Blue spinel thread

[Nick_G]

^Additional to the specimen pictured above: maybe the red fluorescence is due to cobalt rather than chromium. This article says that cobalt also causes red fluorescence in LWUV:

Spinel Color and Magnetism, Blue Spinel and Cobalt Spinel

What is spinel? A look at the causes of color and magnetism in natural spinel, synthetic blue spinel and cobalt spinel.

www.gemstonemagnetism.com

The reddest parts in my LWUV torch do coincide with the best blue colour in the crystals, so it seems like a good possibility.

 

[Mreader]

I remembered I also have a grayish blue (more blue in bright sunlight) spinel in a gem jar that I at one time thought I would make a moi et toi with it's pink twinsie

That would be the perfect moi et toi!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

@cloud_less

I thought it was in stock when I posted it - or maybe I didn't see it was sold

Was 600 GBP.

Yes the need to log in to view prices is annoying, though not as annoying as people asking you to DM them for prices on instagram where you have to enquire after every stone you see that you like, often only to be told it's sold

I refuse to buy anything without listed prices. I wish everyone would do that to end this frustrating practice.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

I refuse to buy anything without listed prices. I wish everyone would do that to end this frustrating practice.

I so agree! Is it that they are embarrassed of their prices? Is it everyone gets a different price? Complete bs.

 

[Autumn in New England]

What a joyful thread and glorious collection of blue spinels, @T L and everyone who shared!!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

I so agree! Is it that they are embarrassed of their prices? Is it everyone gets a different price? Complete bs.

I have no idea but every time I have inquired, the price is waaayyy more than I could ever justify paying and it ends up being a waste of my time to even ask. I have found some awesome stones on Etsy for reasonable prices so I’m sticking to that.

 

[Crimson]

@T L Thank you for starting this thread! I am considering a blue spinel from Tanzania and am grateful for all the photos shared here.
@landscape What a beautiful collection! May I ask if the Tanzania spinels you posted are from Mahenge?
Mahenge Gems has got quite a bit of publicity lately. https://mahenge.com/
Has anyone here viewed their stones?
Thank you!

 

[landscape]

@T L Thank you for starting this thread! I am considering a blue spinel from Tanzania and am grateful for all the photos shared here.
@landscape What a beautiful collection! May I ask if the Tanzania spinels you posted are from Mahenge?
Mahenge Gems has got quite a bit of publicity lately. https://mahenge.com/
Has anyone here viewed their stones?
Thank you!

Yes from Mahenge

 

[icy_jade]

Mahenge Gems has got quite a bit of publicity lately. https://mahenge.com/

Never heard of

 

[Crimson]

Thank you, @landscape and @icy_jade for replying.
I just asked an Instagram vendor, Stella Maris Geme about a Tanzanian blue spinel 2.7 ct. The asking price is about $2000 a carat. Is that a fair/good price, I wonder…

 

[T L]

Thank you, @landscape and @icy_jade for replying.
I just asked an Instagram vendor, Stella Maris Geme about a Tanzanian blue spinel 2.7 ct. The asking price is about $2000 a carat. Is that a fair/good price, I wonder…

If it’s the stone I’m thinking of, then it’s probably fair. That stone lacks any gray, and looks like a Vietnamese cobalt. I would want a lab report though. It does have inclusions and half/half extinction. However it is a rare gem nonetheless.

 

[Crimson]

If it’s the stone I’m thinking of, then it’s probably fair. That stone lacks any gray, and looks like a Vietnamese cobalt. I would want a lab report though. It does have inclusions and half/half extinction. However it is a rare gem nonetheless.

Thank you very much, @T L. I value your assessment and judgment

 

[landscape]

Thank you, @landscape and @icy_jade for replying.
I just asked an Instagram vendor, Stella Maris Geme about a Tanzanian blue spinel 2.7 ct. The asking price is about $2000 a carat. Is that a fair/good price, I wonder…

Depends on color and clarity, has no gray tones and is not very dark, looks clean to the naked eye, The price is OK

 

[Crimson]

Depends on color and clarity, has no gray tones and is not very dark, looks clean to the naked eye, The price is OK

Thank you very much, @landscape for your assessment. I appreciate your help and expertise. You have such a collection lovely colored stones!
@icy_jade thanks for replying. Mahenge Gems is affiliated with Madly, so we can expect to see some Mahenge blue spinels in Singapore.

 

[icy_jade]

I don’t know if the spinel is a good price but for blue spinels but I would ask if you like the spinel characteristics (dispersion) or just the color blue? If the latter, then sapphire is always an option.

