red-orange spinel

[NKOTB]

Multicolour posted 4 new Mahenge stones yesterday, and I fell in love with this one, at least in the picture. Not the typical red-pink, but looks bright, and apparently has the sleepy glow. The cut seems decent. I asked for more pictures, but they couldn't send me any until next week, so I panicked and bought it in case it was gone by then. It's listed as oR 4/5 (medium light tone, strong saturation). It wasn't cheap, at least in my world, and the timing is terrible, but I couldn't resist. Do you see a small window? Was this a "whoops", or a "woo hoo"? I've never bought from them before. I've done a search on this forum for their stones to compare vendor pics to owner pics. Some seem accurate, some seem like maybe the stones are brighter in the vendor pics than IRL.

 

[NKOTB]

Let me try to see if I can post a bigger picture.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I like it a lot! I think it will be stunning in sunlight and would happily ignore that small window.

 

[VapidLapid]

whew! now I can stop worrying about buying that one myself.

 

[minousbijoux]

Its funny cuz I was just on their website looking at stones, including Mahenges (though I'm really not looking for anything). I really can't tell anything from their photos, because they use various sources of light and they take them on a white background, not a neutral one. I have started reading their descriptions closely and would definitely ask more, like you did. For a Mahenge, I would want a strong to vivid level of saturation and a medium tone. But interestingly, from their photo, your stone looks like it would meet those criteria. I think you did the best thing, to buy it and have it sent. Even if you decide its not the right one, you will have a real life comparison of their photo to their goods, which will help you in discerning other stones of theirs you might consider.

 

[Upgradable]

NKOTB, I love the look of the picture!! You all know how much I love mahenge, but I really appreciate all the looks. One of my favorites is the orangy-pinky-red sleepy stones. This has great potential! What is the size?

Oh, and I don't think you have to worry about a window, especially when set.

 

[JewelFreak]

Me too -- I like the color a lot. Hope the pic is accurate -- good find. Setting it should fix that window. Looks like it would be lovely & glowy. Pics when you get it!

 

[beau-wy]

It appears to be an unusually large culet, rather than a window. If it has that saturation and silkiness I see in the picture, don't see any issues appearance-wise when set. Alternatively, a precision cutter could close that up with minimal weight reduction I think.

 

[T L]

I have found his photos of his mahenge spinels, and his color gemset grading of them to be a bit generous. It is also very silky which should detract from its value, so I hope you didn't pay too much. I don't mind a little silk, but that seems to be too much. Just being honest.

At least if you don't like it, he has a decent return policy. I returned one too many stones, including two mahenges to MC.com.

 

[NKOTB]

whew! now I can stop worrying about buying that one myself.

Ha! You've beat me to the punch a few times, I think, VL. Perhaps we could work out some trades in the future, lol.

 

[NKOTB]

NKOTB, I love the look of the picture!! You all know how much I love mahenge, but I really appreciate all the looks. One of my favorites is the orangy-pinky-red sleepy stones. This has great potential! What is the size?

Oh, and I don't think you have to worry about a window, especially when set.

It's 2.54 ct, 7.3 x 7.3 mm.

 

[NKOTB]

I have found his photos of his mahenge spinels, and his color gemset grading of them to be a bit generous. It is also very silky which should detract from its value, so I hope you didn't pay too much. I don't mind a little silk, but that seems to be too much. Just being honest.

At least if you don't like it, he has a decent return policy. I returned one too many stones, including two mahenges to MC.com.

I'm totally good with honesty, thanks, TL. What would you consider "too much"?

Re: silk, it's funny, another vendor posted a stone similar to this one recently, and they described it as "moderately included", presumably because of the silk. However, this one was described as "eye clean".

 

[Coco914]

Hi there NKOTB,

I purchased a Mahenge pear from Multicolor not very long ago...and while I really liked the color shown in the photo, it was actually much more stunning in real life. I think David tends to play it safe with his grading and when questioned, I find him very honest and open about the stones on his site. The Mahenge pear I bought was listed as very slightly purplish red... However, GIA certified it a pinkish red and I see no hint of purple in the stone. If you search this forum for Mahenges, you'll find photos of others that have been purchased red/organge Mahenges from Multicolor. IMO they are gorgeous as well, but what will matter most is what YOU think of the stone when you see it in person. Anywho, the red/orange Mahenges (especially in the stone size you purchased) seem pretty hard to find these days, so if I were in the markt for another Mahenge...I would have swiped this one up right away, too!

 

[T L]

I have found his photos of his mahenge spinels, and his color gemset grading of them to be a bit generous. It is also very silky which should detract from its value, so I hope you didn't pay too much. I don't mind a little silk, but that seems to be too much. Just being honest.

At least if you don't like it, he has a decent return policy. I returned one too many stones, including two mahenges to MC.com.

I'm totally good with honesty, thanks, TL. What would you consider "too much"?

Re: silk, it's funny, another vendor posted a stone similar to this one recently, and they described it as "moderately included", presumably because of the silk. However, this one was described as "eye clean".

I bought one from MC.com around 2 carats (slightly above) that was very silky, and also described as orangy red, and I paid around $300 for it. I ended up returning it, and then someone on PS bought it from him, and then they sold it on DB to someone else, who I think resold it. It was like the "hot potato" mahenge. It was much finer in David's photo, and his GIA gemset was a bit too generous in color IMHO. When a spinel is a little silky, it can be very pretty and glow, but when that silk impedes even some of the sparkle, I think it's a bit too much, and you should not pay too much for them.

