Pink Gemstone - Garnet Vs. Tourmaline Vs. Spinel

[roxta]

Hello everyone! My first post after lurking for some time

I'm on the lookout for a light pink stone for a cocktail ring (definitely not everyday wear) and I'm trying to decide between garnet (like the Malaia/Malaya ones), tourmaline or spinel. I'm comparing the hardness and refractive indexes of each. Hardness: Spinel > Tourmaline > Garnet. RI: Garnet > Spinel > Tourmaline. Garnet and tourmaline suit my budget better than spinel.

Sparkle is important to me so I'm leaning towards garnet because it has the highest RI, but I worry that it might be too soft for a ring, even an occasional one. I'm wondering, if I have a tourmaline and garnet, given all other factors are the same (say, the same asscher cut, size, color, etc) - is there really a significant noticeable difference in sparkle between the two?

I would really appreciate your advice - thank you!

 

[dk168]

Spinel for me for sparkles and durability.

DK

 

[qubitasaurus]

Pinkish garnets tend to shift a lot and many show up brownish under indoor lighting conditions. This would put me off a little bit in a ring which I intended to wear out to dinner.

Otherwise for ocasional wear they all sound durable enough. I'd have picked a tourmaline or a spinel though. If I wanted sparkle I would be trying to head for a light-toned (think baby pink if possible) stone.

 

[dk168]

Have a look at Jeff Davies' eBay store as he has a number of pink stones listed currently.

DK

 

[icy_jade]

Spinel. Tourmaline can look quite meh in some lighting, same for garnet.

 

[roxta]

Pinkish garnets tend to shift a lot and many show up brownish under indoor lighting conditions. This would put me off a little bit in a ring which I intended to wear out to dinner.

Otherwise for ocasional wear they all sound durable enough. I'd have picked a tourmaline or a spinel though. If I wanted sparkle I would be trying to head for a light-toned (think baby pink if possible) stone.

Oh, thanks for the tip on the brown in garnets. I definitely have a light-toned pink in mind.

 

[roxta]

Have a look at Jeff Davies' eBay store as he has a number of pink stones listed currently.

DK

Thanks. I find most of them a bit dark for me but I'll keep looking out for lighter ones.

 

[roxta]

Spinel. Tourmaline can look quite meh in some lighting, same for garnet.

Spinel seems to be the most popular vote since it's a better all-rounder, but you definitely have to pay a lot more for it.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Spinel!

Tourmaline has no sparkle and personally it is the most "meh" stone I have ever encountered!

Spinel sparkles and glows!

 

[pwsg07]

Pink garnet hardly comes in medium or lighter colour. The pink spinel usually
has some orange tint in real life even though the grading report may not mentions it in the report.

 

[PrecisionGem]

If you are looking for an Asscher cut, then sparkle is not really what your going to get from any of them. An Asscher is not about sparkle but for for looking into the stone seeing all the step cuts.
Typically a pink tourmaline will have it's best color with outdoor natural light, a pink garnet it's best color under incandescent light. Spinel generally does't shift as much color wise as the other two.

 

[roxta]

Spinel!

Tourmaline has no sparkle and personally it is the most "meh" stone I have ever encountered!

Spinel sparkles and glows!

Gorgeous! Another vote for spinel!

 

[roxta]

Pink garnet hardly comes in medium or lighter colour. The pink spinel usually
has some orange tint in real life even though the grading report may not mentions it in the report.

I'm quite partial to pink with a hint of orange, more than purple.

 

[roxta]

If you are looking for an Asscher cut, then sparkle is not really what your going to get from any of them. An Asscher is not about sparkle but for for looking into the stone seeing all the step cuts.
Typically a pink tourmaline will have it's best color with outdoor natural light, a pink garnet it's best color under incandescent light. Spinel generally does't shift as much color wise as the other two.

Oh, I was using asscher as an example for comparison but I'd be happy with other shapes too. I especially like the one that is shaped like an asscher (octagon) but brilliant cut - I think it's called flanders? I'm also CRAZY for hexagons.