Mahenge Gems is affiliated with Madly

Madly is extremely expensive. Their mark up shocking. The Mahenge spinels have been available for some time? I’ve seen it in Sri Lanka sellers, so is not limited to Mahenge Gems.

 

[Crimson]

I don’t know if the spinel is a good price but for blue spinels but I would ask if you like the spinel characteristics (dispersion) or just the color blue? If the latter, then sapphire is always an option.



Madly is extremely expensive. Their mark up shocking. The Mahenge spinels have been available for some time? I’ve seen it in Sri Lanka sellers, so is not limited to Mahenge Gems.

Thank you, @icy_jade yes, I agree Madly is aptly named. Yes, I have seen Sri Lankan and other African vendors with Mahenge blue spinels. Their prices have gone up, too. I do like spinels for their clarity, single refraction and dispersion if well cut. I have to agree with you cornflower blue or velvet sapphire is appealing too!

 

[Nick_G]

A new mineral specimen arrived here recently consisting of chunky dark blue spinel crystals in a marble matrix with a few other accompanying minerals. Pics from the seller, as they are of good quality:








There's a small light brown crystal on the spinels which I'm trying to indentify; my best guess is titanite (sphene). There's also golden brown phlogopite mica, some transparent orange crystals (maybe norbergite), some pyrite, and a tiny gem purplish-pink crystal, which I think is a sapphire, as the shape looks too 'squashed' to be a spinel, and it would explain the different colour too.

The spinel crystals are dark in colour, but show an interesting colour-shifting quality from dark teal blue in daylight to dark blue-violet in the light of a CFL bulb.

This specimen is from the Hunza Valley in Pakistan, probably the Aliabad marbles. Dimensions are 123 x 63 x 50 mm and it weighs 393 grams.

 

[Nosean]

I saw the new cobalt spinel from Mahenge last week in Munichshow. Color and clarity are impressive. The larger ones are really unique and beautiful (was not allowed to make pictures). And really expensive.

But 3500 Euro pct for a 0,51 ct EC…- at the moment too much compared to the much better colored ones from Vietnam. Or fine ones from Sri Lanka (if you find one).

I will wait some month or a year and will see what happens. Now it seems only a small amount of vendors sell them.

 

[Crimson]

I saw the new cobalt spinel from Mahenge last week in Munichshow. Color and clarity are impressive. The larger ones are really unique and beautiful (was not allowed to make pictures). And really expensive.

But 3500 Euro pct for a 0,51 ct EC…- at the moment too much compared to the much better colored ones from Vietnam. Or fine ones from Sri Lanka (if you find one).

I will wait some month or a year and will see what happens. Now it seems only a small amount of vendors sell them.

Thank you, @Nosean That is very helpful! I bought a Mahenge blue 2.7 ct online — it was darker than I expected. Sharing some photos here. What do you think? It looks nice in some conditions and not so great in others. Has some shifting - between blue and indigo and doesn’t perform well in cloudy conditions (Second pic).

 

[Nosean]

@Crimson
I could not compare my Sri Lanka and Vietnam cobalt spinel with the new material. If I will buy one I will check them in different light condition. Many cobalts and blue spinel look great with LED light.

This makes it difficult to buy them online.

As long as you love you stone everything is fine. Difficult to judge from your pics.

 

[wordie89]

what fun looking at your blue spinels! Mine is velvet blue so eye catching in some light and flat in others. It was cut by Roger Dery. 1.66 cts cushion cut. Cant tell from this pic but sits high on hand (so they could fit on this ring.

 

[alene]

Love seeing all the blue spinels. Adding my teal one from Fine Water Gems

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hey @T L, I need to pick your brain, if you don't mind. So I've been interested in buying a blue spinel for a while. Obviously, I have no shot of finding a Luc Yen vivid cobalt in a desirable size, cut, and clarity. It's not even a possibility. So what I'm shooting for is simply a high quality blue with as little gray as possible. I don't mind a hint of violet. I have located a 5ct. stone which *appears* to have just about zero gray (and there is a slight violet modifier, but it's not a color change). Naturally, since it's not the neon variety, it has a higher level of iron, and this makes the stone dark. It's not overly dark, but it's definitely in the 6 to 7 tone range. It's cut well, eye clean, and the price is around $1k/ct. The vendor is very reputable with a generous return policy. My question is this... is it worth it to buy this type of blue spinel? Aside from the fabulous medium tone of the neon material, the lighter tones seem to invite more gray. This stone looks like a deep royal blue sapphire. I'd love your input when you have a minute (and anyone else's). I don't want to post a pic just yet. TIA!

