Newbie looking for a little help for Ering stone.

[Bigsandwich]

Hello all! I've been lurking around for a few months enjoying everyone elses stones and rings while i try to narrow down what i would like for my own ring to propose to my girlfriend with at New Year's this year. Now it's come to the time where i need to make some decisions and get things rolling.

I've decided i'd like a Red Spinel as i think a Ruby might be out of my price range. ($1500 at most). I've been looking around at a few of the recommended websites for a couple of months too and i keep comming back to one website and stone in particular and was hoping someone might be able to cast their eye over it to give me a helpful opinion as i'm still not overly confident.

The gem is a spinel from Gemfix which you can find here;

http://www.gemfix.com/spinel.html
It's the 5th stone down on the left side. Modified brilliant cut cushion 1.70cts.

Sorry i'm not sure if i can post the picture.

The worry i might have is that it's too dark even though the comment on the listing is "does not blackout in low light".

I just keep comming back to this stone, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all!

 

[minousbijoux]

Hello and welcome, Bigsandwhich! I already know we're going to get along fine with that great username. A couple of warnings about this process before continuing (for your own protection).

First, Lurkers. Please be aware that lurkers always outnumber logged on members on this site. As a matter of fact, there are 700+ lurkers on the site as I write this. Many of them have similar interests, and many of them, from the freedom of their anonymity, pounce on and purchase stones that are vetted here. You will notice that many members often post only photos without attribution so as to hide the stone's seller. Another way to do it is to put any stone on hold that you are seriously considering. Then you can freely share all the details about the stone and the vendor without fearing that someone will pull it out from under you.

Second, Fiancee. Check with the fiancee to be - learn her tastes, preferences and what she wants. After all, she will presumably be wearing this ring for the rest of her life (unless you all upgrade at some later date). This is in no way a slight of you; you may have already done this and more. Its just that so many people come on the site looking for what THEY want rather than what their partner wants. Some actually come on and are a bit clueless, even as to the color preferences their partner has. Save yourself the trouble: don't be one of them!

Okay now on to the stone. You've probably heard us talk a lot about saturation and tone. The stone you have chosen (which, by the way, is farther down than you listed) is on the dark side tone-wise and not very intense of color saturation-wise. We speak of seeing grey, brown or black in colored stones; this is short hand for saying the stone is not very saturated and is basically lacking in intensity of color. Imagine a vivid red - pure, bright, almost glowing, red. Now compare it to the stone you have chosen and I *think* you'll get what I mean.

A lot of times, people know their partner "loves grey stones" for example, so finding one that is great in other aspects (right hue, right tone, size, cutting, etc) but is lacking in color intensity might be exactly what they want. But you, as the stone gatherer, must know this ahead of time. That is the key. So while I know that that stone would not be acceptable to me (because of the dark tone and lack of color saturation), it might be exactly what your girlfriend will like. Do you know that yet?

I love this part of the search and am hopeful that we can find you something that you both will love and cherish. Keep in mind, though, that red is just about the most sought after color, so it might be hard to find one in your budget. But please don't run away - we'll all help!

 

[Bigsandwich]

Hello Minousbijoux,

Thanks for your reply, i had no idea about lurkers snapping up talked about stones, it just wouldn't have occured to me so great tip i'll keep that in mind for the future.

In regard to my girlfriends tastes i think i've pretty much got that covered. The stone needs to be red, unfortunate for me that it's the most popular I narrowed my choice down to Ruby and Spinel because Garnet is apparently not good for everyday wear, is that correct? Are there other stone varieties in red suitable that i might have missed? Then i decided Ruby would be out of my price range or would be too pinkish in stones i saw. The spinels i see are more of the red red i know she would like. I also know she would prefer round or cushion cuts.

I understand what you are saying about the stone mentioned. It's good to hear other opinions and comments as I don't know anyone irl with any knowledge in this area to lend a hand.

Yes, this part is fun, a little stressful, just like planning the New Year's holiday but fun all the same. Luckily i think i've still got a little time up my sleeve.

 

[chrono]

Red spinel is a good everyday wear stone but prices have certainly gone up, fortunately not as high as ruby. Are you tied to a particular shape?

