My new Luk-Yen Blue Spinel

[ChrisA222]

This is a Blue Spinel, from Luk Yen, Vietnam. These are really hard to find, so I was lucky enough to find a rough crystal. It was a little crystal, 1.64ct.

The rough was cut by Jean-Noel Soni, and ended up .55ct and 5.03x4.91. I chose him because he excels at freeform shape and I wanted to have the best face-up size as I could with this little crystal. Im happy with the results. If only it were bigger...and if only it was easier to find Blue Spinel this color.

The rough pics are first, from the rough dealer. The vendor pics and my pics follow.

Im thinking about a tension setting, or a bezel setting with two side stones, either diamonds (but what shape??) or maybe white spinels that I have, recut into the same shape? Im mulling it over.

I don't normally dig small stones, but this color is so hard to find in Spinel.

 

[ChrisA222]

My lousy pics

 

[erinl]

Absolutely beautiful . It may be tiny but I bet you can see that across the room!

 

[Shushinator]

gorgeous!!!!!

 

[ChrisA222]

Thanks!!

It had an inclusion of some kind running across where the pavillion was going to be...so, it was a judgement call whether to cut it out, or leave it in there. After I told Jean that I was going to have the stone set, he decided to cut the flaw out of the stone. It resulted in some weight loss, unfortunately. But yes--it is tiny. It is rare for me to love a stone this size...but I do.

 

[FrekeChild]

Great color in that Luc Yen.

 

[OTL]

If I got a rough in that color, I might not even be able to have it cut...I hate to see any drop of that color gone...It just hurts

 

[corundum_conundrum]

Luckily the color is WAY bigger than the ct weight. Great stone!

 

[minousbijoux]

Very pretty color.

 

[JewelFreak]

Sends me into a trance, looking at that. I like the cut -- glad to see what Jean-Noel Soni can do, I've been curious. Gorgeous color!

--- Laurie

 

[colorluvr]

Incredible color, Chris! Congrats

I'm sure you can come up with an incredible ring design that makes the stone pop even more. Take your time until you come up with exactly what you want. This isn't a stone that you just want to "stick" in a setting - it deserves a setting that is custom made just for that stone (IMHO)

 

[ChrisA222]

Thanks!

Its small though--so one of those tension settings with small stones that I see sometimes, or bezel set with two side stones so there is more to look at?

I figure it would pretty much have to be clear stones though...right?

 

[jbkhere]

wow wow W O W ! I just love this one. Congrats!!!

 

[pandabee]

Ah it's gorgeous! I think I just saw a ring on ebay with 2 sapphires shaped similar to this but set opposite and diamonds running through the middle...looked like a pretty bow set N-S!

 

[NKOTB]

Meh.

LOL. Great score, lucky guy! I like how cc put it.

 

[bunnycat]

That's a stunning blue! Maybe something in a contrast-y bezel? Could baguette shapes come in to play somehow?

 

[Jereni]

What a great, deep blue! I really love the tone of that. Nice find!

 

[sphenequeen]

How about having a diamond cut to match and making a cool 2 stone ring!

 

[chrono]

Looking at the rough makes me want to dive into its deep cobalt blue ocean. Typically, I would shout TENSION right away but given that the outline is free-form, I'm not sure if that is conductive to a tension setting. How dark does it get when the pavilion is enclosed? If there is hardly any difference, than a bezel setting should be fine. This spinel deserves real diamonds if you go with the side stones route.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

It's absolutely phenomenal Chris! Holy moly! Reminds me of a keystone.

5mm makes a great band width. If you do a full bezel your band may even turn out to be 6mm a good size for a shank my smallest band is 5.5mm. It's all a bit subtle, but with that stone, it'd really just make people pay attention! And like Chrono said, as long as it doesn't get too dark in a bezel DO IT! LOL I'm a sucker for half/semi bezels, that's what I would do.

You could do a knife edge (like the trillion ring) and run it from the widest pats corner and have it hit the middle of the shank when it begins to wrap around your finger. How deep is the stone? I'm guessing about 3.5ish? I'd have the width at the stone be 4mm and then taper down to about 2mm at the bottom. It'd be very architectural.