It definitely sounds like tourmaline is a no-go for an evening cocktail ring. Certainly not much love for it on this thread at least....

 

[PrecisionGem]

Well, some stones get bad reviews by people have a not so pleasant stone, either color wise or cut wise. A well cut, nice colored pink tourmaline can be very nice. There are also very nice lighter colored pink garnets available too, certainly not in quantity that rhodolite or other darker reddish garnets, but they do exist.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

Tourmaline and garnet both come in a wide range of colors. Spinel has gone up on price quite a bit in the last couple of years. There’s no need to bust your budget. Have fun looking at what’s available!

 

[marymm]

I have a beautiful bubble gum pink tourmaline (9mm round) set in a 6 prong Bombe solitaire setting - it is a lively stone, not flat or boring - but it took some looking to find it.

If you want a large pink stone and budget is an issue, I do recommend you consider Tourmalines - you may find one that works, and it would be hundreds less than a large pink Spinel. If Tourmalines aren't sparkly enough for you, there are plenty of Pink Spinels out there.

I am not that fond of Garnets in general, and Malaia Garnets tend to have a color shift I find unattractive, YMMV.

 

[voce]

I agree with the others. Spinel will cost about double but is worth it imo. When it comes to sparkle it's not just one thing like RI. For example, I have both sapphire and spinel, and even though sapphiress has higher RI, most spinels are more sparkly. My sparkliest sapphire (and I own some of high quality) is only comparable, not better than spinel in terms of sparkle. I think this is because of the crystal itself; it's more common in sapphire than spinel to have micro inclusions that add to glow instead of having a squeaky clean crystal without those micro inclusions.

How big are you looking for in terms of size? It's very rare in spinel to be over 2 cts cut, so if you want a honker of a gem you'll have to go tourmaline.

If you're OK with 2 cts or less for spinel, YunfanGems has the best quality for price I've come across. They've guaranteed me I can return the spinels I bought if AGL tests them to be synthetic or treated, so that counts a lot in my book.

YunfanGems - Etsy

Shop items by YunfanGems located in Santa Rosa, California.

www.etsy.com

 

[Arcadian]

When some of y'all said pink tourmaline was flat and boring I was like

Just my opinion, tourmaline can be really about cut. I've got a pink shifts to purple depending on the light ( nothing but purple in direct sunlight) Ridiculously gorgeous in every sort of light there is.



Vendor pic




In my case I freely accept the shift and when I first saw it go to deep purple, i was like

Straight pink might be a challenge though because all stones shift, and Pink tourmalines seem to shift to some colors some might not like.

They're not spinels, and spinels are their own thing, but I will never say never about tourmalines. They have a beauty all their own.

 

[lovedogs]

I agree that tourmaline can be lovely! But needs the right cut and color.

 

[T L]

Some pink spinel also have UV fluorescence, which is an added bonus if you’re out in the sun.

You also have to be leery of irradiated pink tourmaline, which is not detectable.

 

[roxta]

Well, some stones get bad reviews by people have a not so pleasant stone, either color wise or cut wise. A well cut, nice colored pink tourmaline can be very nice. There are also very nice lighter colored pink garnets available too, certainly not in quantity that rhodolite or other darker reddish garnets, but they do exist.

Yes, I've seen some garnets in lovely shades of light-medium pink. Not so easy to find but I love the hunt anyway.
And agreed about cut. I don't do commercial cut, only precision because as I said, I'm definitely looking for sparkle.

 

[roxta]

I have a beautiful bubble gum pink tourmaline (9mm round) set in a 6 prong Bombe solitaire setting - it is a lively stone, not flat or boring - but it took some looking to find it.

If you want a large pink stone and budget is an issue, I do recommend you consider Tourmalines - you may find one that works, and it would be hundreds less than a large pink Spinel. If Tourmalines aren't sparkly enough for you, there are plenty of Pink Spinels out there.

I am not that fond of Garnets in general, and Malaia Garnets tend to have a color shift I find unattractive, YMMV.

I think that nice pink spinels are much easier to find in general, so you pay a premium partially for the convenience and wide availability. With other types, you definitely need to put more time into searching and filtering.

