Gave into temptation, bought a Spinel

[MakingTheGrade]

Weblorn just accepted my offer on this Spinel, so yay, bought my first spinel! Can't wait to see her! After seeing and hearing about all the lovely spinels, I wanted one for my own, and this seemed like a great budget buy to get my feet wet in the world of spinels. Wahoo! Spinel!

And I like the lavender color, seems pretty

 

[D&T]

MTG- you''re killing me

.. all your fun projects... I"m excited to see IRL

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 5/29/2009 6:44:13 PM
Author: D&T
MTG- you're killing me

.. all your fun projects... I'm excited to see IRL

Haha, I know, I have an addiction. But in my defense, it was 60$, so I figure I'll just make my lunch for a few weeks and it'll even out

Weblorn has a lot of gems that are "make an offer" right now, might be worth checking out if you're looking for a modest budget, fun project.

 

[stepcutnut]

Congrats! Can''t wait for pics

 

[D&T]

Date: 5/29/2009 6:47:27 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade

Date: 5/29/2009 6:44:13 PM
Author: D&T
MTG- you''re killing me

.. all your fun projects... I''m excited to see IRL

Haha, I know, I have an addiction. But in my defense, it was 60$, so I figure I''ll just make my lunch for a few weeks and it''ll even out

Weblorn has a lot of gems that are ''make an offer'' right now, might be worth checking out if you''re looking for a modest budget, fun project.

I''m eyeing a couple of gems right now from another seller... I"m hoping I can get a good deal unless I get out bid by my fellow pricescroper

I"ll check in next week though, if I don''t get it

 

[MakingTheGrade]

OOooo...what kind of stones are you looking at D&T?

 

[cushioncutnut]

I can''t wait to see what it looks like IRL! Welcome to the world of spinels!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 5/29/2009 7:04:31 PM
Author: cushioncutnut
I can't wait to see what it looks like IRL! Welcome to the world of spinels!

Thanks! I'm very excited to see it!!

I was also wondering, why does half of an oval light up but not the other? I"ve seen it happen in a few stones now, and was wondering if that's a property of the shape in general? Is it the norm for ovals to do this?

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 5/29/2009 7:05:54 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade

Date: 5/29/2009 7:04:31 PM
Author: cushioncutnut
I can''t wait to see what it looks like IRL! Welcome to the world of spinels!

Thanks! I''m very excited to see it!!

I was also wondering, why does half of an oval light up but not the other? I''ve seen it happen in a few stones now, and was wondering if that''s a property of the shape in general? Is it the norm for ovals to do this?

Yeah I think it''s pretty normal for ovals to do that, and really the only ovals that don''t seem to have the problems of other ovals are supernovas. I believe it''s a form of extinction. It''s one reason I decided against an oval ering. I couldn''t stand that effect. (Although when I had the Dan Stair oval spinel, the sun was setting and I had my laptop on, and the natural light hit one side of the oval, making it blue, while the laptop screen''s light hit the other side, making it purple. It was a really awesome effect. Still returned the stone though.)

 

[AmberGretchen]

That looks beautiful - the light lavender is so pretty

 

[Stone Hunter]

Oh I hope you love it when you get it!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 5/29/2009 11:20:37 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
Oh I hope you love it when you get it!!

Me too! I hope we get to see pics of your spinel soon! Here''s hoping the sun comes out for you tomorrow.

 

[chrono]

Sounds like extinction when 1/2 the stone turns dark. This not only happens to some ovals but rectangular stones as well. I''ve seen it mostly in light coloured tourmalines. Something like this would bother me to no end. Freke is correct that you won''t get this with the supernova cuts.

 

[icekid]

Date: 5/30/2009 2:14:57 PM
Author: Chrono
Sounds like extinction when 1/2 the stone turns dark. This not only happens to some ovals but rectangular stones as well. I''ve seen it mostly in light coloured tourmalines. Something like this would bother me to no end. Freke is correct that you won''t get this with the supernova cuts.

Agree- I would not be able to tolerate this much extinction. Hope your spinel does not have it in person, MTG. The color is pretty!

 

[T L]

What are the specs on it?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 5/30/2009 7:43:17 PM
Author: icekid

Date: 5/30/2009 2:14:57 PM

Author: Chrono

Sounds like extinction when 1/2 the stone turns dark. This not only happens to some ovals but rectangular stones as well. I've seen it mostly in light coloured tourmalines. Something like this would bother me to no end. Freke is correct that you won't get this with the supernova cuts.