Good luck, I hope it meets your expectations.

 

[NKOTB]

Um, yeah...It was more than 300. I figure it's one of those things that would have been significantly less not that long ago, but may be significantly more down the road. I have asked for more pictures and/or a video before shipment, so hopefully I can get a better sense in a few days. I think if the glow is strong enough and I like the colour, sparkle will be of secondary importance for this particular stone. The stones that are very sparkly AND have a strong glow (especially of a decent size) are way above my budget. Maybe I should just wait for the "hot potato" mahenge to come back on the market. Or any others that those who bought in the "early" days might want to give up.

I quite like the colour on the stone in this thread (in all the photos except maybe the first one), and it is from Multicolour, with the exact same grading as mine:https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/spinel-envy.117957/

I guess I will wait for my next email from David and take it from there.

Thank you all for your input!

 

[minousbijoux]

When a spinel is a little silky, it can be very pretty and glow, but when that silk impedes even some of the sparkle, I think it's a bit too much, and you should not pay too much for them.

That would be my concern about this one as well, so you did the right thing in having it sent to know for sure - please post photos when you receive it and I am wishing you the most excellent combination of silk/glow and sparkle

 

[LD]

You won't get a Mahenge stone for over 2ct for $300 now - a couple of years ago yes! So I wouldn't worry about benchmarking against that. What I do agree with is that it's silky and so won't sparkle but it will glow. It's a personal choice whether you can trade off sparkle -v- glow. If you can then go for it - it's always worth a look!

I suspect yours will look like the 4th photo that Brandy posted if that helps.

 

[chrono]

I would not sweat that teeny tiny window. As for the clarity grading, I've seen some vendors consider evenly distributed silk as eye clean because it then becomes part of the stone's glow/appeal where it doesn't necessarily detract from the beauty of the stone.

 

[T L]

You won't get a Mahenge stone for over 2ct for $300 now - a couple of years ago yes! So I wouldn't worry about benchmarking against that. What I do agree with is that it's silky and so won't sparkle but it will glow. It's a personal choice whether you can trade off sparkle -v- glow. If you can then go for it - it's always worth a look!

I suspect yours will look like the 4th photo that Brandy posted if that helps.

You can if they're very included or super sleepy, at least that's what I've found. I'm actually eyeballing a three carat cushion with a couple of inclusions for around $300 right now, but it's more pink. I also think too many dealers charge too much for overly orange spinels, when the original Mahenge find was far more saturated. Yes, I'm opinionated about that, but it drives me nuts. However, a top color, very crystal pinkish red mahenge over 2 carats, no way could you get that for $300, but you could try.

 

[NKOTB]

It arrived today. In some lighting, I don't actually see the orange, just a really vivid red. Also, interestingly, it's somewhat sleepy, but still has sparkle. I thought it was one or the other? I guess that's what the "eye clean" rating meant, while still having some sleepiness. Some mild extinction here and there, and the small window, which doesn't bother me too much. This puppy GLOWS in some lighting.

 

[Novel]

It arrived today. In some lighting, I don't actually see the orange, just a really vivid red. Also, interestingly, it's somewhat sleepy, but still has sparkle. I thought it was one or the other? I guess that's what the "eye clean" rating meant, while still having some sleepiness. Some mild extinction here and there, and the small window, which doesn't bother me too much. This puppy GLOWS in some lighting.

The glow in that second shot is amazing!

 

[athenaworth]

Omg! It's amazing! I'm picturing yellow gold split shank. What're you picturing!!

 

[chrono]

Definitely sleepy but saturation is quite good. How does it do under indoor lighting? How is the colour shift and level of saturation?

 

[NKOTB]

Here it is in other lighting. The first two are in fluorescent, the last one in incandescent, though the coloration seems a bit off in the last shot, judging by my hand.

AW, I hadn't pictured anything, and have yet to wear yellow gold (the tsav studs are my first venture into that world), but I do like that idea, even if the yellow is just around the stone, with a white shank? I'd have to think about that. Or maybe all yellow. Hmm...

 

[T L]

Enjoy your new stone, it's pretty, and I bet it has amazing fluorescence outside. I highly recommend high karat yellow gold for this color, as white gold makes orangey red stones die. I have a similar colored stone that was in white metal and I had to take it out. At some point, I'm planning on resetting it in 18K yellow.

 

[Starzin]

I think your second photo matches the first vendor photo very well and it's great that you are so taken with it and it's "surprise" sparkle In those photos the tiny window looks more like an OMC culet! Good choice all round...it's a keeper then?

 

[natsplat]

Gosh I love it! Your gamble totally paid off

 

[chrono]

Definitely 14K yellow gold setting at the very least. If not used to yellow gold, then 2 tone with a WG shank. The higher karatage the yellow gold, the better the spinel is going to look. A white metal is going to make it look dull and muddy even though it looks great right now; there's just something about yellow gold that brings out the best saturation in orangish red stones.

 

[Deia]

I am loving thsi stone!! Definitely a woo hoo moment IMO Yellow gold would be my choice

 

[NKOTB]

Thank you all for your comments!

Alright, the consensus seems to be yellow gold for sure. Yes, I think the stone is a keeper. It's unlike anything else in my collection (my other red spinel leans more towards purplish vs. orangish), I like the cut overall (despite some extinction here and there, but perhaps I could get it tweaked by a precision cutter at some point, if it bothers me), and I can't beat the glow and overall colour. Here is a picture of it at its worst, which is still something I think I can live with.