opinions on this spinel?

[haagen_dazs]

What do you think of this spinel?
Is it too shallow or it looks fine.
Vendor says it has no window
1.16ct
6.84 x 5.72 x 3.33 mm

 

[haagen_dazs]

bottom

 

[haagen_dazs]

....

 

[haagen_dazs]

i know depth % varies for different refractive index and stones.
is depth % calculated as depth/ width (and not depth / length) ? (need to reconfirm)

 

[VapidLapid]

it has a bowtie window

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 5/18/2010 3:23:13 PM
Author: VapidLapid
it has a bowtie window

which means?? is that a bad thing compared to a open round window?!?
the colour and brilliance is uniform throughout the gemstone

 

[VapidLapid]

It is a window shaped like a bowtie, you can see it right in the middle. They are common in rectangular cushions and ovals, especially when they are a little shallow. Great color on that though. Itis hard to tell from the photo but it looks to me like there is a big chip out of one facet. First pic, bottom center right

 

[LD]

I'm afraid that has a very big window. Look at the first picture - it's quite apparent in that one. It's also very dark and I suspect will look almost black in some lights.

 

[LD]

One other thought ......... have you cropped the photos of the gem to anonymise it? The reason I ask is that the photos look tampered with.

HD this is what a bowtie looks like and it's caused by a gem being too shallow and the cut:

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 5/18/2010 3:36:07 PM
Author: VapidLapid
It is a window shaped like a bowtie, you can see it right in the middle. They are common in rectangular cushions and ovals, especially when they are a little shallow. Great color on that though. Itis hard to tell from the photo but it looks to me like there is a big chip out of one facet. First pic, bottom center right

hi vapid
thanks looks like the "chip" is a reflection of the tip tweezers. i have another photo and it doesnt have a chip there though....thanks for giving a thumbs up on the colour

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 5/18/2010 3:47:36 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
One other thought ......... have you cropped the photos of the gem to anonymise it? The reason I ask is that the photos look tampered with.


HD this is what a bowtie looks like and it''s caused by a gem being too shallow and the cut:

ah thanks for explaining the bow tie.
i wasnt sure which orientation it is
no i did not crop the photos. the photos look fine to me

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 5/18/2010 3:15:10 PM
Author: haagen_dazs
i know depth % varies for different refractive index and stones.

is depth % calculated as depth/ width (and not depth / length) ? (need to reconfirm)

can someone confirm this?

 

[LD]

Date: 5/18/2010 3:54:08 PM
Author: haagen_dazs

Date: 5/18/2010 3:15:10 PM
Author: haagen_dazs
i know depth % varies for different refractive index and stones.

is depth % calculated as depth/ width (and not depth / length) ? (need to reconfirm)

can someone confirm this?

I wouldn''t use numbers. Use your eyes.

Michael E once explained the numbers and how they can help - and most definitely when looking at diamonds they come in very handy but much much much less with native cut gemstones. You can have a shallow cut in a native gemstone that has been cut beautifully (albeit not a precision cut) but then you can have ones with a window the size of a patio door!

I edited my post earlier about the colour and I would urge caution if you want a vibrant stone. Typically (and this is generally speaking) these colour spinels look fabulous in incandescent light but black out in natural light. I have a stoplight red one that is simply phenomenal inside, outside I may as well be wearing an Onyx!

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 5/18/2010 3:59:04 PM
I edited my post earlier about the colour and I would urge caution if you want a vibrant stone. Typically (and this is generally speaking) these colour spinels look fabulous in incandescent light but black out in natural light. I have a stoplight red one that is simply phenomenal inside, outside I may as well be wearing an Onyx!

yes at the end of the day, it is all what the eyes see

what do you think these stoplight reds behave like that in natural light?
do you have photos (or could you take some) to show me what its like in daylight?
thanks

 

[LD]

Not great photos but hope this helps. You can see how the gem blacks out and the photo of it on the hand is a very good representation of what I see.

 

[Indylady]

Ditto, I also think it has a window and will black out.

