Help with spinel prices

[pinkdreamer]

Hi everyone!
I have been looking at spinels at various online retailers, and am finding enormous price differences, even among the same site... I am very confused!! I have learned a lot from this site, but nothing seems to explain the differene to me!

For example, the first spinel down below is priced at $425, is slightly included, from Burma, and is 9.8x8.2x5.3mm.
The second is priced at $3,400, is eye clean, from Vietnam and 10.7x8.1x5.4mm.

Why the big difference? Is it because of the clarity? The origin? The cut? I have chosen two that are similar in color, but there are many examples of the same thing.
You can see them here: first and here: second for more information.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[pinkdreamer]

the second one (since I still can''t figure out how to post two pictures!!)

 

[Dogmom]

AJS has some pages on their website giving information as to what makes one stone better than another. It is my understanding that color and cut are the two most important aspects in choosing a colored gemstone. The second stone you posted is most likely a more desirable color than the first, hence the difference in the price. Or it may simply be my opinion as I think it is prettier!

 

[innerkitten]

All I know is spinel is getting more and more expensive very quickly. I used to look at gemwow.com to see the latest spinels in the burma galleries and they were pretty inexpensive ( the cuts aren''t very good) but recently the prices have gone way up on that site.
Gemcal specializes in spinel too but they don''t have much on the web site. A few of us here saw the inventory they have though and it''s pretty big. The super bright pinks are the best, the Burmese ones are really sought after, stay away from the pinks with brown in them and look for nice clarity.

I have a ring with a 6mm stone and the stone was kind of pricey for the size although it''s well cut and sparkly. Then I have a few not perfecly cut stones that I got when I first joined pricescope and they are very pretty colors and were pretty cheap.

 

[widget]

I know...the pricing of spinels is tricky...I''ve been watching them for a while.

I think on a site like AJSgems, you have to trust the pricing and descriptions more than the pictures. I''m sure that a 3+carat spinel going for $130/carat has lots of issues: cut, clarity, and probably color (lots of brown, maybe?). I think it''s pretty fair to assume that the $3400 stone is vastly superior!

Actually, in my (very amateur) opinion, $1000/ct for a high quality 3+ct spinel is reasonable.

It''s my understanding that ruby-red ones command the highest prices. Check out Cherrypicked. They''ve got one for sale for $5000/ct!!!!

widget

 

[pinkdreamer]

Thanks guys! I am actually looking for a really light pink spinel, so that may help keep the price lower. That just seemed like a drastic difference to me!

 

[strmrdr]

http://diamondexpert.com/diamonds/dbs.cgi?sf=catg.setup.cgi&submit_search=1&name=Spinel
better pictures here, check out how much a slight color difference makes on price.
If it was me I'd buy from Garry, he can get pretty much anything your looking for.

 

[pinkdreamer]

Thanks! Most of those are again significantly cheaper than the second one I posted. So strange. I understand what you guys are saying about the color... for me I think the cut is most important. I really want a Richard Homer cut stone, I was just trying to get a general idea of cost so I can start saving my pennies!

 

[strmrdr]

even with RH you pay more for better color.
bottom line with colored stones is that color is the biggest price influence, size being second and clarity and cut last.

 

[pinkdreamer]

Thanks strm, I can definitely see the price difference with color, which means I''m in luck! Maybe a Homer will be more possible since I prefer the lighter (and therefore less "desireable"!) colors!

 

[chrono]

I see quite a big difference between the 2 stones posted;
1. Stone 1 is not well cut: a lot of extinction can be seen
2. Stone 1 is noticeably lighter in colour & saturation. It could also have some undesireable undertones.
3. Stone 1 isn''t eye clean. Maybe the inclusion is quite obvious. It says lightly included.

That said, Stone 2 looks like a much better stone and is priced more in line with what I would expect. I too was shopping for pink spinels recently. The price takes huge jumps at the 2ct and 3 carat marks. Even though you like light pinks, you want to go for decent saturation. Richard Homer is a great cutter and charges appropriately, so it still won''t be cheap project.

 

[pinkdreamer]

Thanks Chrono! I am not expecting it to be a cheap project, I''m just trying to get a rough estimate on prices. By the way, I can''t wait to see your finished spinel asscher!

 

[chrono]

My research on pink spinel prices for my project yeilded this information:
Depending on the shade of pink, saturation and clarity, a decent 3 carat stone will run anywhere from $3k up to $5k, sometimes more for the hot pinks.

 

[pinkdreamer]

You can practically get a sapphire for that price! Spinels really are skyrocketing quickly aren''t they. Thanks again for the information!

 

[chrono]

Yeah, but I think sapphires or even rubies are still much more expensive when you compare apples for apples:
1. Carat size
2. Colour
3. Treatment (or non-treatment)

I still love spinels no matter what. To me they aren''t sapphire/ruby substitutes. There''s just something about a beautiful spinel that captures my eyes.

 

[pinkdreamer]

I agree, the color options in spinels are much more interesting to me than sapphires! Though, of course, I wouldn''t turn away a nice sap either

 

[innerkitten]

This is one of my pink spinels. The 6 mm one I had cut not to long ago. It''s in a ring now. It is true that I probably could have gotten a medium tone sapphire for the price. Oh well. I like this one. It has a bit of purple in it and in some light it does a bit of a color shift and has a bit of peach.

 

[innerkitten]

I have a better pic somewhere but this will do.

 

[pinkdreamer]

It''s beautiful! Do you have a picture of the ring??

 

[chrono]

Innerkitten,
That's really beautiful.

Who did you get it from? Not only is the colour scrumptious, the cutting really brings out the brilliance of the stone.

ETA
What made you go with a YG setting? Do you think a rose gold or white gold will look nice with a pink spinel?

 

[pinkdreamer]

That ring is gorgeous! We must have posted at the same time, sorry!

 

[innerkitten]

Thanks. I need to get a better photo of the stone in the ring when it''s in full sparkle and brightness. Michael E. cut it for me. I actually had bought the setting on Ebay for $40 dollars! I sent it to him to have one cut to fit the setting. the settings old and it''s 14k and palladium.
Yes I think any color would work. I''m just going through a yellow gold phase at the moment. I''ve noticed on nfacets they have pink sapphire bands done in rose gold and it looks really nice.

 

[pinkdreamer]

Someone posted a rose gold setting with pink stones a few days ago... it was really pretty. I''ll see if I can dig it up.