Tanzanian Spinel

[pwsg07]

This is a 2.22ct Tanzanian spinel. The lotus report stating the colour is intense medium pinkish red. I used my iPhone 6s to take the video. The stone in the video is less saturated and is slightly brighter than the stone IRL.

The vendor told me this is the top colour for hot pink spinel.

Is it a typical tanzanian hot pink colour?

If the spinel is of the same hot pink, is the Burmese more expensive than the Tanzanian?

What is the difference between the red/pink Burmese and the red/pink Tanzanian?

What is the price per carat for a 2 carat Tanzanian hot pink spinel?

Any inputs are welcome. Thank you.

 

[suzanne2]

It says the video is unavailable

 

[pwsg07]

It says the video is unavailable

It is now available

 

[arkieb1]

Top Mahenge pinks are currently cheaper than the top pink Burmese Jedi, generally because the latter are more difficult to find than the former. Both have gone up significantly in price over the past few years, particularly in sizes over 2 carats. There is also a different between dark pinks, hot pinks and a really eye watering vivid neon pink too which also impacts pricing. Mahenge rough left, Burmese "Jedi" rough right;

 

[T L]

This is a 2.22ct Tanzanian spinel. The lotus report stating the colour is intense medium pinkish red. I used my iPhone 6s to take the video. The stone in the video is less saturated and is slightly brighter than the stone IRL.

The vendor told me this is the top colour for hot pink spinel.

Is it a typical tanzanian hot pink colour?

If the spinel is of the same hot pink, is the Burmese more expensive than the Tanzanian?

What is the difference between the red/pink Burmese and the red/pink Tanzanian?

What is the price per carat for a 2 carat Tanzanian hot pink spinel?

Any inputs are welcome. Thank you.

If the video is accurate, although you said it isn't, the stone appears to not be the top color that the vendor describes. It lacks the saturation that I've seen in truly higher quality Tanzanian red/pink spinels.

Here's a high quality Tanzanian spinel to compare.

 

[pwsg07]

If the video is accurate, although you said it isn't, the stone appears to not be the top color that the vendor describes. It lacks the saturation that I've seen in truly higher quality Tanzanian red/pink spinels.

Here's a high quality Tanzanian spinel to compare.

The video is slightly inaccurate since the iPhone brightened the video. The stone is more saturated IRL. It comes with a Lotus report stating that it is medium intense pinkish red.

How does the Lotus report describe top colour Tanzanian spinel?

Based on your photo, the spinel is more red than what I have.

Thank you.

 

[T L]

The video is slightly inaccurate since the iPhone brightened the video. The stone is more saturated IRL. It comes with a Lotus report stating that it is medium intense pinkish red.

How does the Lotus report describe top colour Tanzanian spinel?

Based on your photo, the spinel is more red than what I have.

Thank you.

I take color descriptors of almost all labs with a grain of salt. The only lab I truly respect for properly describing colored stone quality is AGL. It has a report that describes the color in terms of saturation, tone, and overall quality in scientific terms. I have never heard of the Lotus Lab, but just be warned that many of these labs cater to vendors and often describe color in terms of metaphors, or non-scientific means.

 

[T L]

Top quality pinkish red spinel is pretty much what I showed in the picture. The fact that it's more red, means it's more saturated, and that includes minimal brown and/or orange undertones. I also only made the comparison to the top quality stone, because your vendor said your stone was top quality. It's extremely rare to come by a top quality red spinel these days. A stone also does not have to be top-quality to be beautiful.

Do you already own the stone? If so, I don't mean to insult it. It's a pretty stone, but I just wanted to show what a top quality stone really looks like. I typically don't give my subjective opinion on stones that people already own and are keeping.

 

[valeria101]

The ring is red not pink - to me ...

 

[Nosean]

Lotus Lab owner is Richard W. Hughes - one of the most important and respected gemologist today - the author of "Ruby and Sapphire".

http://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/library/books

 

[shinyrocks]

I too would call TL's spinel example more of a pinkish red than a pink. PWSG07 - I would tend to agree with some of the others that, based on the video alone, I wouldn't call it top color for a pink. If it is more saturated in real life though, it might be! For me personally, I always care less for what the industry says is ideal and more about what I find attractive. Do you love it, and does it meet your expectations?

