Need some advice on moderately included spinel

[Violetphoenix]

How easy is it for spinel, moderately included, to chip or break?
I purchased this Vietnamese color-changed spinel last year. After months of searching, this was the on VNese spinel matched my requirements - bluish violet, color changed, 3+cts, and affordable. While the color is exactly what I was looking, it's not a perfect stone. Actually, it's quite a moderately included stone. I'm not sure if they are inclusions or actual fractures. I was a little sad at first but decided to keep the spinel anyway.

Pics of spinel and inspired ring

This inspired ring design I wanted to set the spinel is partially bezeled. Because there is a possibility that the stone might get damaged during setting, the jeweler recommended that I should stay away from bezel setting. He will replace bezel with prongs instead. I'm not too crazy about the prongs for this setting. I told the jeweler that he is not responsible if the stone damaged during setting, but he doesn't want to try bezel set it.

Here are my questions:
1. Do you think it is necessary to take precautions and stay away from bezel setting?
2. Once the stone set, with prongs in this case, is it safe from chip/break with normal wear? I don't have any spinel so I don't know how soft it is. I have a blue sapphire ring and it seems to hold up very well so far.
3. Should I consider to make it into a pendant instead? I won't be able to "stare" at the color changes unless there's a mirror, but I don't want to invest in thousands of dollars on this stone and the setting and stone breaks.

Thank you so much for reading my post and any expert advice are greatly appreciated.

 

[marymm]

OP - you posted your thread in the Rocky Talky (diamond) forum, so I suggest you hit the "report concern" button on the right of your opening post, and ask the moderators to move this to the Colored Stone forum so you'll get good responses from knowledgeable Colored Stone PS members.

And, yes, your included Spinel will require extra care in setting - if your jeweler is quite skilled in setting colored gemstones I would get his opinion as to whether a partial bezel is possible with your stone - still, if it were me, I'd go for a pendant rather than spend $$$ on a ring setting - one unexpected whack of your ring against a harder surface and your Spinel could fracture further, even break.

 

[Violetphoenix]

Thanks, for your advice and I will ask to move my post.

 

[minousbijoux]

Hi OP and welcome!

It is really hard to tell based on your photographs how included the stone is, and whether they weaken the structural integrity of the stone. Was the jeweler saying that about not prong setting it based on inclusions he saw, or your description of it as moderately included? If the stone does not have surface reaching inclusions and fractures, but the inclusions are limited to things like feathers and negative crystals, it might be fine. Can you look at it through a loupe and tell us what you see? If the inclusions break the surface and if so, where?

In general, as you know, spinels are quite durable and great ring stones. But if that stone is riddled with inclusions that weaken the stone, I would think that wearing it as a ring - no matter the setting - might not be such a good idea.

 

[sisxixon]

I don't have any advice or expertise to give, but I just wanted to chime in that that setting design is gorgeous! I've never really much cared for pear shaped stones but you've changed my mind.

 

[minousbijoux]

I don't have any advice or expertise to give, but I just wanted to chime in that that setting design is gorgeous! I've never really much cared for pear shaped stones but you've changed my mind.

I am glad you said that because I neglected to say that the stone looks to be a lovely, and coveted, color most of the time and the setting design is gorgeous. Did you design that setting? I sure hope the stone is sound enough to be set because it would look amazing in your setting.

 

[Violetphoenix]

Thank you Minousbijoux and Sisxixon!
Sorry for the delayed respond. Wednesday is my day off from work, but it always seems to be my busiest day!

M and S - yes I like this design with its delicate curves for this spinel.
M - No I didn't design it. I found it on google! Unfortunately that was just one picture of a drawing of that ring, no other additional views of the gallery nor the side profile so it kinda hard to come up with the design since I'm not an artist by trade.

I took some pics of the stone especially where I thought I might have seen the linear surface fractures, unfortunately most of those pics were in my now broken cell phone and I can't find a way to retrieve them. One of the pictures above, the purple color one, I took that one because I thought I saw a surface linear fracture, and I actually felt it with my finger nail.

I sent my spinel to the jeweler already and based on what he saw, he said there's no way he would bezel set the stone. He did the cads for me, but I really don't like the prongs for this particular design and I really afraid it will look too "bulky" for my small size 3.75 finger. I'm considering changing it to a classic halo design but before I made the decision, I want to be sure that it might be better to go to the pendant route. Either ring, going to be too costly if the spinel breaks in the end.

Here are some pics of the stone and the cads

 

[Marlow]

Awesome Luc Yen spinel

I love the color!!!

If you play with the stone - do you see bright mirrorlike reflections of the"fracture"(?) or not. This material - and your stone quite large - is often included. Sometimes fresh fractures, sometimes healed fractures. Use a loupe.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Color!!!! Really gorgeous spinel. Since you can feel the inclusion with your fingernail it sounds like a surface reaching fracture. Can the jeweler be more specific on the inclusions and if he/she feels the spinel can safely be worn as a ring?

 

[chrono]

Those look more like inclusions to me. If nothing else, please protect the tip of the spinel with a chevron or V prong. I'd rather go with a V prong + 4 single prongs.

 

[Arcadian]

I agree with Chrono on the vprong on the tip. You'll need that to protect it from damage.

I'm terrible at reading CADs but the sides may look bulky because its a cad. if the jeweler is putting diamond in the metal as in the first drawn picture, they have to have room to do that. You really don't want that to be too thin.

 

[Violetphoenix]

Thank you Marlow and LisaRN. The color of the spinel and the fact that it came from my beloved country, were the reasons I've decided to keep it.

Chrono - I'm so excited when I saw your reply. You have always gave great advice to other newbies! You're right, since I don't really know what inclusions would look like in a spinel so I'm not certain about my previous observations either. I didn't ask the jeweler what his thought was though he thought it would be fine to set it in a setting such as this one. I will ask him about the Vprong for the tip and single prongs instead.

Arcadian- Thank you for the advice about the Vprong on the tip, and yes, none of my rings came out as bulky as they appeared in cads.

Also, I'll have him double check for any possible surface fractures. If there are none, then we'll proceed with the design. I may call out for help to see if any modifications need to make it more flow and delicate looking. Please watch for my posts and questions.

 

[minousbijoux]

Just to put it in perspective for you in case you're debating it, loupes are only about $30 and are a great investment to make if you are thinking about buying more stones in the future. Looking through a loupe, you would be able to tell whether the inclusions are a concern for setting purposes. But it sounds like your jeweler has seen the stone and thinks it would be safe enough in prongs. If you are comfortable with the jeweler (that is, you've used him in the past), I would follow his advice as he has seen the stone and we have not.

 

[Violetphoenix]

I did use a 10X loop and almost certain the inclusions reached the surface, but didn't know what that means in terms of integrity of the stone. I need to do more reading on this website and more research next time when I invest in an expensive stone! Anyhow, yes I trust this jeweler and if it breaks while mounted, I'll be sad but it won't be his fault. Thank you for your feedback

 

[minousbijoux]

I did use a 10X loop and almost certain the inclusions reached the surface, but didn't know what that means in terms of integrity of the stone. I need to do more reading on this website and more research next time when I invest in an expensive stone! Anyhow, yes I trust this jeweler and if it breaks while mounted, I'll be sad but it won't be his fault. Thank you for your feedback

Darn, I was hoping that if you looked at it through the loupe you would be able to see that it stopped short of the edge. Still, the jeweler sounds like he knows what he is doing. My fingers are crossed for you.