help choosing a silky or "sleepy" spinel.

[NKOTB]

Hooray! Hope she screams at you in person (in a good way)!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[chrono]

I wonder if this one is slightly sleepy in person or whether it is just the photography that shows blurry / hazy pavilion facets. The colour is certainly eye popping and one look at it will tell the viewer that it is most likely to be a Mahenge spinel.

 

[laurakayp]

Chrono, it was love at first sight. I didn't second guess it and I'm very confident it will be just as beautiful in person. The vendor also has videos of the stones. It actually is a sleepy mahenge. I'm tickled pink about the stone an cant wait to post photos for everyone to see!

 

[laurakayp]

Here it is!

Pictures are taken with my iPhone on a cloudy, winter day. I don't have a real camera yet either.

There's some extinction in areas but, overall it's a pretty neat stone. I would love everyone's thoughts on it!

 

[chrono]

Goodness, it looks really good. Are your pictures accurate? If so, I'd say the spinel is bright, the silk isn't overpowering and it seems to hold its colour reasonable well.

 

[NKOTB]

Agreed! That looks like a beauty! What do you think? What was your first thought when you saw it in person? Are you happy with it?

 

[minousbijoux]

I concur - it looks really beautiful. You chose well, but it doesn't look at all sleepy in the pics.

 

[FrekeChild]

Ooooo!!!!! It looks really great! What do you think?

 

[laurakayp]

The photos are actually almost spot on with color. i took them in some different lighting situations but, have yet to experience direct sunlight (can't wait to see if it has fluorescence). at first i was a little underwhelmed with the size but there's no way I can afford a big honking 3ct. it's right at 1.70ct. I'm the type of person that everything has to grow on me. I need to get to know it and then the love affair will start. I'm still slightly ocd with the extinction but i will accept it. The color of the stone makes up for anything that i'm obsessing over. I was bummed at first because my mother made a comment how she likes my other spinel better. she said "it looks like a pink diamond and the mahenge looks fake". I'm not trying to pass anything off as a diamond I wanted a spinel and had to remember that. the mahenge spinel and spinel in general is a quirky cult stone. No one other than gem fanatics will understand it and it's neat history and thats all that matters. All in all.... I LOVE IT!

sorry about the rant.

here's the beauty and the cutie

 

[kgizo]

I can see why you love it. That's the type of color you notice from far away. Enjoy! Sorry if I missed it, but did you say who the vendor is?

 

[chrono]

I do not see extinction in your spinel. Areas that are a darker pink, yes, but not extinction which is defined by areas where there is darkness (black where there is no other colour). If anything, the silk should diffuse light well to the point where it has little to no extinction.

 

[K9]

WOW. That is amazing. Nice work!

 

[laurakayp]

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely obsessed with it Now it's time to start a setting project!

@kgizo It's from Jeff Davies on ebay. I believe his store is Fine Gemstones and Jewelry