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Let's play a game... rainbow gems.

ItsMainelyYou said:
Was this the one we saw pictures of?
She's a nice dark blue.
Send her back, purely because they're asking a king's ransom. If it was 800 for the stone, sure, but not 800/ct. I'm sure they're marketing it as cobalt. It's a personal pet peeve, but normal for retail. It's why I haven't bought a spinel retail in forever. Everything is either Jedi, Mahenge or has cobalt! now- the trouble is many of them aren't near the color that command those prices, while charging for it anyway. I'm probably being stubborn to the fact that they will very quickly lose the advantage of any appreciable affordability.
Boo hiss!
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Hehe my husband routinely makes fun of my Spring Jade bangle (I love that thing!).

According to him: So one day the jade sellers had a bunch of half purple/half green bangles they couldn't flog and decided to market them as "Spring" and now decades later you're on a frenzy looking for a bangle that couldn't be purple or green in its own right.

I think the key is that it must be beautiful to you @Crimson. It's way too dark for my tastes, especially at that price!

The whole concept of marketing reminds me a bit of Muna Jade. Sometimes it looks kinda like food that is in the early stages of developing mouldy spots but they want the earth for it because it's Muna.
 
Mrs_Strizzle said:
@Crimson , @Autumn in New England does make a very fair point. I probably shouldn't have stated "grossly over paid" when comparing your stone to mine. Mine is Sri Lankan not from the new find, and was purchased in Sept 2019 (I had to review my image gallery where I save them to see how long I've owned it.) I haven't shopped the new find and had no idea what prices are for those stones. I guess I was just strictly going off your images taken, not the ones you posted out doors which seems to be a completely different color! Mine shifts from royal blue to greenish blue, but always dark no matter the lighting (lots of half extinction that is ok with me for this one). It was purchased from a PS recommended gemstone cutter and not a private party, however. (Which really is how I like to buy...below retail!)
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I don't blame you at all for thinking it's overpriced. I understand your logic, and it's certainly valid!
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@ChaiK also makes a good point. This has always been a dilemma for me with blue spinel, and why I don't own it as a "main" stone (I have some Luc Yen melee). With the exception of the teeny, very limited, highly included, almost always wonky-cut, astronomically priced, neon blue spinel material from Vietnam, the color of fine blue sapphire tends to be superior, oftentimes vastly. So I have always felt that if you're paying collector prices for blue spinel, it's for the rarity (especially if cobalt-bearing) and perhaps because you're a true spinel lover. But if you're looking for the best possible blue in a substantial sized stone, you're probably going to want to go with a sapphire. That being said, the scarcity and collectability of fine blue spinel is very appealing... and the stone is beautiful in its own right. :)
 
Autumn in New England said:
@ChaiK also makes a good point. This has always been a dilemma for me with blue spinel, and why I don't own it as a "main" stone (I have some Luc Yen melee). With the exception of the teeny, very limited, highly included, almost always wonky-cut, astronomically priced, neon blue spinel material from Vietnam, the color of fine blue sapphire tends to be superior, oftentimes vastly. So I have always felt that if you're paying collector prices for blue spinel, it's for the rarity (especially if cobalt-bearing) and perhaps because you're a true spinel lover. But if you're looking for the best possible blue in a substantial sized stone, you're probably going to want to go with a sapphire. That being said, the scarcity and collectability of fine blue spinel is very appealing... and the stone is beautiful in its own right. :)
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It may sound weird, I might likely have a vivid blue zircon as a main stone for blue. But obviously, true neon cobalt blue spinel colour can’t be beat; I just prefer the way zircon interact with light more than blue sapphire. And it’s still affordable even for top cut and bigger size^^
 
Mrs_Strizzle said:
@Double E Blue zircon is beautiful, just pretty soft and you have to be careful. I would love to see any royal blue zircon. Most I've seen always have that underlying green tone. Still beautiful! I have a 7mm round. Wish it were bigger.
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I’ll make it as a pendant at best.

That purer blue sounds so tempting. Even more greenish blues, although it sounds not that rare, you just can’t find much dispersive blue gems compared to it, not even blue diamonds with terrible price tag.
 
I feel so touched by advice, feedback and concerns that have been expressed in response to my question about the blue spinel. Thank you :love:
@Autumn in New England thank you for providing a counterpoint, and making me feel less silly about what I paid :lol: We know Antony has high quality stuff. I checked AfricaGems, too. I bought the spinel because I was curious about the new deposit in Mahenge. I was not expecting neon blue, but I thought it might be like the nice blue spinel on my multi-spinel bangle. I have been spoilt by that one because it behaves beautifully!
You and @mellowyellowgirl have reminded me that we should feel a connection to our gemstones. I did not feel a connection to this one. @mellowyellowgirl mentioned jadeite. There is a Chinese saying that jade selects its owners, just as we select jade.
@ChaiK and @Autumn in New England thank you for your suggestions about sapphire. I am pausing for now — looking forward to Jewellery & Gem World which will be in Singapore soon :appl:
@Double E love blue zircon! I managed to buy a 10 ct one during the early days of COVID when Jewellers in Hong Kong were offloading to hoard cash. So yes, @Mrs_Strizzle I am with you on value for money :mrgreen2:
 