 

[T L]

Hey @T L, I need to pick your brain, if you don't mind. So I've been interested in buying a blue spinel for a while. Obviously, I have no shot of finding a Luc Yen vivid cobalt in a desirable size, cut, and clarity. It's not even a possibility. So what I'm shooting for is simply a high quality blue with as little gray as possible. I don't mind a hint of violet. I have located a 5ct. stone which *appears* to have just about zero gray (and there is a slight violet modifier, but it's not a color change). Naturally, since it's not the neon variety, it has a higher level of iron, and this makes the stone dark. It's not overly dark, but it's definitely in the 6 to 7 tone range. It's cut well, eye clean, and the price is around $1k/ct. The vendor is very reputable with a generous return policy. My question is this... is it worth it to buy this type of blue spinel? Aside from the fabulous medium tone of the neon material, the lighter tones seem to invite more gray. This stone looks like a deep royal blue sapphire. I'd love your input when you have a minute (and anyone else's). I don't want to post a pic just yet. TIA!

Did you see it in various light sources? Does it have a lab report?

 

[Autumn in New England]

Did you see it in various light sources? Does it have a lab report?

I have seen photos of it under natural daylight and incandescent, and a video under daylight (not direct sun). Typically, I only evaluate my gem colors under midday natural, diffused lighting (or around 5,000 to 5,500K). But I asked to see it under incandescent because I wanted to know if it shifted, which I'd like to avoid. It does not have a lab report. But any time I purchase a gem, there must be a stipulation that it's going to the AGL for confirmation (in this case I'll be looking for natural and untreated, of course, and cobalt bearing). But if I receive the gem and it has gray or is too dark, it's going back immediately. That all being said, how do you feel about these deep blue sapphire looking spinels? I noticed you tend to prefer the lighter tones, which are lovely in their own right. But I'm hoping for a full-bodied stone.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

My little bluish-lavender spinel would like to join the party. It looks more purple in bright light and more blue in lower light. Now that it’s set I see very little grey. I love it and it was a bargain. It’s from Sri Lanka I think.

 

[Autumn in New England]

That is a winner, @CaseyLouLou!! Beautiful color and well-cut too.

 

[T L]

I have seen photos of it under natural daylight and incandescent, and a video under daylight (not direct sun). Typically, I only evaluate my gem colors under midday natural, diffused lighting (or around 5,000 to 5,500K). But I asked to see it under incandescent because I wanted to know if it shifted, which I'd like to avoid. It does not have a lab report. But any time I purchase a gem, there must be a stipulation that it's going to the AGL for confirmation (in this case I'll be looking for natural and untreated, of course, and cobalt bearing). But if I receive the gem and it has gray or is too dark, it's going back immediately. That all being said, how do you feel about these deep blue sapphire looking spinels? I noticed you tend to prefer the lighter tones, which are lovely in their own right. But I'm hoping for a full-bodied stone.

Almost all the blue spinels I’ve seen have a color shift unless they’re the fine cobalt bearing one. They either shift from blue to violet or blue to more blue grey or violet grey. Be very very careful of synthetics. They’re synthesizing grey blues and greys these days.

Yes, you’re correct that I prefer medium to lighter tones. However that goes for most gems for me, I also prefer periwinkle or violet blues vs straight blues, but these preferences are highly subjective.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Almost all the blue spinels I’ve seen have a color shift unless they’re the fine cobalt bearing one. They either shift from blue to violet or blue to more blue grey or violet grey. Be very very careful of synthetics. They’re synthesizing grey blues and greys these days.

Yes, you’re correct that I prefer medium to lighter tones. However that goes for most gems for me, I also prefer periwinkle or violet blues vs straight blues, but these preferences are highly subjective.

Ok, I think I'm going to get it home and see what I make of the color and tone. If it passes that test, I'll send it off for certification. I believe all blue spinels contain cobalt, but the iron has to be below a certain amount for it to be certified as an actual "cobalt spinel." And that increases the value exponentially. I'm not sure in which category this spinel would fall... the price is rather low in comparison. I'd only know once the AGL had their say. But, again, I'm not talking the vivid cobalts (I wish). I'm talking the moodier stones. In any event, many thanks for your input! I'll report back if you're interested to see how it turns out.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

Almost all the blue spinels I’ve seen have a color shift unless they’re the fine cobalt bearing one. They either shift from blue to violet or blue to more blue grey or violet grey. Be very very careful of synthetics. They’re synthesizing grey blues and greys these days.

Yes, you’re correct that I prefer medium to lighter tones. However that goes for most gems for me, I also prefer periwinkle or violet blues vs straight blues, but these preferences are highly subjective.

I hope mine isn’t fake! It’s small and native cut. I can’t imagine why they would bother. I should check for inclusions but I think it’s pretty clean.