 

[Bigsandwich]

Hello Chrono,

In terms of shapes i'd prefer round or cushions with rounded corners as opposed to pears or hearts or squares etc.

 

[chrono]

What is the minimum mm size? Going by carat weight is inaccurate because cut will vary. Is an oval acceptable?

 

[GregS]

I see why you are concerned, that Gemfix Spinel looks dark to me too. Have you seen this stone? http://www.africagems.com/antiquesquare-red-spinel-g2k-4348.html

 

[Bigsandwich]

I haven't given too much thought about mm dimensions. My girflfriends ring size is an Australian O which works out to be a U.S size 7 I think. I could say that 5mm would be a lower limit but i'd honestly be making that up. Is there some sort of commonly accepted ratio or size limit for finger sizes? I'd be fine with an oval though a round would be prefered.

GregS - I haven't browsed that website it wasn't one of the ones i've been keeping an eye on but will have a look through this afternoon.

 

[EastCoaster]

I need help with this too. I have started to read up on this a bit, but only just recently, and I am trying not to become obsessed. So, help from you all would be most appreciated.

I don't know my ring size. My guess is that if the standard in the US is 6, then I'm a 4. I live in Boston and am planning on going to the jewelry exchange building at downtown crossing to see what they have and to find out my ring size. My boyfriend/fiance (don't feel that I'm quite engaged without the ring). My boyfriend is very nervous about the idea of ordering online, so I would need to be really sure about the return policies etc. if that's what I wanted to do.

I want (and have wanted since I was a kid--since my Mom had something like it) a sapphire ring with round diamonds around it with a very simple white gold band.

I love the look of the classic Diana ring. There are two rings I like a lot from the angara website.

http://www.angara.com/p/oval-sapphire-and-round-diamond-border-ring-sr0169s.html

http://www.angara.com/p/oval-sapphire-and-round-diamond-border-ring-sr0169s.html

The 1.5 carat on the oval ring in their AAA best rating is in my price range.

The problem is that I don't really know what their stones look like, and I was hoping for something a little bit bigger-- maybe 2 carats or just under (I know the price goes up a lot after that) 9x7mm. I don't want anything too big, because I want it to look delicate. I'm pretty petite.

I want something deep colored but not low-quality dark. I want the process to be fairly simple for my boyfriend.

Any thoughts?

 

[cokitty]

A few questions
1) Is 1500 the budget is AUD or USD?
2) Is the 1500 for both the stone and the setting?
3) How are you planning on setting the stone?

 

[Niel]

Hey!

I saw you said 5mm might be sufficient size, if so contact Peter at http://www.torraca.net

I just this week contacted him some stones, he said he had some fine red spinels about that size

 

[michellechan2211]

I need help with this too. I have started to read up on this a bit, but only just recently, and I am trying not to become obsessed. So, help from you all would be most appreciated.

I don't know my ring size. My guess is that if the standard in the US is 6, then I'm a 4. I live in Boston and am planning on going to the jewelry exchange building at downtown crossing to see what they have and to find out my ring size. My boyfriend/fiance (don't feel that I'm quite engaged without the ring). My boyfriend is very nervous about the idea of ordering online, so I would need to be really sure about the return policies etc. if that's what I wanted to do.

I want (and have wanted since I was a kid--since my Mom had something like it) a sapphire ring with round diamonds around it with a very simple white gold band.

I love the look of the classic Diana ring. There are two rings I like a lot from the angara website.

http://www.angara.com/p/oval-sapphire-and-round-diamond-border-ring-sr0169s.html

http://www.angara.com/p/oval-sapphire-and-round-diamond-border-ring-sr0169s.html

The 1.5 carat on the oval ring in their AAA best rating is in my price range.

The problem is that I don't really know what their stones look like, and I was hoping for something a little bit bigger-- maybe 2 carats or just under (I know the price goes up a lot after that) 9x7mm. I don't want anything too big, because I want it to look delicate. I'm pretty petite.

I want something deep colored but not low-quality dark. I want the process to be fairly simple for my boyfriend.

Any thoughts?

