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tanzanian spinels

Arkteia

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Mahenge or Morongo. Technically, old material and new material is different. But I have many pieces that have been sold as Mahenge (by different vendors) and they do look like "new material". Certificates (not fast track) offer no info about the exact origin. Where should I send them for proof of origin? Would AGL prestige report tell me the exact origin?
 

kelpie

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I live in Tanzania, and while I'm not an expert on the various mines I can tell you that Mahenge is a village in the Morogoro region which is pretty close to where I live (not the side mahenge is on). Mahenge has become almost a brand name but a lot of the spinels probably come from all over that region and of course the quality varies wildly but not necessarily because of the precise village the mine is in. Really they should be calling them "morogoro spinels" since they don't just come from one village.

ETA- sorry I didn't answer your question, I just thought that you might find it useful to know more about the geography!
 

athenaworth

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Total thread jack, but Kelpie, how do you pronounce mahenge?
 

LD

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Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?
 

kelpie

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ma-HEN-gay =)
 

bright ice

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LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!
 

Arkteia

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Maybe I did not formulate my thoughts well... Sorry. But we all use terms "old" and "new" material. The "new" material is darker with brownish undertones and while it fluoresces well and can make extremely pretty stones if well-cut, it is not, in all honesty, the same "old" Mahenge. It is probably mined from a different mine. It is very different from most old material.

I have a reason to ask, because on one website, I met a phrase "the lustre" (or something like it, sorry) "that the new material from Mahenge is famous for". So the term "Mahenge" is used in conjunction with "new material". Which is not what people who have seen old Mahenge and are purchasing "a Mahenge" are expecting to get.

Some posters have stated that "one can see a Mahenge". In my life, I probably saw two to three stones which I think are good "old material" and maybe several more that are not top "old material" (lacking in saturation). The rest of them are something very different.

A vendor of high reputation recently offered me a "strawberry colored" Mahenge. True to his good reputation, he stated that the color was not comparable to traditional Mahenge color but also very nice. His price also reflected this fact. Unfortunately, it is not always the case.

Imagine someone buying a Burmese ruby. I presume that AGL would be able to tell the difference between a Mogok ruby and a Mong Hsu ruby. I want to know how to formulate my question so that I could definitely find out if a certain spinel I bought is a "true" Mahenge or a "new material", likely from a nearby locale.
 

Swala Gem Traders

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Dear Crasru,

Tanzanian spinels – whatever the color (red, pink, blue, lavender etc) - come from various places in Tanzania. Mahenge spinels also come in various colors. But the typical neon red, neon pink spinels from Tanzania only come from Mahenge. Mahenge is a small village (see below sign, picture I took 3 weeks ago) from the Morogoro province. The Morogoro province has other localities producing spinels. However, once again, none which so far produce the typical neon “Mahenge” spinels.


Mahenge-entrance-Swala4.jpg

I hope this helps.
 

NKOTB

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Crasu, I've been wondering about this "old" vs "new" stuff. What qualifies as which? Is "old" two years ago? Five? If a vendor told you it was mined a few years ago, what would your expectations be? Can you tell by a photograph, or only in person that it is the "old" material you are looking for? Do you have pictures comparing the two? I'm not sure I've seen any "Mahenge spinels" with brown in them, but maybe I don't know how to judge.

Swala, could you tell by looking at a stone approximately when it was mined (i.e. do you notice a difference between older stock and newer)? Are the Mahenge neon spinels still being mined, or when was the last find?

It sounds like the neon ones only come from Mahenge, but not only neon ones come from Mahenge. So, if the term "Mahenge spinel" started out as implying a specific colour, but has come to mean any spinel from that region, that could definitely cause some confusion on the consumer end (at the newbie level especially). I know when I bought my first Mahenge (a few months ago), I asked the vendor to confirm that it was hot pink (as per the description), which he did. I had a certain expectation of what "hot pink" was from looking on PS at the Mahenge spinels of others, and the picture of this spinel made it look lighter than that, but I thought maybe it was my monitor or the picture. When it arrived, it was lighter than I had originally expected when buying a "Mahenge", but very bright and very pretty (and still kind of "neon", which leads to your other thread). I didn't know if that meant it was less saturated, or from a different mine, or "new" vs. "old".