Crimson said:
You and @mellowyellowgirl have reminded me that we should feel a connection to our gemstones. I did not feel a connection to this one. @mellowyellowgirl mentioned jadeite. There is a Chinese saying that jade selects its owners, just as we select jade.
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I love this ^. So true, so true! I have a 9ct. hexagon unheated amethyst. It cost peanuts and I'm sure most would feel it's quite unremarkable... but she spoke to me. And now we're inseparable. :shifty:
 
Autumn in New England said:
I love this ^. So true, so true! I have a 9ct. hexagon unheated amethyst. It cost peanuts and I'm sure most would feel it's quite unremarkable... but she spoke to me. And now we're inseparable. :shifty:
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I have a quantum cut Ame that I just love too. I will eventually set her in a dress that's out of her league I'm sure. But I think she's magical.
 
Mrs_Strizzle said:
I have a quantum cut Ame that I just love too. I will eventually set her in a dress that's out of her league I'm sure. But I think she's magical.
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Funny you should mention that, because I also intend on setting mine as if she were a ruby. lol I don't discriminate. I'm glad to see you don't either! :mrgreen2: I'm really eager to see yours (especially once finished) now!! Mine isn't even the top, deep color. It's more of a medium lavender.

amethyst_hex_618204_2000x_master.jpg
 
@Autumn in New England She looks magical. I look forward to seeing how you dress her! This morning, the sun shone brightly - no more awful overcast skies. I was about to book FedEx to return the blue spinel when I thought, “I wonder how It would look in a yellow gold dress.” So I grabbed some gold chains and bracelets and placed the spinel in the centre. What a difference!

BAB90696-0096-4297-BDE0-06372CBEFBA7.jpeg84F019A7-83C4-4F2F-85F6-660CF41076A8.jpegA45BC957-85CD-4452-A341-5CABF86042C5.jpegE94A1620-09A0-4E6C-9F86-9ABC5A7AD37C.jpeg
 
Crimson said:
@Autumn in New England She looks magical. I look forward to seeing how you dress her! This morning, the sun shone brightly - no more awful overcast skies. I was about to book FedEx to return the blue spinel when I thought, “I wonder how It would look in a yellow gold dress.” So I grabbed some gold chains and bracelets and placed the spinel in the centre. What a difference!

BAB90696-0096-4297-BDE0-06372CBEFBA7.jpeg84F019A7-83C4-4F2F-85F6-660CF41076A8.jpegA45BC957-85CD-4452-A341-5CABF86042C5.jpegE94A1620-09A0-4E6C-9F86-9ABC5A7AD37C.jpeg
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Oh honey... this is a different story. I never thought the stone looked bad, but we're seeing a whole new side to her now that the sky's less dreary!! :kiss2: Personally, I don't think the stone is overly dark or veering teal. It also appears to be intensely saturated. I still think it's a great stone, my friend. But, as we discussed, that connection is important!
 
Autumn in New England said:
Oh honey... this is a different story. I never thought the stone looked bad, but we're seeing a whole new side to her now that the sky's less dreary!! :kiss2: Personally, I don't think the stone is overly dark or veering teal. It also appears to be intensely saturated. I still think it's a great stone, my friend. But, as we discussed, that connection is important!
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Thank you, @Autumn in New England I am going to return this spinel. A fabulous stone came my way today! Breathless just thinking about it.
Back to the rainbow, we are at orange. I am posting this orange calcite as a placeholder.
DC628043-69A8-42CA-80BD-E18BFAAF14F2.jpeg
 
Crimson said:
Thank you, @Autumn in New England I am going to return this spinel. A fabulous stone came my way today! Breathless just thinking about it.
Back to the rainbow, we are at orange. I am posting this orange calcite as a placeholder.
DC628043-69A8-42CA-80BD-E18BFAAF14F2.jpeg
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You tease you!!!!! How can you say that and not post pics?????

Pllllllzzzz

I need a good gem perve!
 
@Crimson The calcite is lovely, but I NEED to know about this new gem that has stolen your breath (and heart, by the sound of it)!!
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@mellowyellowgirl and @Autumn in New England I thought I had derailed the thread enough:-o
I shall post it when we get to green, hehe! I don’t have it yet, only placed a deposit. I need to learn more because it is not my usual green gem. It costs a bomb! If I buy it you won’t see me posting much new stuff for a while:eek2::mrgreen2:
Clue: GRS certified Old Mine. Location: 4 letters.
 
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Crimson said:
@mellowyellowgirl and @Autumn in New England I thought I had derailed the thread enough:-o
I shall post it when we get to green, hehe! I don’t have it yet, only placed a deposit. I need to learn more because it is not my usual green gem. It costs a bomb! If I buy it you won’t see me posting much new stuff for a while:eek2::mrgreen2:
Clue: GRS certified Old Mine. Location: 4 letters.
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Sounds like it's going to keep you aMuzo-ed for a while...:mrgreen:
 
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