 

[arkieb1]

I've gotten spinel certificates from Lotus lab Thailand - yes it's owned by Richard Hughes and he and his family run it. I own an Antique Cushion that is a true old mine "Jedi" they classified as Vivid in saturation and Medium ie not too dark in tone and red in colour and it's one of the best red spinels I've seen colour wise. So unless you are familiar with their lab I'm not sure it's fair to comment.

And you cannot really compare the two stones accurately the OPs stone is pink the next example given is red. Spinels come in a range of light, medium and dark reds and light, medium and dark pinks.

 

[T L]

The lab described the stone as pinkish red, so red is the primary color, which is why I posted a pinkish red spinel to compare.

Based on the video, I agree the stone looks pink.

 

[chatoyancy]

The ring is red not pink - to me ...

I thought it was a rubellite until I read what it was. It’s a lovely color, and looks crazy expensive.

 

[chatoyancy]

This is a 2.22ct Tanzanian spinel. The lotus report stating the colour is intense medium pinkish red. I used my iPhone 6s to take the video. The stone in the video is less saturated and is slightly brighter than the stone IRL.

The vendor told me this is the top colour for hot pink spinel.

Is it a typical tanzanian hot pink colour?

If the spinel is of the same hot pink, is the Burmese more expensive than the Tanzanian?

What is the difference between the red/pink Burmese and the red/pink Tanzanian?

What is the price per carat for a 2 carat Tanzanian hot pink spinel?

Any inputs are welcome. Thank you.

I think it’s a really pretty pink stone.

 

[lilmosun]

Most of the top color spinels from Mahenge were mined prior to 2009 and I think those set the benchmark for what many PSers would consider top color from Tanzania. From your comments, it sounds like it isn't a top pink-red like the one posted nor does the video look like the top pinks from that period. (The best ones would also turn a ballistic hot neon pink when the sun hit it right)

I think its a beautiful stone in a larger size and you have said the video doesn't do it justice (I've given up trying to photograph my mahenge spinels). But you shouldn't pay a "neon" "top color" premium if the stone doesn't blow you away. The better stones will. The fact that you are asking if it's top color hot pink suggests that your eyes aren't seeing it?

 

[arkieb1]

How much per carat is it? Yes the old "original" Mahenge is frequently better in colour and more expensive per carat than what they are mining today, although every now and then they get a few amazing stones. They tend to sell the very best rough straight into the Asian market or top European gemstone houses buy it so we don't get to see that much of it.

 

[pwsg07]

Thanks everyone.

This is a hot pink or neon pink stone the vendor got from the HK Gem show. I have never seen a top colour hot pink Tanzanian spinel that's why I came here for advice. In fact, the colour is very saturated. The only part I don't like about the stone is the brilliance. I think the best way is to ask the lotus lab about the description of the colour on the report.

 

[arkieb1]

In the video the stone is an O.K looking medium coloured pink to pinky red spinel, it's a nice colour, it's hard to tell if it is a whisker dark or it's rubbish lighting in the video. I do notice there is nothing really exceptionally neon about it to command top $$$s that I can see in the video, but again that could be lighting and a bad video. Take a pic of it outside in natural lighting on the back of a hand as a comparison pic.

If you are shelling out top dollar for it (you haven't said how much it is per carat so I can't tell) Yavorskyy has some expensive but amazing stones;

http://www.ivynewyork.com/product-category/gemstones/spinel/pink-spinel/

 

[pwsg07]

In the video the stone is an O.K looking medium coloured pink to pinky red spinel, it's a nice colour, it's hard to tell if it is a whisker dark or it's rubbish lighting in the video. I do notice there is nothing really exceptionally neon about it to command top $$$s that I can see in the video, but again that could be lighting and a bad video. Take a pic of it outside in natural lighting on the back of a hand as a comparison pic.

If you are shelling out top dollar for it (you haven't said how much it is per carat so I can't tell) Yavorskyy has some expensive but amazing stones;

http://www.ivynewyork.com/product-category/gemstones/spinel/pink-spinel/

Thanks arkieb1. It is roughly 2.2k per ct. After looking at Ivy New York, I realized it is not very expensive compare to other pink spinels. It is more red IRL.