I'd be interested to know, too, if AGL (or somewhere else) could tell the specific location of origin when looking at a Tanzanian spinel.
 

ooo~Shiney!

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Love this picture, Eric !!!

I LOVE my spinel collection,
so this is an interesting thread to me !
Here is one of my Swala spinels, neon or new material or not, I ADORE it !!!

IMG_0749.JPG

Mahenge-entrance-Swala4.jpg
 

bright ice

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Very interesting! I will watch closely for further details anyone may have.

My red Mahenge is on it's way to AGL for a full prestige grading report (which will include origin) so I am anxiously going to await the results.
 

ooo~Shiney!

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bright ice|1315057998|3008982 said:
Very interesting! I will watch closely for further details anyone may have.

My red Mahenge is on it's way to AGL for a full prestige grading report (which will include origin) so I am anxiously going to await the results.

Oh, cool !
Let me know how that turns out,
I am deliberating sending Marilyn off,
basically for the same reason, albeit she
wasn't as costly, I just love her so.....
 

bright ice

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ooo~Shiney!|1315058189|3008985 said:
bright ice|1315057998|3008982 said:
Very interesting! I will watch closely for further details anyone may have.

My red Mahenge is on it's way to AGL for a full prestige grading report (which will include origin) so I am anxiously going to await the results.

Oh, cool !
Let me know how that turns out,
I am deliberating sending Marilyn off,
basically for the same reason, albeit she
wasn't as costly, I just love her so.....

I love Marilyn too. She is a beautiful color!

I will post my report when I get it. I do love my red but am still wanting a neon pink :lickout:
 

PrecisionGem

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I think this "old" "new" is something completely born here on Pricescope, and doesn't make any sense. None of these stones were just created, it's not like buying a bottle of wine where you can say 1990 was a good year, but 2002 not so good.

A fantastic stone can be found in Mahange tomorrow, so would that be a "new" or an "old" stock? I have had stones from Mahange that I bough 10 years ago, and others that were bought 2 years ago. The older ones are not a better color.

I'll hear dealers say sometimes...."oh, this is old stock I have had lost in the back of my safe for years..." All that tells me is that he most likely paid a lot less for back then, so why are you trying to screw me with a high price for it now!
 

LD

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PrecisionGem|1315060519|3009004 said:
I think this "old" "new" is something completely born here on Pricescope, and doesn't make any sense. None of these stones were just created, it's not like buying a bottle of wine where you can say 1990 was a good year, but 2002 not so good.

A fantastic stone can be found in Mahange tomorrow, so would that be a "new" or an "old" stock? I have had stones from Mahange that I bough 10 years ago, and others that were bought 2 years ago. The older ones are not a better color.

I'll hear dealers say sometimes...."oh, this is old stock I have had lost in the back of my safe for years..." All that tells me is that he most likely paid a lot less for back then, so why are you trying to screw me with a high price for it now!


Ditto to everything that Gene has said.

All this "old" -v- "new" stock is just rubbish. You get good and bad stones irrespective of the year it was mined. Quite simply, when a stone becomes more difficult to find then you typically see lesser quality stones (in terms of colour) for sale AND at a much higher price. The Mahenges that were available a year or two ago were of a very good colour and a good price BUT there was also a significant amount that weren't good colour. The thing is that we overlooked them because the good stuff was available. Now it's more difficult to buy and so we think that the "newer" stones are of a lesser quality. It may well be that a signficant proportion were actually mined at the same time! Also, when a newer Mahenge spinel is found with a great colour, it will now attract a higher price because they have become popular.
 

LD

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bright ice|1315004835|3008657 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!