 

[roxta]

I agree with the others. Spinel will cost about double but is worth it imo. When it comes to sparkle it's not just one thing like RI. For example, I have both sapphire and spinel, and even though sapphiress has higher RI, most spinels are more sparkly. My sparkliest sapphire (and I own some of high quality) is only comparable, not better than spinel in terms of sparkle. I think this is because of the crystal itself; it's more common in sapphire than spinel to have micro inclusions that add to glow instead of having a squeaky clean crystal without those micro inclusions.

How big are you looking for in terms of size? It's very rare in spinel to be over 2 cts cut, so if you want a honker of a gem you'll have to go tourmaline.

If you're OK with 2 cts or less for spinel, YunfanGems has the best quality for price I've come across. They've guaranteed me I can return the spinels I bought if AGL tests them to be synthetic or treated, so that counts a lot in my book.

YunfanGems - Etsy

Shop items by YunfanGems located in Santa Rosa, California.

www.etsy.com

I'm probably looking for around 2ct but sparkle beats carat weight for me any day. I suppose that deep down I've considered spinels not worthwhile for me, because they're so expensive for semi-precious and I couldn't get the cost-per-wear in a cocktail ring. I also have some eye-clean sapphires that sparkle like crazy, which I've attributed to the cut and high RI but I admit I've never even thought about the crystal structure itself. Thanks for your insights.

 

[roxta]

When some of y'all said pink tourmaline was flat and boring I was like

Just my opinion, tourmaline can be really about cut. I've got a pink shifts to purple depending on the light ( nothing but purple in direct sunlight) Ridiculously gorgeous in every sort of light there is.



Vendor pic




In my case I freely accept the shift and when I first saw it go to deep purple, i was like

Straight pink might be a challenge though because all stones shift, and Pink tourmalines seem to shift to some colors some might not like.

They're not spinels, and spinels are their own thing, but I will never say never about tourmalines. They have a beauty all their own.

Your tourmaline is beautiful. I guess if I go for tourmaline, I just have to be cautious of the shift in evening/dinner lighting. Same goes for garnets.

 

[voce]

I'm probably looking for around 2ct but sparkle beats carat weight for me any day. I suppose that deep down I've considered spinels not worthwhile for me, because they're so expensive for semi-precious and I couldn't get the cost-per-wear in a cocktail ring. I also have some eye-clean sapphires that sparkle like crazy, which I've attributed to the cut and high RI but I admit I've never even thought about the crystal structure itself. Thanks for your insights.

I think labelling spinel as "semi-precious" and having a preconceived notion of what they're "worth" is silly. Natural spinels are rarer than natural sapphires and much much rarer than the other "semi-precious" stones that you're considering. What gemstones are "precious" or not precious is 100% due to mass marketers who do not know much about colored stones.

 

[roxta]

I think labelling spinel as "semi-precious" and having a preconceived notion of what they're "worth" is silly. Natural spinels are rarer than natural sapphires and much much rarer than the other "semi-precious" stones that you're considering. What gemstones are "precious" or not precious is 100% due to mass marketers who do not know much about colored stones.

Well, to be honest I don't really believe in the semi-precious categorizations myself either. Certainly there are many types of gemstones that are very rare, much rarer than "the big 4" that are categorized as precious. But as you know, what makes something worthwhile, whether it is money spent, or time designing/setting jewelry, or how it makes one feel to wear/own is totally subjective.

I guess in this case, "worthwhile" to me means not paying as much for a diamond or sapphire but still getting a pretty, sparkly pink stone that brings me joy to wear. I do love spinels, not because they are rarer or a better financial investment or whatever - but because they are beautiful. Whether they are 2x more beautiful than tourmalines/garnets and justifiably 2x the price, I suppose that's what I'm hoping to learn in this thread.

 

[voce]

It's my private opinion that a tourmaline cut like what @Arcadian showcased would cost "spinel prices" these days. I suspect the best red tourmalines I see are irradiated for color, which is undetectable in tourmalines. I prefer untreated sapphire and spinel because of lack of treatment. If you care only about beauty, and not how well a gem would hold its value, then you should take a look at precision cut lab-created stones.