If you wanted a bit more flash, I'd go with a single row of full cut melee along the N/S bezel

I did a few quick sketches just to further illustrate my ideas LOL They're not that great but they really do a better job of describing what I mean

 

[ChrisA222]

Love the idea, Davi....I will probably use something very similar to your first sketch. After all I basically copied your Chrysoberyl ring with my Chrome Tourmaline ring...haha.

Im anti-melee...so thats out. Very good idea with the sketch....thanks again! Im saving it in my PC for future reference.

Davi, what do you think about your design with bezel set 'somethings' in there? Like on either side, a little ways down? It would be hard to get diamonds cut in the same shape, i was thinking about trying to find some smaller antique cuts like OMCs, if those exist in matching sizes, at about .25ct a piece or so....

Thoughts on this idea? I think they would work better with the stones shape than RBs.

 

[minousbijoux]

Love the idea, Davi....I will probably use something very similar to your first sketch. After all I basically copied your Chrysoberyl ring with my Chrome Tourmaline ring...haha.

Im anti-melee...so thats out. Very good idea with the sketch....thanks again! Im saving it in my PC for future reference.

Davi, what do you think about your design with bezel set 'somethings' in there? Like on either side, a little ways down? It would be hard to get diamonds cut in the same shape, i was thinking about trying to find some smaller antique cuts like OMCs, if those exist in matching sizes, at about .25ct a piece or so....

Thoughts on this idea? I think they would work better with the stones shape than RBs.

Phew! correct me if I'm wrong, but the luc yens seem so strongly saturated that they almost seem lit from within. If that's the case, and it can hold its own, why not make it pure and simply, the star? If you are worried about lack of detailing, would you ever consider doing something with the band, like cut outs, or something like filigree (very manly filigree, of course )?

 

[sphenequeen]

Chris,
Can I be so bold as to ask you where you got the rough? A Luk-Yen has been on my bucket list and I have not been able to secure one. I adore yours!

 

[ChrisA222]

Thanks for everyones compliments

I have no idea where I'd find a diamond-cutter...does this even exist? It sounds really expensive, that is all I know. I don't have the faintest idea who to even contact for a custom-shaped Diamond. Even at .55ct it sounds really pricy. haha.

It does glow, Minou...it has really good saturation, I didnt want to sound like I was bragging so I tried to just stick to the pictures. lets put it this way.....I wish that my Sapphire looked as good as the little Spinel, and I adore my Sapphire, but its no comparison. When I look at my Sapphire in my ring I think to myself how vivid it looks (especially in diffused natural lighting) and then I put it next to the Spinel and I think to myself I don't ever want to see them next to each other again LOL!
Anyways...

Chrono, I think it will be OK bezeled, but I will do the foil test tonight. My opinon is that it will not go darker. This is the first stone I've had that doesn't seem to change appearance in different lighting. Its always the same color. This is not the case with my Sapphire, or my other Blue or Purple Spinels, which shift a lot. I dont see a shift to Violet in incandescent. Is this a product of this specific type of stone or is this just due to the increased saturation, compared to my other blue/violet stones? (that there is no shift).

SpheneQueen...

Theres one more piece, let me decide if I am buying it or not, and if not, I will release the contact for you. It has inclusions, though, so it will not produce a stone as 'large' as the one that I have. Same color though and the rough is about the same size as mine was.

 

[sphenequeen]

Chris

Thank you for letting me know! Even if you decide to take it, I would love to know who this person is so that I can get in line in case another piece comes their way.

Let me know when I should be on the lookout for your decision!

 

[ChrisA222]

SpheneQueen,

Your request forced me to make a quick decision. I did buy the stone..it has inclusions, and I don't know what will come out of it, but I am sorry if I got your hopes up. I don't think it will cut a matching stone for me, but if I can think of a design that will allow two same shapes in different sizes, that may be the direction that I choose...

If the stone is declared too included to bother faceting, it might be left as a specimen....not sure...

 

[ChrisA222]

I forgot, the vendor was Bob Sivinski from Etsy. He's a really nice guy and great to work with.

 

[Indylady]

Wow, that blue is truly stunning.

 

[minousbijoux]

I'm glad that it glows for you Chris, but that wasn't the only point in my post...I was suggesting that if it glows, then a little goes a long way, and it doesn't need a lot of embellishment. I'm still rooting for you to do something different than a big wide band - what about cut outs or some metal detailing? ***head nodding emotie here***

 

[NKOTB]

Ooo, I like the idea of cut outs!