Yes I'm saying exactly that. People get hung up on lab reports and think it's necessary to have one for everything. It's not. If the stone has come from a reputable source AND you have the knowledge to look at the stone with a loupe and identify that it's got the inclusions you'd expect to find why would you need a report? The only stones I always get lab reports for are diamonds over 1ct, sapphires and rubies (because of treatments) and very expensive rare stones for example my Alexandrites, occasionally others.
 

bright ice

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LovingDiamonds|1315073348|3009092 said:
bright ice|1315004835|3008657 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!

Yes I'm saying exactly that. People get hung up on lab reports and think it's necessary to have one for everything. It's not. If the stone has come from a reputable source AND you have the knowledge to look at the stone with a loupe and identify that it's got the inclusions you'd expect to find why would you need a report? The only stones I always get lab reports for are diamonds over 1ct, sapphires and rubies (because of treatments) and very expensive rare stones for example my Alexandrites, occasionally others.
.
So if you had bought this particular 6K spinel from Swala you would not worry about getting a lab report even for insurance purposes?
 

athenaworth

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bright ice|1315076444|3009130 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315073348|3009092 said:
bright ice|1315004835|3008657 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!

Yes I'm saying exactly that. People get hung up on lab reports and think it's necessary to have one for everything. It's not. If the stone has come from a reputable source AND you have the knowledge to look at the stone with a loupe and identify that it's got the inclusions you'd expect to find why would you need a report? The only stones I always get lab reports for are diamonds over 1ct, sapphires and rubies (because of treatments) and very expensive rare stones for example my Alexandrites, occasionally others.
.
So if you had bought this particular 6K sspinel from Swala you would worry about getting a lab report even for insurance purposes?
If it were me, I would. Nobody knows where they company will be in 20 years, but lab reports last a lifetime. Especially if mahenges go the way of alexandriites and you wish to resell down the road. JMHO
 

PrecisionGem

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As usual, I find my self agreeing with everything Loving Diamonds wrote.

Just out of curiosity, do you guys really insure all these pieces of jewelry? Doesn't that add to your homeowners premium quite a bit? So if you add in the price of an lab report, then a appraisal, and now the extra on your insurance, what does that all add up to? It sounds like a lot to me.

Have you ever tried to collect on an insurance claim? Don't they try to find you a replacement instead of making payment. I'm sure they are not going to give you cash for the typical way over inflated appraisal. These insurance companies can't be stupid. If you buy a stone from eBay and pay $200 for it, then get an appraisal for $2000, are they going to pay the appraisal price if it's stolen? Or are they going to find a similar stone for $200 and replace it?

I don't really know, I have no experience in this area other than from time to time I have had insurance companies call me to cut a replacement stone for them.
 

LD

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bright ice|1315076444|3009130 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315073348|3009092 said:
bright ice|1315004835|3008657 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!

Yes I'm saying exactly that. People get hung up on lab reports and think it's necessary to have one for everything. It's not. If the stone has come from a reputable source AND you have the knowledge to look at the stone with a loupe and identify that it's got the inclusions you'd expect to find why would you need a report? The only stones I always get lab reports for are diamonds over 1ct, sapphires and rubies (because of treatments) and very expensive rare stones for example my Alexandrites, occasionally others.
.
So if you had bought this particular 6K spinel from Swala you would not worry about getting a lab report even for insurance purposes?


I can only speak for the UK but a lab report doesn't give any assurances for insurance as it doesn't state a value for the stone. Only an apppraisal does that. I believe it's the same in the US. So, no, I wouldn't get a lab report for insurance purposes irrespective of the value of the stone.

A lab report will merely state whether the stone is natural, untreated, treated, confirm size, locality (for some) etc.

If I had doubts about the stone I would get a lab report OR as I stated above, if I had a rare stone. Spinels are not rare stones, they are still being mined so unless I suspected that it was something else or synthetic I wouldn't get a report. I would however get an appraisal with an appraiser who regularly saw coloured gemstones, understood their value and could discuss them comprehensively. There are appraisers and then there are appraisers!
 

LD

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PrecisionGem|1315077793|3009144 said:
As usual, I find my self agreeing with everything Loving Diamonds wrote.

