familiar with natural spinel. Sorry for the long post! Any comments, thoughts or advice would be very appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Bathroom lighting..

Sunlight while under the shade of a tree

Inside, midday with no lights on

 

[T L]

Did the crack just appear now?

The problem with bezels is that it’s really difficult to get them out of the setting without destroying the actual bezel. They also put stress on a stone, which could have caused the crack, but we don’t know for sure.

I know some gems that have cracked in bezels during and after the setting process. If you banged it on something, that would be enough to cause a stress fracture in the gem.

 

[LilAlex]

I see what you're referring to but looks just like the stone is a little shallow so there's not a lot of saturation at the margins. To be clear, you're thinking that a piece broke off the pavilion on both the "top" and "bottom" of the stone? Seems highly unlikely. Get a cheap loupe -- or walk into any jewelry store, look at a ring, ask for a loupe, and peak at yours while you're at it.

The funny thing about colored stones is that they all have something. And once you notice it, it's hard to unsee it -- hence all the upgrade talk on this forum. Alternative is to get a D flawless ideal-cut diamond -- but that's utterly boring and a different forum.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Just get a bright highly focused flash light and shine it in there. If there is a crack you should see it.

I dont think it is a crack though, to me it also looks like the cutting wasn't fabulous and it is a bit see through in areas where it was cut a bit shallow. You may be able to put a small donut of metal underneath the setting to fix these issues (I.e. attach a donut of metal to the bottom of the basket). I dont think it is worth stressing over though. Mostly I'd try to take 2 steps back and stop thinking about it for a few days then take it back to your jeweler for some reassurance, as the way you are currently feeling you are not likely to make a rational call about it (and much more likely to damage it with an attempt to fix it).

 

[distracts]

I also don’t see anything that looks like a crack... can you draw arrows or circle on the pictures what you think the problem is?

The good news and bad news is that if it’s a crack, there’s not anything you can do about it so you should just continue to wear the ring until it looks significantly worse and then get a new one.

 

[Rfisher]

Great advice already given.
But if it’s something you can’t put out of your mind without investigating further-
Did you see macro photos of the stone before it was set, from the vendor? Did the vendor point out /disclose the inclusions (if any) to you before the sale?
Agree I can’t tell from your pictures attached whether there’s a crack, or it’s reflections from the mounting I think I may be seeing at 3 o’clock, if that’s what you are talking about?

 

[chrono]

I see something in a picture or two but am not absolutely sure what I'm seeing. How accessible is the back of the stone? When was the last it was cleaned?

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Before you become too upset, order a 30x (or better) LED-lit loupe off amazon and deep clean your ring before examining it. I once knew someone who thought her stone was broken but after cleaning it, and removing the white puppy hair from under the corner, she realized all was well.

 

[deorwine]

Yep, I have had a lot of stones that look far worse and their windows seem to get worse when they haven't been cleaned in a while. Even if you're being really careful with it, stones seem to be dust and grease magnets!

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

Get a soft makeup brush and some lukewarm water with a bit of dishwashing liquid in it. Wash your stone from above and below, getting into the little crevasses. I hope that brings the sparkle back. I have had a similar panic before and it was from kitty fur.

 

[T L]

On durable, non clarity enhanced, non porous gems, nothing beats a soft toothbrush and dawn dishwashing liquid. I clean my spinels and other hard gems with it all the time, and wow!! The stone looks brand new!