help me understand my spinel..

[MrsCornishWed]

My first cs purchase is a sweet little blue spinel i found on Loupetroop.. first impressions are that I really like it, I've been hopping in and out the garden to get it under different light.

Roll up, probably the worst hand shots pricescope ever did see.. taken on my phone ..

I overall like the colour, and in darker, shaded or indoors the blue really shows, it has typical spinel grey-ness too.. when outside I noticed something that I'm not sure exactly what it is, is it a tilt window? If so.. am I right in thinking it is huge! I had planned to pop it in a delicate halo setting but I'm not sure if it would suit? (Alternatively I might pop it in a necklace and continue a search for my sapphire)

 

[chrono]

Yes, it is a tilt window in the last picture. The colour looks good for a blue spinel and seems to match the blue stones in your band.

 

[MrsCornishWed]

I am amazed how well it sits colour wise with the tanzanite in my band actually, it was the first thing I thought.

Chrono in your opinion would a halo setting help the window?

It's pretty big..

 

[chrono]

It is pretty big but your hand is also tilted a lot to the side. How often do you turn your hand that much to look at the spinel? Yes, a halo setting will help it somewhat.

 

[T L]

Most colored gems will have a significant tilt window. They cannot be compared to diamonds, with their very high RI, which usually have very minimal tilt windows in traditional cuts.

Even the sapphires in your band, in that photo, are exhibiting tilt windows, but the stones are probably too small to notice them.

 

[MrsCornishWed]

TL they are tanzanite, and I've notice the windows on them too. . But they are little as you say!


Can I ask then, how are do you determine acceptable windowing? Is it down to personal preference? I wouldn't compare against diamonds.... as I say I really like the stone, but worried about setting it and then finding this bothering me too much..

 

[chrono]

The level of tilt window is up to your personal tolerance level. All coloured stones have it to varying degrees depending on its refractive index, how far you tilt the stone (the more you tilt, the bigger it looks) and the cut.

 

[FrekeChild]

All gemstones have tilt windows, even diamonds. Some are just less noticeable than others. If you want a stone without a tilt window, you're going to be hard pressed to find one.