Just out of curiosity, do you guys really insure all these pieces of jewelry? Doesn't that add to your homeowners premium quite a bit? So if you add in the price of an lab report, then a appraisal, and now the extra on your insurance, what does that all add up to? It sounds like a lot to me.

Have you ever tried to collect on an insurance claim? Don't they try to find you a replacement instead of making payment. I'm sure they are not going to give you cash for the typical way over inflated appraisal. These insurance companies can't be stupid. If you buy a stone from eBay and pay $200 for it, then get an appraisal for $2000, are they going to pay the appraisal price if it's stolen? Or are they going to find a similar stone for $200 and replace it?

I don't really know, I have no experience in this area other than from time to time I have had insurance companies call me to cut a replacement stone for them.


Gene - you are totally correct. That's why I only insure my most valuable or rare stones. The premiums make it impossible to do otherwise. I also only use a recognised appraisal company recommended by insurers (Safeguard in the UK who are affiliated with the Birmingham Assay office) as they see a huge variety of gemstones and can appraise sensibly and don't over-inflate!

Bright Ice - if I bought a stone worth $6k and it was valued at more for insurance purposes I'd be exceptionally worried at the sanity of the appraiser! However, I would get the stone re-appraised in a couple of years to ensure that I was adequately covered if I ever lost the stone. Just FYI, and by way of an example, Emeralds have not significantly risen in price for many years now and so I haven't bothered having my more expensive ones re-appraised. However, I do plan to have have my Paraiba Tourmalines and Alexandrites re-appraised at some point to make sure that their value is accurate to market conditions.
 

bright ice

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LovingDiamonds|1315078168|3009150 said:
bright ice|1315076444|3009130 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315073348|3009092 said:
bright ice|1315004835|3008657 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!

Yes I'm saying exactly that. People get hung up on lab reports and think it's necessary to have one for everything. It's not. If the stone has come from a reputable source AND you have the knowledge to look at the stone with a loupe and identify that it's got the inclusions you'd expect to find why would you need a report? The only stones I always get lab reports for are diamonds over 1ct, sapphires and rubies (because of treatments) and very expensive rare stones for example my Alexandrites, occasionally others.
.
So if you had bought this particular 6K spinel from Swala you would not worry about getting a lab report even for insurance purposes?


I can only speak for the UK but a lab report doesn't give any assurances for insurance as it doesn't state a value for the stone. Only an apppraisal does that. I believe it's the same in the US. So, no, I wouldn't get a lab report for insurance purposes irrespective of the value of the stone.

A lab report will merely state whether the stone is natural, untreated, treated, confirm size, locality (for some) etc.

If I had doubts about the stone I would get a lab report OR as I stated above, if I had a rare stone. Spinels are not rare stones, they are still being mined so unless I suspected that it was something else or synthetic I wouldn't get a report. I would however get an appraisal with an appraiser who regularly saw coloured gemstones, understood their value and could discuss them comprehensively. There are appraisers and then there are appraisers!
The appraiser I have chosen is quite qualified in colored gemstones and she recommends one.
 

LD

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bright ice|1315079164|3009161 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315078168|3009150 said:
bright ice|1315076444|3009130 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315073348|3009092 said:
bright ice|1315004835|3008657 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!

Yes I'm saying exactly that. People get hung up on lab reports and think it's necessary to have one for everything. It's not. If the stone has come from a reputable source AND you have the knowledge to look at the stone with a loupe and identify that it's got the inclusions you'd expect to find why would you need a report? The only stones I always get lab reports for are diamonds over 1ct, sapphires and rubies (because of treatments) and very expensive rare stones for example my Alexandrites, occasionally others.
.
So if you had bought this particular 6K spinel from Swala you would not worry about getting a lab report even for insurance purposes?


I can only speak for the UK but a lab report doesn't give any assurances for insurance as it doesn't state a value for the stone. Only an apppraisal does that. I believe it's the same in the US. So, no, I wouldn't get a lab report for insurance purposes irrespective of the value of the stone.