Agree- I would not be able to tolerate this much extinction. Hope your spinel does not have it in person, MTG. The color is pretty!

Thanks!
It's odd because I've seen this half-n-half effect in photos of stones from very experienced, and well respected cutters, like Dan and Richard Homer. You'd think if it was so off putting, they'd all cut supernovas? I would wonder if it's an effect of photography, but that wouldn't make much sense eh?

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/30/2009 8:16:09 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade

Thanks!
It''s odd because I''ve seen this half-n-half effect in photos of stones from very experienced, and well respected cutters, like Dan and Richard Homer. You''d think if it was so off putting, they''d all cut supernovas? I would wonder if it''s an effect of photography, but that wouldn''t make much sense eh?

MTG,
I have no idea. Only my old Dan stones show this half and half extinction; I bought them during my learning years. My Jeff White and Richard Homer gemstones do not show this. Oddly enough, my native cut stones do not exhibit this quality.

 

[cinnamon013]

Date: 5/30/2009 11:17:29 PM
Author: Chrono

Date: 5/30/2009 8:16:09 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade

Thanks!
It''s odd because I''ve seen this half-n-half effect in photos of stones from very experienced, and well respected cutters, like Dan and Richard Homer. You''d think if it was so off putting, they''d all cut supernovas? I would wonder if it''s an effect of photography, but that wouldn''t make much sense eh?

MTG,
I have no idea. Only my old Dan stones show this half and half extinction; I bought them during my learning years. My Jeff White and Richard Homer gemstones do not show this. Oddly enough, my native cut stones do not exhibit this quality.

My Jeff White spess has half and half extinction - that is the reason I''ll never set it

 

[T L]

Date: 5/30/2009 11:21:17 PM
Author: cinnamon013
My Jeff White spess has half and half extinction - that is the reason I''ll never set it

I have a JW tourmaline that does the same thing.

 

[chrono]

Hmm...Per Michael, only stones with low RI like tourmalines show this 1/2 and 1/2 extinction. For a garnet to show this quality is puzzling.

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/30/2009 11:21:17 PM
Author: cinnamon013
My Jeff White spess has half and half extinction - that is the reason I''ll never set it

Cinnamon,
Have you ever posted pictures of it? Did you ask Jeff about the extinction? I''d love to see pictures of it, if you don''t mind.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Heh...correction, I gave in and bought 2 spinels...

 

[icekid]

Date: 5/31/2009 5:13:40 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade
Heh...correction, I gave in and bought 2 spinels...

In this case, two is definitely better than one

Ladies, maybe we can start a new thread about extinction? I would love to see the JW stones. Always learning!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 5/30/2009 11:29:40 PM
Author: Chrono
Hmm...Per Michael, only stones with low RI like tourmalines show this 1/2 and 1/2 extinction. For a garnet to show this quality is puzzling.

I thought spinel had a high RI as well?

 

[icekid]

Date: 5/31/2009 6:46:13 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade

Date: 5/30/2009 11:29:40 PM

Author: Chrono

Hmm...Per Michael, only stones with low RI like tourmalines show this 1/2 and 1/2 extinction. For a garnet to show this quality is puzzling.

I thought spinel had a high RI as well?

True! So it does not make much sense for spinel either. Did you get it yet, MTG?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Not yet, it shipped from CA on Saturday. I''ll be sure to post pics when I get it next week though

 

[icekid]

Date: 5/31/2009 7:55:30 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade
Not yet, it shipped from CA on Saturday. I''ll be sure to post pics when I get it next week though

I will be waiting

hey MTG, who set your pad in the lotus setting for you? (Sally has said that she does not need to have my spess to make the setting yay

)

 

[LtlFirecracker]

It looks like a pretty color, I hope you get it soon, I would love to see pics.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 5/31/2009 8:11:47 PM
Author: icekid

hey MTG, who set your pad in the lotus setting for you? (Sally has said that she does not need to have my spess to make the setting yay

)

Just a local jeweler, it was 30$ and done in an hour. I just went down to the Philly jewelry district and poked my head into a store that said "repairs", lol.

I''m glad Sally is making the setting san stone. What setting did you go with?

 

[chrono]

Wow, that''s so quick and inexpensive to set. Maybe I need to find a new jeweller?