Which combo would you prefer: Size or Colour or Clarity

[chrono]

I have so much trouble deciding on this pink asscher spinel project. It's really great to have so many options but at the same time, it is difficult to pick the right choice.

Which one will you pick? It's such a toss up between the colour, size and clarity...
My budget isn't bottomless and as much as I would like #2, I balk at it because I'd rather spend that kind of money on a red spinel (pink's not THE colour for me, I'm only getting it because I think it's great with a asscher cut).

Should I stay with the same colour pink and go up in size? The size increase seems rather miniscule for all that extra money. Or should I get it larger AND with a richer colour but take a hit on clarity? Maybe I just stick with my original choice of #5?

I just don't know!

As a frame of reference, the light pink colour is the same as the finished stone on the left. That one is #1 and will be recut into an asscher shape. The saturation is expected to remain the same but the black areas (extinction) is expected to almost go away completely.

 

[Pandora II]

As long as it''s really well cut, I would go for the better colour and the interesting goings on inside it. I like a few inclusions as long as they aren''t too distracting. Too perfect always makes me nervous...

 

[Ellen]

Gosh Chrono, I can''t decide. All I keep thnking is, if it were me, I''d get the absolute biggest stone possible to help show the cut off.

I''m no help.

 

[chrono]

Yeah, I am also tempted to get the absolute biggest one to show off the cut too but at what cost? All these options are more than 2x the cost of my original pink stone (#1)!

 

[Ellen]

Ew.

Maybe ask the cutter what the MINIMUM diameter would have to be to show the cut? I think I''d do that.

 

[chrono]

Thanks for the reminder, Ellen. Now why didn't I think of that? So I called the cutter and he said it should be clearly visible but cautioned that everyone's eyes are different. Then I had a lightbulb moment... lots of Pricescopers here have asschers, why not ask them. So I did, and I finally came to a conclusion. All the sizes I asked about are fine. Anything 5.5 mm and upwards should do the trick, and in a coloured gemstone, if the colour isn't too dark to mask the steps, 6 mm and upwards should be just fine. So the gemstone has to be light enough for the steps to be very clear and visible. Thanks for helping me think this through. I'll post my updates on the Pink thread.

Case closed.

 

[Ellen]

You''re welcome! Can''t wait to see this ring.....