GRADING REPORT OBSP116
- Identification: Natural Unheated & Untreated Spinel
- Carat: 1.16
- Shape: Square Cushion
- Measures: 5.95x5.43x4.48 (millimeter)
- Color Grade: Excellent
- Tone: Medium Dark 70
- Color Zoning: None
- Clarity: Lightly Included
- Cutting Grade: Good
> Brilliancy: 66%
> Depth: 83%
- Origin: Sri Lanka
- Treatment: None
Certificate No: IGI 310837686
Overall Grade: Very Good
Comment: As the images show, this is an amazingly strong blue for a 'normal', meaning 'non-cobalt' spinel. Very little, if any, grey dims the vivid hue (as is common in 95% of all such spinels). We did not specifically ask IGI for cobalt testing, but I assume it has been done, without the cobalt concentration measuring high enough to call it a 'cobalt-spinel'. This type of spinel is frequently called 'cobalt-blue spinel' in retail, but I want to point out that this is not to be understood as a deceiving word-play to sell normal spinel at cobalt-rates. A 'cobalt-blue spinel' is simply a lucky specimen with a vivid metallic blue, little grey and purple, period. No window, no visible inclusions (sharp-eyes with lens-only), no treatments. The 83% depth from the traditional hand-cut has strengthened the fine color further, but (...there often is a 'but' when talking of depth) allowed only under 6x6mm face-up. What does this mean for its usability as a jewelry-stone? If you plan on filling only a small ring-size, say under USA 5, and like designs with a high dome setting, such as the classical tiffany style, this is a perfectly suitable gem. For a thick gent's ring, on the contrary, with a flush or bezel-set frame, you better search-on for 8x8 or 10x10mm. A precision re-cut is possible. It might drop us slightly under one carat; a meaningless but psychologically important border, which the original lapidary obviously was determined not to under-step, though the face-up would have remained similar only with 95% brilliancy instead. Silly, but such is the fate of gems in quality colors: they are cut locally and that still means weight-maximizing. BTW: In the trade, you may encounter a mutually condescending tribalism between dealers of above- and below- one-carat gems; the former considering themselves dealing in quality, while the latter take pride to be in the money-making wholesale business. Humanly forgivable, but factual non-sense. If you don't bother about carat weight and have time for a re-cut, this can become a perfect 5x5mm cobalt-blue spinel with 90+% brilliancy. We will organize it for you (add $200).
P.S. Observant friends have already noted new light conditions in our images. Yes, true, because we have moved offices. All images are still shot in the northern hemisphere, under natural daylight, and indoors, as always, but with less light than before and that coming in vertically, from roof windows or sky-lights, not from horizontal windows. Some experimenting is under way, but the results shall always be the same: WYSIWYG, to the best of our abilities.
