New blue spinel

[OTL]

I just got a 2.38ct very well cut spinel last night. And was thinking it's too dark, this is going back...I normally do not like dark toned stones. But somehow this spinel is growing on me today. It is greyish blue outdoor (foggy day)and shifts to a purple color indoor. It also comes with a GIC certificate. Now I love it,don't know why...

I have not got a good camera or good weather to take better photos since I just received it yesterday. These are just photos I took with ipad in my office.

 

[royalstarrynight]

I like it! It's a pretty hue of blue

 

[Jereni]

Very pretty! I especially like it in the shot next to your keyboard.

 

[ChrisA222]

Blue Spinels are a favorite of mine...that shows some nice blue....but....Im seeing the half-half. Is that a product of the pics or do you notice it IRL?

 

[OTL]

Blue Spinels are a favorite of mine...that shows some nice blue....but....Im seeing the half-half. Is that a product of the pics or do you notice it IRL?

Yep, there is a half-half, but I'm not too disturbed as long as it's not a "cut in half" effect if you know what I mean. The half-half is very subtle. Not a very clear border line or something

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Honestly- IMHO it is not too dark. It is a very pretty shade of blue to purple.

 

[txgreeneyes]

Very gorgeous!

 

[FrekeChild]

It looks beautiful OTL!!!! Makes me want to hoard all of my blue spinels...

 

[Kelly12]

Blue represents mysterious, I like this blue stone, very shiny and elegant. I think it would add another trace of charm to you when you wear it.

 

[Arkteia]

Very pretty!

 

[meredeth11]

OMG, nice spinel, it is pretty!! Love the color very much!

 

[lknvrb4]

It is very pretty, I like the color a lot!

 

[chrono]

There is no half / half in this spinel, just a lot of extinction. What isn't overly dark or blacked out is a very pretty blue though.

 

[OTL]

Thanks everyone. I do think blue spinel is the easiest stone to photograph. They just appear better in photos somehow. TL mentioned that for blue spinels if they look dark in the photo, they are usually darker IRL. I completely agree. I have bought and returned a few blue spinels and always find this true. The camera just like to capture the blue/purple hue. The vendor photo for this stone is prettier than real stone, but I don't think there is any photoshop involved, because when I took photos of this stone, even a lousy try, could get pretty good results.

Here is the vendor photo. So just a heads up if anyone is buying a blue spinel, make sure it is very blue and very saturated in vendor's photo. Because blue spinel is a quite special kind which most of the case will not look better and more saturated than photo.

 

[LD]

I think it's very pretty and definitely no half/half (I REALLY hate that term)!

Out of a matter of curiosity, who's the vendor because I don't recognise the photo and it's interesting to compare your photos to theirs. Theirs looks adjusted somehow.

 

[minousbijoux]

Interestingly, comparing the vendor photos to yours, I see that your photos show greater saturation and darker tone. I'm not sure I would've bought on the strength of that one pic of theirs, as it looks greyish to my eye. But good for you that it meets your requirements!

 

[chrono]

OTL,
It is interesting that you say blue spinel is the easiest to photograph because they give me fits like any other gemstone although I must say orange, followed by green is the most difficult for me show colour accurately. I'm also surprised you said the vendor's picture is prettier than the real thing because your pictures look much prettier than his. Perhaps your camera must really love blue? I would not have sprung for this spinel by the vendor's picture alone because it doesn't look well saturated. The vendors' pictures of the blue spinels I purchased do not look as lovely as the stone in hand.

 

[ChrisA222]

Hey guys....

Ok...so maybe this whole half-half thing has now become a figment of my imagination...(you keep hearing about this so much you think you actually seeit...) but...

The right half of the stone looks completely dark in all the pictures, and this is roughly 1/2 of the gem. The left side of the stone (in all these pictures) looks very nicely blue.

So what gives? Isn't the half-half term 'darker or black areas of the stone occupying half of the stone"? Because that is what I see, in the same spot, in all the pics.

Im NOT trying to be rude, snarky, or anything like that--I am actually trying to learn. I never heard of this half half thing until I read on here, and then I started seeing it in some of my stones and/or pics on here.

 

[VapidLapid]

I think a stone can have extinction in half of it in some viewing angles or light situations without it being the classic .5+.5. As Chrono noted this one is dark and has extinction all over the place, not only in the dark half

 

[chrono]

I'd like to do away with this half-half PS term as well. Let's just call it extinction because that's what it really is.

 

[OTL]

OTL,
It is interesting that you say blue spinel is the easiest to photograph because they give me fits like any other gemstone although I must say orange, followed by green is the most difficult for me show colour accurately. I'm also surprised you said the vendor's picture is prettier than the real thing because your pictures look much prettier than his. Perhaps your camera must really love blue? I would not have sprung for this spinel by the vendor's picture alone because it doesn't look well saturated. The vendors' pictures of the blue spinels I purchased do not look as lovely as the stone in hand.

The vendor photo is lighter in tone, which to me is prettier.
Also it shows a greenish blue outdoor, a purplish blue indoor. Vendor's photo does not show the greenish side at all, which to me the purplish hue is prettier.