FYI, Eastcoaster, you should get more responses if you open your own thread since thread jacking is not exactly very good etiquette around these parts.

 

[EastCoaster]

michellechan2211:Thank you for letting me know. I apologize for the threadjack. I frequent a different forum where threadjacking is common, and where having a joint discussion of engagement rings in a recent thread would make sense. But every forum is different, and I should have lurked longer before commenting.

 

[pregcurious]

I haven't given too much thought about mm dimensions. My girflfriends ring size is an Australian O which works out to be a U.S size 7 I think. I could say that 5mm would be a lower limit but i'd honestly be making that up. Is there some sort of commonly accepted ratio or size limit for finger sizes? I'd be fine with an oval though a round would be prefered.

GregS - I haven't browsed that website it wasn't one of the ones i've been keeping an eye on but will have a look through this afternoon.

One way to figure out what size shes wants is to try on some diamonds of different sizes (diamonds because they're easy to find). There's also a chart of how big stones are in different shapes here (according to ideal cut on a diamond). This chart includes measurements in mm:

http://pics.bluenile.com/assets/chrome/pdf/diamond_carat_size_0810.pdf

For example, if your fiancee likes how a 1 ct diamond looks on her finger, the size would translate approximately to 6.4 mm face up in another stone.

 

[Bigsandwich]

Don't worry about the threadjack Eastcoaster, good luck with your search too.

I've been having more of a look at some websites i didn't previously visit and i'm finding a lot of pinkish/red spinels that look ok. For example...



I've still got time up my sleeve so i'd rather be a little patient for a few more weeks and see if something pops up rather than get something i might be a little dissapointed with forcing a decision now.

The other option is to get something custom cut specifically for me, though i'm worried the 'custom cutting' fee might price me further out of my comfort zone. Has anyone else used a precision cutter for red spinels lately?

 

[minousbijoux]

Don't worry about the threadjack Eastcoaster, good luck with your search too.

I've been having more of a look at some websites i didn't previously visit and i'm finding a lot of pinkish/red spinels that look ok. For example...



I've still got time up my sleeve so i'd rather be a little patient for a few more weeks and see if something pops up rather than get something i might be a little dissapointed with forcing a decision now.

The other option is to get something custom cut specifically for me, though i'm worried the 'custom cutting' fee might price me further out of my comfort zone. Has anyone else used a precision cutter for red spinels lately?

Two cautionary notes: first, while its good to take a look a the vendor's photos, you need to ask questions. For example, how saturated is the stone (e.g., medium strong, strong, vivid?), are the photos accurate for color and tone? How does the stone do in various lighting situations - does it ever "close up" or look dark? Will they please provide a hand shot for you? What are the modifiers the stone has - pink? orange? purple? brown? These questions are really necessary because sometimes the photos tend to amp up the stone and show it to its best advantage (I know I've been disappointed more than once by this occurrence).

As to a cutter - I seriously doubt that you could find a cutter who had the rough and would custom cut for you within your budget. The stones I've had custom cut over the years were not inexpensive. But my experiences are limited and the experiences of others may vary.

I hope all this helps!

 

[pregcurious]

I've posted the spinel the Gemfix spinel that bigsandwich referred to at the beginning of the thread to help compare to other stones that get posted.

I agree it is appears too dark. It also has quite a bit of brown, and an orange modifier.

Bigsandwich, do you know what your fiance has in mind for the "red" she prefers? I personally dislike red stones that have much pink, like the one you posted. I prefer that it read red instead of hot pink. (I do like that hot pink color by the way, just not for a "red" stone.)

 

[Bigsandwich]

Pregcurious,

The stone i posted is an example of the color of stones i've been finding and while it's quite nice, it's not what i'm after exactly as you said, it's more on the side of pink. In terms of what kind of red my fiancee would like, she loves anything remotely red (it's her favorite color), but i'd be leaning towards having a purple secondary, sort of like a red wine color. Does that make sense to anybody

Also thanks Minousbijoux about the custom cutting, saves me sending out a lot of e-mails just do be dissapointed.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

[pregcurious]

Bigsandwich, they way you are describing the color makes perfect sense.

