Is anyone looking for a nice blue spinel?

[Arkteia]

It is strongly saturated, and is very nicely cut. It does look slightly greenish-blue, but it may be just my perception. A saturated blue spinel of such size is hard to find, (possibly, even harder than a red one), so it is an excellent purchase! Also, it seems that Jeff's picture was true to life. The price, of course, is unbeatable, and it is a major plus. All in all, Jeff seems to be a reliable vendor and this is what matters most. So nice of Uppy to alert us all of a good spinel being sold on ebay! (And hopefully, Jeff's prices will stay the same after our compliments, unlike what happened to another trusted vendor... )
cm366, please, more pictures!

 

[cm366]

More pictures, coming right up

First another shady shot, then out into the sun!

 

[cm366]

A few more sunny shots....

I'm very inclined to believe this is natural given its' tone, but will check its' RI later this weekend... any suggestions for further exams, besides sending it to a lab, of course?

Cheers!

 

[Arkteia]

In the last couple of shots the stone looks best!

I can not give advises on the tests, I would send to AGL because they are still the best...

 

[chrono]

It doesn't seem to like the sun? The stone looks blacked out.

 

[cm366]

Hey Chrono!

It's tough to get a representative shot, the stone seems really... moody? The darker shots were taken with morning sunlight (maybe the angle of the light makes a difference?), the lighter ones where it has more blue glow are closer to mid-day. There was about the same level of light present both times, but it definitely perked up in the last two shots when the sun was overhead. The darker shots are pretty representative of how it looks under CFLs, the shade for fluorescents, haven't tried a good old-fashioned incandescent yet.

Anyone with more blue spinel experience want to chime in? How common is this behaviour? I've only seen it in reds before, but this is my first blue...

 

[FrekeChild]

Go take a picture of it under a shady tree in full sunlight. That should help some.

I love to take pictures at my dad's house, under his semi-opaque skylights. It diffuses the light perfectly. A few of the best shots of my stones that I've gotten have been on a shaded patio under a cloudless hot summer day.

Another hint is to take a picture with the sun coming up (you want it BRIGHT) cup your hand between the sun and the stone, and take some pics.

So the layout is like this: Sun, cupped hand, couple inches, stone, camera.

I'll attach a picture of some of my favorite stones, taken on that shaded patio on a hot summer day, and under the direct sunlight (which makes almost all stones "black out", these tend to be some of my lighter stones, so they didn't exactly "black out" but you can still see the difference).

 

[cm366]

Hi Freke,

Okay, great, thanks! I've been playing around a bit and the best shots definitely came 'halfway there', with plenty of sunlight and some shade - I'll try the cupped hand technique tomorrow! I notice your stones have a great tray background there - do you recommend hand shots or pictures with more of a 'traditional' white or black background?

Thanks again!

 

[Arkteia]

One advice that I have been given several times here, and deem worthy. If you plan to keep the stone in your collection, it is one thing. If you plan to set it, your stone may darken in a setting. To see how a certain stone would perform in a setting, I was advised to take a piece of foil and wrap it around the stone (leaving the pavilion open if the setting is going to be prongs, or open bezel, or cover the pavilion, if you want a full bezel). I think it is a good way to check if you will like the stone when it is set.

 

[cm366]

Hi Arkteia,

Think that's excellent advice, thanks! Maybe I'll try to take some photos that way, too....

 

[chrono]

Hey Chrono!

It's tough to get a representative shot, the stone seems really... moody? The darker shots were taken with morning sunlight (maybe the angle of the light makes a difference?), the lighter ones where it has more blue glow are closer to mid-day. There was about the same level of light present both times, but it definitely perked up in the last two shots when the sun was overhead. The darker shots are pretty representative of how it looks under CFLs, the shade for fluorescents, haven't tried a good old-fashioned incandescent yet.

Anyone with more blue spinel experience want to chime in? How common is this behaviour? I've only seen it in reds before, but this is my first blue...

I am sorry to say I am concerned about how it looks if it blacks out under fluorescents. This is the gemstone test for me. A good quality gemstone may shift but should still remain attractive and the colour should still show through. This behaviour is common in most blue and red spinels but not exhibited by good quality blue and red spinels. A stone should be evaluated under various lighting condition. If it looks great under all lighting, it is a keeper. The stone has to perform for you unassisted. You should not have to work hard to help it look beautiful or only wear it in the shade to see its pretty side or cup your hand around it all the time. If you can accept the fact that it blacks out indoors or certain outdoor conditions, that is your choice. It would not be mine. Sorry if that comes across as harsh.