Having a window is a compromise I could make- and fairly easily at that. Some windows even close up once set. But what I really, really don''t want is a stone that''s going to black out. That''s the deal breaker for me on this one.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I would be worried about it being too dark too

 

[Agnesg]

No expert here..just my 2 cent. pretty color,looking rather dark, huge window

 

[Barrett]

let me throw something out here ..although at first glance it may look dark but what we are seeing is the body color of the stone..is it not the light being reflected off the facets what you are looking for in color?..thats the whole purpose of faceting..in the pics of the spinel i think the color coming off the facets look excellent..i mean look at that red..in a still pic it looks rather dark and unappealing but I bet if you rolled that stone in your hands next to a lighter similar colored spinel this one would have a better colored red twinkle.... and i have also noticed some of what i consider the most strong colored stones have an overall darker body color but the light that gets reflected off the facets in those "slightly darker" stones seems to have the most rich, strong(one lower than vivid) type color..ahh.maybe i am crazy..lol yes..no? making any sense or blowing smoke here????

 

[haagen_dazs]

makes sense
thats what i noticed (in person) when i saw a deep red precision cut red spinel from Peter T

 

[Barrett]

it just seems to me that some of the finest colored stones when they flash are the deeper colored or deeper body colored stones..it''s really not the body or overall color i think you would be looking at, then a cabachon would do.... it''s the flash..twinkle..facet reflection color that should seal the deal as thats what will catch the eye..yea..no..making any sense..just thinking out of the box here

 

[haagen_dazs]

amethystguy even though you are thinking out of the box, have you seen those darker stones with that kind of flash before?

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 5/18/2010 3:54:08 PM
Author: haagen_dazs

Date: 5/18/2010 3:15:10 PM

Author: haagen_dazs

i know depth % varies for different refractive index and stones.


is depth % calculated as depth/ width (and not depth / length) ? (need to reconfirm)

can someone confirm this?

Depth percentage is depth/width...width being the narrowest girdle dimension of the stone. With these step cuts the first tier of facets on the pavilion, called the pavilion break facets, are always going to be fairly steep. Because of this, these stones require a depth percentage of at least 65% and often much more if they have tallish crowns. Just looking at that stone from the side and it looks too flat around the culet and when looing at the top it does have a window of maybe 40% to 50%. The "bow tie window" only looks that way because the area directly behind the stone is strongly lit, with much less light coming from the sides...maybe a penlight or fiberoptic light behind it. If it were more widely lit from behind you would see the entire window and it would be oval shaped. The term "bow tie" is always a dark reflection of the viewer and I''ve never seen a stone which could have a window shaped this way...mostly because the angles are shallower on the long ends and so that would show a window first.

I think that the color of this stone would be great if it were deep enough to be properly cut. Unfortunately, it would lose a lot in a recut and you''d end up with a really nice 1/2 carat stone. If the price were low enough it may be worth doing.

 

[virgoruby]

I like the colour, but does it have a bit of orange in it as well (or maybe it''s just my monitor..)?

 

[T L]

I think the color is "meh" and might be too dark IRL. Also never buy a red spinel unless it's a very trusted vendor or you can get a reputable lab memo. They have very deceiving synthetics out there. If you want a good red spinel, it will cost you quite a bit. Most of them are too dark, too orange, or too "garnet" looking or synthetic.

 

[chrono]

Yes, it is too shallow at a 53% depth. It definitely has a large window (half the stone size) that is apparent in the first picture and you can see how flat it is in the second picture. It appears quite extinct (blacks out) in the 3rd picture. In terms of colour, it looks to have an orange modifier.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 5/19/2010 9:33:11 AM
Author: Chrono
Yes, it is too shallow at a 53% depth.

its 58%
ahh sigh..

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/19/2010 4:09:34 PM
Author: haagen_dazs
its 58%
ahh sigh..

Still pretty low.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 5/19/2010 4:10:28 PM
Author: Chrono

Date: 5/19/2010 4:09:34 PM

Author: haagen_dazs

its 58%

ahh sigh..

Still pretty low.

colour is nice though
vendor says no window though hmm

 

[FrekeChild]

I see a window in both of the face on shots. And I agree with Chrono 100%.