This one has a purple secondary in the picture, which commands a higher price than an orange secondary. It appears to be quite saturated. It's a cushion, which is a difficult shape to find in red spinels, and is 6.5 mm across (face-up dimension). It's also within your budget, and I think the price is fair. The cut looks decent (generally symmetrical, no window, no large areas of extinction) but there's only 1 picture. Most red spinels I've seen with a good color are not precision cut. It should have some red fluorescence (you can ask), like most Burmese red spinels, but not as much as a hot pink/red Mahenge spinel.
http://www.africagems.com/antiquesquare-red-spinel-g2k-4348.html

The stone in my avatar is a red spinel, and it took me a long time to find it. It is very difficult to find a stone like the one I've posted. If you like it, I would consider calling and asking if the picture is accurate. I would also ask if crown (top of the stone) has a decent height, and what the depth is (to find out if it is not too shallow). You can ask for additional shots (side and hand shot), but I don't know what their policy is on providing more pictures.

 

[pregcurious]

After starring at this for a while, I wish with the cut was centered better. You'll have to decide if that bothers you. The actual stone will be _much_ smaller than the pic above, and the color appears so saturated, that I think it will be fine. I am falling in love with it because of the color and cushion shape.

Here is a pic that is more to scale.

 

[pregcurious]

One more thing: there is a 10% off coupon on Africa Gems that randomly pops up.

 

[Niel]

After starring at this for a while, I wish with the cut was centered better. You'll have to decide if that bothers you. The actual stone will be _much_ smaller than the pic above, and the color appears so saturated, that I think it will be fine. I am falling in love with it because of the color and cushion shape.

Here is a pic that is more to scale.

yeah i quite like to look at that

 

[kiwiflea]

Hey, just checking is $1500 your budget for the stone alone or stone + setting? Not sure if that was already noted and I missed it.

Had you thought about a red garnet? I know they are not the best stones for everyday wear, but you could find one well within budget and they are still fairly durable.

 

[Bigsandwich]

Hello Felice,

I've budgeted $1500 U.S for my stone, though this is a tiny bit flexible if something pops up that i'd really like.

That spinel that was posted is the one GregS linked to near the start and i have had a chance to stare at it a couple of times. The color is closer to what i'm looking for, but i wasn't sure about some of the 'meet points' of the cutting. Though i agree it's probably worth asking if i can get some other pictures of the stone.

I did find one other stone last night but it is more pink and i'm not sure wether it is the photo or the stone but my eyes get a little blurry looking at it. Am i correct to say this has a little brown in it aswell?

 

[GregS]

That stone looks pretty stunning to me^. That shot is HIGH zoom, you will never be able to make out that much facet detail under normal conditions, so whatever effect it's having on your vision shouldn't be a concern. The cut looks fantastic and I don't see any brown, maybe some orange. If the price is right and the seller is reputable with a decent return policy, jump on it.

 

[carmen1]

Wow, that stone is glowing! I love it - is it a mahenge spinel?

 

[minousbijoux]

Highly saturated. The photo could be enhanced, but if not, that is one vivid stone! No brown but magenta with pink and orange if the pic is accurate. I would want to see this one in hand - if you don't mind that its pink and not so red.

 

[pregcurious]

Sorry I didn't notice your post GregS.

Bigsandwich, the round stone reads pink, and it looks like it has an orange modifier. That said, I think it is quite pretty.

 

[chrono]

I'm surprised you like the round Portuguese cut spinel because it has a lot of pink and orange, given that earlier you were very explicit in wanting no pink, only some purple. Not knowing the vendor, I would caution to make sure the photograph has not been enhanced in any way before whisking out the wallet. Otherwise, it looks like a very well cut and attractive spinel.

 

[1001smiles]

Hi, Bigsandwich. Just a quick note to say that I have ordered a spess from the vendor who is selling that last round spinel you posted. I felt that the photo looked better than the stone IRL, so I returned it. The return was easy (although it helped that I am in the same state as the vendor) and the vendor was responsive. I'd also agree with the others that this spinel looks really pretty in the photo, but it's pink not red.
Best wishes in your search.