Kim Bruun
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- May 18, 2008
- Messages
- 376
I recently ordered a blue/purple spinel from a vendor. I had explained to him that I had bought several purple spinels in the past, and returned them because they had all been more greyish IRL than advertised. I told him I was looking for a spinel with NO grey. He showed me photos of two stones, one of which had a glorious purplish blue colour - and beautifully cut. It looked like a tanzanite on the photo. He said it was "very reminiscent to some colors of tanzanite" with "no visible grey". The stone was priced high 1050. A lot of money for me, and I told him so. He also told me that this material was getting harder to find, and that the price would go up. That sold me - I thought to myself that I might never come across a spinel this good again. So I ordered. Importing the stone increased the price by 350 dollars. Okay, I though - I'll save over the next few months.
And then the stone arrived. And it looked as greyish as every other blue and purple spinel I've ever seen.
I placed it alongside a "slightly greyish" spinel from Multicolour, and colour saturation was very similar. Alongside my two tanzanites, it looked like wet newspaper. Still beautifully cut. But I thought I had made it clear that I do not like greyish stones. At all.
I'm a bit upset, because even if the vendor will allow me to return the stone, I will still have lost 350 dollars importing it! My stomach is in knots now. I thought I'd paid my dues, made my mistakes and learned from them.
And then the stone arrived. And it looked as greyish as every other blue and purple spinel I've ever seen.
I'm a bit upset, because even if the vendor will allow me to return the stone, I will still have lost 350 dollars importing it! My stomach is in knots now. I thought I'd paid my dues, made my mistakes and learned from them.