A lab report will merely state whether the stone is natural, untreated, treated, confirm size, locality (for some) etc.

If I had doubts about the stone I would get a lab report OR as I stated above, if I had a rare stone. Spinels are not rare stones, they are still being mined so unless I suspected that it was something else or synthetic I wouldn't get a report. I would however get an appraisal with an appraiser who regularly saw coloured gemstones, understood their value and could discuss them comprehensively. There are appraisers and then there are appraisers!
The appraiser I have chosen is quite qualified in colored gemstones and she recommends one.


It's up to you what you do but there is absolutely no reason to get one and I find it surprising that an appraiser would suggest it. There are only two reasons that spring to mind (a) to give you peace of mind and if you were showing the appraiser that you were worried he/she may have suggested it for that reason or (b) to give you/the appraiser comfort that the stone is what it's purported to be.

At the end of the day you asked my opinion and I've given it and it's based on many years of collecting gemstones (both rare and otherwise). It really is a personal decision however and what I do, what you do and what others do may well differ. It doesn't mean anybody is right or wrong.
 

bright ice

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LovingDiamonds|1315079749|3009167 said:
bright ice|1315079164|3009161 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315078168|3009150 said:
bright ice|1315076444|3009130 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315073348|3009092 said:
bright ice|1315004835|3008657 said:
LovingDiamonds|1315002084|3008635 said:
Crasru - this is a totally personal thing but I'm not sure I'd bother getting an origin report on a stone unless it would make a big difference to the value i.e. Alexandrite from Russia, Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil etc. If I've misunderstood and you want to verify that the stone is a spinel and getting the origin is an additional nice to have then I can see the reason. Are you simply curious or do you prefer to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s?

So LovingDiamonds, are you saying that one should not worry about getting a lab report on a Mahenge? Even with a pricey one!

Yes I'm saying exactly that. People get hung up on lab reports and think it's necessary to have one for everything. It's not. If the stone has come from a reputable source AND you have the knowledge to look at the stone with a loupe and identify that it's got the inclusions you'd expect to find why would you need a report? The only stones I always get lab reports for are diamonds over 1ct, sapphires and rubies (because of treatments) and very expensive rare stones for example my Alexandrites, occasionally others.
.
So if you had bought this particular 6K spinel from Swala you would not worry about getting a lab report even for insurance purposes?


I can only speak for the UK but a lab report doesn't give any assurances for insurance as it doesn't state a value for the stone. Only an apppraisal does that. I believe it's the same in the US. So, no, I wouldn't get a lab report for insurance purposes irrespective of the value of the stone.

A lab report will merely state whether the stone is natural, untreated, treated, confirm size, locality (for some) etc.

If I had doubts about the stone I would get a lab report OR as I stated above, if I had a rare stone. Spinels are not rare stones, they are still being mined so unless I suspected that it was something else or synthetic I wouldn't get a report. I would however get an appraisal with an appraiser who regularly saw coloured gemstones, understood their value and could discuss them comprehensively. There are appraisers and then there are appraisers!
The appraiser I have chosen is quite qualified in colored gemstones and she recommends one.


It's up to you what you do but there is absolutely no reason to get one and I find it surprising that an appraiser would suggest it. There are only two reasons that spring to mind (a) to give you peace of mind and if you were showing the appraiser that you were worried he/she may have suggested it for that reason or (b) to give you/the appraiser comfort that the stone is what it's purported to be.

At the end of the day you asked my opinion and I've given it and it's based on many years of collecting gemstones (both rare and otherwise). It really is a personal decision however and what I do, what you do and what others do may well differ. It doesn't mean anybody is right or wrong.
I honestly appreciate your opinion LovingDiamonds. You and Precisiongem have convinced me to change my mind about getting the report. I am not for spending $420 just to have a piece of paper that I really don't need. It is a beautiful stone and I have no doubts of it being a genuine spinel. It is in route to AGL but I will call them and cancel the work request on Tuesday after the holiday. I had much rather spend the funds towards a setting for one of my other gems!
 