Also, why not consider sapphires for pink? They also hold color well, not shifty. If you buy them from certain gem vendors, they're not so expensive.

Let me show you a few loose pink stones.


Top was saturated and sparkly pink spinel, middle was sparkly sapphire, and the bottom was not-so-sparkly sapphire with some inclusions. Cost? $1000, $300, $200. Bottom sapphire is close to what I expect of a typical pink tourmaline, with a slight tendency toward gray.

Speaking purely from my own experience (I own dozens of CS rings and I've tried to collect what's available to mere mortals in every durable CS family) what's worth owning is something you'll wear often, so if a sparklier stone is something you'll wear twice as often, and you completely don't care about the resell value, then that sparklier stone you'll reach for more is totally worth twice the price. I think you'll have to hunt far and wide and pay higher than typical prices if you want a garnet or tourmaline as sparkly as sapphire or spinel.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Without actually reading the thread like I probably should be doing , why not try reaching out to someone, and asking if they can send you a couple of stones to see so you can select the one that suits you? (they may be a bit busy and say no. But it is worth a shot).

Roger Dery

Roger Dery

rogerdery.com

https://rogerdery.com/gems/?page=/product/2001058

Roger Dery

Roger Dery

rogerdery.com

edit: or alternatively

CDGEMSTONE - Etsy Australia

Shop items by CDGEMSTONE located in Vancouver, Canada.

www.etsy.com

(you may need to hunt a bit more, concavegems if they reload their inventory would be worth a look.)

I still think something light pink in colour with plenty of facets would be the go to for a sparkly pink ring.

While I can see a lot of people proposing spinel above -- you may need to cut the size down and look widely to find something suitable as there has been significant administrative issues with the exporting of mahenge spinel material recently and it seems to have made the material recently hike in price.

Another stone for you to consider is morganite. It comes light pink in colour and could be much cheaper.

 

[roxta]

It's my private opinion that a tourmaline cut like what @Arcadian showcased would cost "spinel prices" these days. I suspect the best red tourmalines I see are irradiated for color, which is undetectable in tourmalines. I prefer untreated sapphire and spinel because of lack of treatment. If you care only about beauty, and not how well a gem would hold its value, then you should take a look at precision cut lab-created stones.

Also, why not consider sapphires for pink? They also hold color well, not shifty. If you buy them from certain gem vendors, they're not so expensive.

Let me show you a few loose pink stones.


Top was saturated and sparkly pink spinel, middle was sparkly sapphire, and the bottom was not-so-sparkly sapphire with some inclusions. Cost? $1000, $300, $200. Bottom sapphire is close to what I expect of a typical pink tourmaline, with a slight tendency toward gray.

Speaking purely from my own experience (I own dozens of CS rings and I've tried to collect what's available to mere mortals in every durable CS family) what's worth owning is something you'll wear often, so if a sparklier stone is something you'll wear twice as often, and you completely don't care about the resell value, then that sparklier stone you'll reach for more is totally worth twice the price. I think you'll have to hunt far and wide and pay higher than typical prices if you want a garnet or tourmaline as sparkly as sapphire or spinel.

I adore sapphire, not just because it's my birthstone but most of the sapphires I own were gifted to me by very special people on very special occasions (like my 21st birthday and my wedding). If I had unlimited funds, I would buy sapphires in every color but especially in the light pink I'm after.

You made a good point about value-for-money with a stone I'll wear more often. If I had two pink stones, I'd certainly reach for the sparklier one every time like you said. But given that I'm only going to have one ring, that's all I'll have and so that's what I'll wear. If it was an engagement ring, I wouldn't hesitate to go for a lovely sparkly sapphire. However a cocktail ring is something that I won't get to wear anywhere near as much with my current lifestyle - that's why I'm exploring other alternatives.

Your stones are so pretty and it's hard to believe the pink was $300. If you're happy to share some of your favorite vendors, I'm all ears.