 

[chrono]

Hi Freke,

Okay, great, thanks! I've been playing around a bit and the best shots definitely came 'halfway there', with plenty of sunlight and some shade - I'll try the cupped hand technique tomorrow! I notice your stones have a great tray background there - do you recommend hand shots or pictures with more of a 'traditional' white or black background?

Thanks again!

Hand shots in general provide very accurate pictures in terms of colour. It is also trickier for vendors to manipulate hand shots of gems. Not impossible but requires more skill. A traditional white background also shows a truer colour of the gem. Black backgrounds are usually used to amp up the perceived saturation of gemstones and this is what I look out for when evaluating a vendor's photography and gemstone.

 

[cm366]

Hey gang,

Sorry to slow things down, but it's going to be a busy week - more pics this weekend.

Chrono, I understand what you're saying and I'd agree - I much prefer stones that tend to hold their colour in different lighting, with the exception of the odd colour-changer that's just plain cool! I'd thought, though, that some types of stone (red garnets as perhaps the classic example) just didn't hold their colour - that they tended to 'black out' in low light and that this was partly responsible for their generally lower cost (the other part being that they're relatively common).

I'd grouped blue spinels into that category, with the exception perhaps of the one in a million stone sold for megabucks, partly by looking at a few friends' admittedly poor examples, partly by looking at, for example, DB listings where non-professional photographers seem to consistently produce blacked-out images. It's actually why I hadn't gone after one to this point - didn't see the purpose in spending $1k plus on a stone that acted like almandine garnet indoors, regardless of its' virtues in 'just the right light'. I'm a big fan of garnets, especially spessartite and tsavorite, with which I haven't really experienced this problem!

I'd have to describe this stone as better than I'd expected, but not, certainly, as fine as the ruby Uppy just posted, or, say, some of TL's rings - it's very clear, well cut and has nice colour (not world-beating colour, but nice colour) which shows more in better light. I'd have to agree that the colour blacks out quite a bit indoors, although not nearly as much as a cheapo red garnet, and will try to show that with a few more pics

Any opinions on my assumption? Do blue spinels typically exhibit more colour change and blackout than, say, tsavs? I'll try to get some pics with comparison stones....

I have to note that the vendor has been in contact with me throughout the process and has been very helpful - he's not my source for any info presented here, only my own assumptions, and he's repeatedly suggested that if I'm unhappy with the stone I should consult his return policy, which accepts returns 'no questions asked' with no fees or conditions. He's described the conditions under which he takes photos and seems quite happy to discuss and support his product - can't ask fairer than that!


Sorry for the essay, seemed like the best way to get a comprehensive response out!

 

[chrono]

In general, the finer quality gems will hold their colour better. Their colour shift under various lighting will be less noticeable and the shift itself is not an unattractive colour. I concur that some gem species have a stronger tendency to shift to something unattractive more than other gem species. I do not recall seeing garnets black out although they sometimes shift indoors to something with a modifier that I find unappealing (brownish in spessartites and yellowish in tsavorites - I don't mind a yellowish shift in spessartities and bluish shift in tsavorites).

There are some blue spinels that do not black out indoors yet not cost megabucks and I am sure we are all looking for the same thing. Perhaps those spinels on DB are up for sale for precisely the reason that they don't like blacked out stones? Who knows? I am only speculating. It is going to be a difficult call on this stone. Price is reasonable for a blue spinel that performs very well in the shade outdoors. If you wait out though, there is no guarantee of finding a better one either. I have had the good fortune of getting one not too long ago and I've also seen some PSers snag good blue spinels from time to time at reasonable prices. I can deal with a blue spinel that grays out indoors but not become extinct under the sun and fluorescent lighting.

It is good to know that the vendor is being fair, helpful and generous. It must be very uncomfortable to be discussed publicly and I am sorry for that.

 

[Arkteia]

You know, at the end of the day, you will be left with your stone. So I advise you to look at it in different lights, and especially, the light under which you will look at it most often (your office, outside, strong lamps... wherever you spend most of your day). Look at it in different lights and ask yourself, will you enjoy looking at it every day, day by day? Will you say to yourself, good thing that I bought it, I like it, or will you say, why on earth did I buy it? Rarity of blue spinels aside. And price aside. Just look at it and think, if it is going to be my stone, will I love it? Forget about the rarity of blue spinels. If you like this stone, go ahead, the price is good. If you do not like it, it will be collecting dust in your box and will be a poor investment.

It seems that the vendor is very flexible and his return policy is excellent, good for him and for you! It means that perhaps you have a little bit more time to think of it.