 

[Arkteia]

OTL, if your spinel is like mine (and I think it is), extinction may not be such a problem in the evening, because the stone is violet-blue and throws a lot of sparks when you move your hand. Daytime color has some grey in it and is less flattering. Perhaps a static picture may not be a true representation, because one has to see this stone when it moves.

 

[LD]

OTL,
It is interesting that you say blue spinel is the easiest to photograph because they give me fits like any other gemstone although I must say orange, followed by green is the most difficult for me show colour accurately. I'm also surprised you said the vendor's picture is prettier than the real thing because your pictures look much prettier than his. Perhaps your camera must really love blue? I would not have sprung for this spinel by the vendor's picture alone because it doesn't look well saturated. The vendors' pictures of the blue spinels I purchased do not look as lovely as the stone in hand.

The vendor photo is lighter in tone, which to me is prettier.
Also it shows a greenish blue outdoor, a purplish blue indoor. Vendor's photo does not show the greenish side at all, which to me the purplish hue is prettier.

I'm the same as Minou. If I'd seen the vendor's photo there's no way I would have bought it. Seeing your photo, I love it! That's the reason I was asking about the vendor because it's interesting to see a photo that (to me) looks genuinely worse than the real gemstone! If you decide you don't want this stone, I'll take it off your hands!

 

[OTL]

Hey guys....

Ok...so maybe this whole half-half thing has now become a figment of my imagination...(you keep hearing about this so much you think you actually seeit...) but...

The right half of the stone looks completely dark in all the pictures, and this is roughly 1/2 of the gem. The left side of the stone (in all these pictures) looks very nicely blue.

So what gives? Isn't the half-half term 'darker or black areas of the stone occupying half of the stone"? Because that is what I see, in the same spot, in all the pics.

Im NOT trying to be rude, snarky, or anything like that--I am actually trying to learn. I never heard of this half half thing until I read on here, and then I started seeing it in some of my stones and/or pics on here.

I can hardly remember any dark toned oval stone without extinction. Your new tsavorite looks really pretty, but it is a medium toned oval stone, and it has Gene's cutting skills to avoid any extinction. I have seen those half extinction on both native cut stones as well as precision cut stones. It does not bother me a lot as long as it's not blackish. I feel we should not dislike a stone only because it has some extinction,so I am with LD on this matter.

 

[OTL]

OTL,
It is interesting that you say blue spinel is the easiest to photograph because they give me fits like any other gemstone although I must say orange, followed by green is the most difficult for me show colour accurately. I'm also surprised you said the vendor's picture is prettier than the real thing because your pictures look much prettier than his. Perhaps your camera must really love blue? I would not have sprung for this spinel by the vendor's picture alone because it doesn't look well saturated. The vendors' pictures of the blue spinels I purchased do not look as lovely as the stone in hand.

The vendor photo is lighter in tone, which to me is prettier.
Also it shows a greenish blue outdoor, a purplish blue indoor. Vendor's photo does not show the greenish side at all, which to me the purplish hue is prettier.

I'm the same as Minou. If I'd seen the vendor's photo there's no way I would have bought it. Seeing your photo, I love it! That's the reason I was asking about the vendor because it's interesting to see a photo that (to me) looks genuinely worse than the real gemstone! If you decide you don't want this stone, I'll take it off your hands!

Come on, is the vendor photo that horrible? I really think it is pretty in the photo. It lost a little saturation uploaded. My photo does not show the greenish side of this stone outdoor.

 

[Enerchi]

I'm quite enjoying the new spinel!! It looks very well suited to your skin tone and it definitely pleases my eyes!! I'm not that CS knowledgeable but I would have been tempted by the vendor pic!! Worst case --- ship it back, right?


Its a lovely stone OTL - what are your plans for it? (or did I miss that above?)

 

[OTL]

I think it's very pretty and definitely no half/half (I REALLY hate that term)!

Out of a matter of curiosity, who's the vendor because I don't recognise the photo and it's interesting to compare your photos to theirs. Theirs looks adjusted somehow.

To the curious mind: the vendor is cresla

 

[LD]

Look at the comparison below.

Vendor's photo - the photograph has been adjusted to make it appear lighter which has had the effect of making it seem more grey. Enough grey, a "cool" overall tone and lack of saturation to stop me buying it.

Your photo - shows a much more saturated "warm" stone and is something that would attract me.

So I see a big difference (sorry!).

 

[OTL]

Look at the comparison below.

Vendor's photo - the photograph has been adjusted to make it appear lighter which has had the effect of making it seem more grey. Enough grey, a "cool" overall tone and lack of saturation to stop me buying it.

Your photo - shows a much more saturated "warm" stone and is something that would attract me.

So I see a big difference (sorry!).

OK...I blame my ipad. How could it took a picture under horrible office lighting and beat vendor's best photo Bad Ipad! Honestly? The stone looks more purple than both photos. I have got to try take an accurate photo in the weekends!

 

[chrono]

I might have been more tempted by the spinel on seeing the vendor's second photograph, but because of the tone, but because of the saturation (pop or richness of colour). Are you saying that your pictures of the spinel isn't showing the colour accurately?