Just finished reading Richard Wise's new chapter on this material. It really looks like finding nice example at a somewhat reasonable price is going to be tough. 7K/ct. in half carat sizes is the best I can find. That is for a nice color, lousy cut stone. Looks like the Hauyne color(non color shifting stones are the best). Here is a 6X4.
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Gulp. Seven grand a carat, but is anybody actually paying that for a spinel???
Perhaps if that kind of money is actually being paid it will lead to a prospecting boom.
One could fund many a summer of prospecting in the far North with a hundred grams of blue spinel in hand.
They are actually paying a lot more. If you go to Marc Sarosi's Africa Gems.com site under blue spinel, you will see a 46 pointer that sold for over $5500. He has for sale a 37 point piece of rough for an unbelievable $4500. There really is very little of this true Vietnam cobalt for sale.
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 9:16 am Posts: 239 Location: Germany
HI there, I got a nice piece of Luc Yen cobalt spinel. around 1,4 ct but a crack in the middle. I am not sure if i should cut it or leave it like it is. Color is perfect. It was polished before I got it. So options are: 1. Leave it 2. make one stone with crack 3. make 2 smaller stones...
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:29 pm Posts: 1047 Location: Paris
I would ask an experienced cutter what the options are. Depending on the orientation of the crack, it may be more or less visible in the end. But would it make the stone vulnerable ?
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 9:16 am Posts: 239 Location: Germany
Hi Isi, that is the problem I can´t definitely say. Another possibility is that the stone will break while cutting. But if not you should get a around 1 ct cobalt spinel, which is very rare and expensive as the prices are rising exponentially with size. Except the crack the inside of the stone is very clean. Most of the other seeable inclusions are in the outer rim. I think i will keep it as it is and see what comes with the time, as cutting two stones should yield around 1 stone around 0,4 ct and another one around 0,2 ct but very clean ones... We will see, but very interesting material and color...
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:40 pm Posts: 2667 Location: South Dakota
I have a few crystals of cobalt bearing spinel from Luc Yen "area" of Vietnam. I have been watching this material for a couple years now. Pala had a great stone that Harriet snagged a while back. I was enamoured with that cut stone.
I sidelit these stones under a 6100K light, so the blue pops slightly more in the pics than IRL.
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:40 pm Posts: 2667 Location: South Dakota
Here is a nice one I saved the pics because it was so nice. This was someone over on Pricescope, if I remember correctly. I am not 100% sure, but I recall it being around a 1/2 carat or so. The little stone pops with color!
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_________________ MrAmethystguy ~ Some jokes just fluorite over my head!
Yes that's the color Amethyst Guy also known as bic pen blue, almost impossible to find clean over a carat. As Nicky Newark notes I cover the ground pretty well in words and pictures from the mines at Luc Yen in Secrets (2nd Edition)
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:40 pm Posts: 2667 Location: South Dakota
Richard W. Wise wrote:
All,
Yes that's the color Amethyst Guy also known as bic pen blue, almost impossible to find clean over a carat. As Nicky Newark notes I cover the ground pretty well in words and pictures from the mines at Luc Yen in Secrets (2nd Edition)
Richard
Big discount on Amazon today!
Appreciate the heads up, R.W.!
_________________ MrAmethystguy ~ Some jokes just fluorite over my head!
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