JewelFreak

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I've heard of insurers, when there's a claim on, say, a stone like that, even with an appraisal, saying, "hey, you can get a 2-ct medium red spinel for $2K. We'll give you that." As if one red spinel equals another the same size. Wouldn't a lab report tend to nail down an appraisal to keep them from doing that?

--- Laurie
 

LD

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Bright Ice - if it's already on its way to AGL then perhaps, in this case, it's better to just let it go ahead as I'm not sure whether it would be possible to cancel the work (presumably you've already instructed them to do it)? I appreciate that this is a considered purchase for you and so for peace of mind, in this instance, it may be worth it. On the plus side, you've now got more information about lab reports and when it might be worth getting one and so can decide in the future what you want to do.
 

LD

Super_Ideal_Rock
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JewelFreak|1315081372|3009186 said:
I've heard of insurers, when there's a claim on, say, a stone like that, even with an appraisal, saying, "hey, you can get a 2-ct medium red spinel for $2K. We'll give you that." As if one red spinel equals another the same size. Wouldn't a lab report tend to nail down an appraisal to keep them from doing that?

--- Laurie

Unfortunately not because value doesn't play a part in reports. They are simply clarifiers of origin, colour, size, weight, clarity etc. By way of an example, I have a red spinel that is gorgeous stop light red in some lighting conditions but in daylight it blacks out. If I get a lab report it will say (simplified) red spinel. However, compare that to a red spinel that holds its colour and you're in totally different territory but both would say red spinel. Lab reports are not an indicator of quality (leaving aside clarity and origin).

Edit - I've just thought of another example! Take a Paraiba Tourmaline for example - a Cuprian Tourmaline is a Cuprian Tourmaline (leaving aside origin for a minute) but one could be a mid blue with no glow or neon quality. The other could be a screaming blue with a glow that you can see from the moon. What would differentiate between those on a lab report? Nothing. They're both Cuprian Tourmalines (and in some cases could also be called Paraiba Tourmalines by some labs).



Crasru - apologies for the ongoing threadjack - I hope you're not offended. xx
 

Arkteia

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LD - not offended at all because any form of knowledge is helpful, be it threadjacking "my" thread or not... same for everyone else.
Swala - thank you for your clarification and comments. When I was commenting on this ad, it was not your website. I am going to make photos of my stones of what I consider to be "old" and "new" stock, and maybe they are not. I made one photo of two stones, side by side, neither of them is yours but one could see what I mean. Ooo-Shiney, your stone is what I would call "old stock", intensely saturated, neon-pink stone. When you see kg photos, you'll understand what I mean by "old" and "new". Unfortunately, they are in my work computer. So it has to wait till Monday. In all fairness, the dealer I bought "new" stone from did not price it high. These stones are sold at a very high price oni another website.
 

Pandora II

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You will only get an opinion of origin on a stone IF the lab can find evidence that suggests a specific locality to them.

I had 5 sapphires go to a laboratory - I knew the 99% certain origin of all of them, as did the laboratory, but not one of them had sufficient evidence for them to want to state it on a report.

I'm with LD on everything regarding getting reports on stones.

For a spinel where basically all you need to know is whether is is natural or not I see even less reason to do so. An appraisal should give you all the information that you need for insurance purposes.

In the event of needing to claim on the insurance, great quality photographs are a good idea in order to prove the quality of the stone.
 

bright ice

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LovingDiamonds|1315081566|3009194 said:
Bright Ice - if it's already on its way to AGL then perhaps, in this case, it's better to just let it go ahead as I'm not sure whether it would be possible to cancel the work (presumably you've already instructed them to do it)? I appreciate that this is a considered purchase for you and so for peace of mind, in this instance, it may be worth it. On the plus side, you've now got more information about lab reports and when it might be worth getting one and so can decide in the future what you want to do.

I had another thread about this exact topic that I started the other day as I was considering whether or not to send for one. I wish others had chimed in at that time.

I feel comfortable that I can reverse the work order as they don't have my money yet!
 
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