I took the photo under intense sunlight. This photo is closer to the stone IRL. It is interesting that the stronger sunlight actually show more realistic colour in the iPhone photo.

 

[arkieb1]

I like it's pretty probably darker than what I would pick for myself (again this could just be where you are taking the photos) but there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[T L]

Pink and red spinels typically are more intense in color in sunlight due to red fluorescence. This is not true of all red spinels, as some do not fluoresce, but it's something any decent red spinel should have as an attribute.

The spinel depicted in your photo above is more pink than red to me. I'm not sure why the primary color was described as red, unless the photo or my monitor are inaccurate.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

I think it’s really pretty! If you love the color, go for it! What matters is what you like, not what the market thinks.

 

[pwsg07]

I think it’s really pretty! If you love the color, go for it! What matters is what you like, not what the market thinks.

Thank you. I love the colour but I also want to confirm I am getting what the vendor described.

 

[pwsg07]

Pink and red spinels typically are more intense in color in sunlight due to red fluorescence. This is not true of all red spinels, as some do not fluoresce, but it's something any decent red spinel should have as an attribute.

The spinel depicted in your photo above is more pink than red to me. I'm not sure why the primary color was described as red, unless the photo or my monitor are inaccurate.

It is the reaction of the iPhone to the light. The brighter the sunlight, the more accurate the colour in the photo.

 

[minousbijoux]

If it were top color it would be listed as "vivid." It is not, instead being described as "intense." Perhaps the vendor meant that of the stones he/she saw, this was the best, but unless it differs markedly in quality from your photo and video, it is not top color imo. It is, however, quite lovely and you might want to consider it!

 

[gempeaks]

Gorgeous clean gem with even saturation of color. Richard Hughes is one of the best in the industry and he has probably seen more African and Burmese spinel than most people in the industry. His books on ruby and sapphire are some of the best in the industry and considered by many as collector items. I would have no issue sending Richard any of my gems for certification. He is also a very approachable person so if you have any concerns over the certification I would contact him directly.

 

[pwsg07]

Gorgeous clean gem with even saturation of color. Richard Hughes is one of the best in the industry and he has probably seen more African and Burmese spinel than most people in the industry. His books on ruby and sapphire are some of the best in the industry and considered by many as collector items. I would have no issue sending Richard any of my gems for certification. He is also a very approachable person so if you have any concerns over the certification I would contact him directly.

Thank you. I have contacted the lotus lab. They replied and showed me some articles about colour. I have not read them and will post my result here. The stone has some fingerprint ，needle or growth tube. But they are transparent and very hard to see to unaided eyes. Who is Billie Hughes？He is the one who replied my questions

 

[gempeaks]

Thank you. I have contacted the lotus lab. They replied and showed me some articles about colour. I have not read them and will post my result here. The stone has some fingerprint ，needle or growth tube. But they are transparent and very hard to see to unaided eyes. Who is Billie Hughes？He is the one who replied my questions

E.Billie Hughes is Richard Hughes' daughter. Very accomplished photographer who has photographed many spinel. Given here photography skills she seems to have a great eye for color. Here is a link to her bio on the Lotus site:
http://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/about/staff

 

[T L]

If it were top color it would be listed as "vivid." It is not, instead being described as "intense." Perhaps the vendor meant that of the stones he/she saw, this was the best, but unless it differs markedly in quality from your photo and video, it is not top color imo. It is, however, quite lovely and you might want to consider it!

I'm used to the GIA color grading descriptions that define saturation and tone in specific terms. Perhaps the Lotus lab has their own grading descriptions, but yes, "vivid" is used to describe top saturation in GIA terms.

Richard Hughes does have a strong reputation in the world of gemology, so I would imagine that lab should be able to explain the color in terms of hue, saturation and tone in a precise way. These are the three components of color that are important to understand when considering a colored gem.

ETA: The website for Lotus labs defines their saturation, tone and hue scales here, toward the bottom half of this page. "Intense" is one step below "vivid" on the saturation scale. "Medium" is the tone, and "pinkish red" is the hue, but again, the hue looks more reddish pink to me. They've seen the stone in person, so maybe the hue looks off on my screen.

http://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/library/articles/317-lotus-color-types