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Sparkling Antique 19thC 1ct Violet-Pink Spinel Round 6mm - $99.99 #45726 - SOLD

Antique Genuine Natural Russian One Carat Faceted, Handcrafted Dark, Rich Violet w/Pink Sparkles Semi-Precious Spinel Gemstone Round.

CLASSIFICATION: Faceted Violet Spinel Round.

ORIGIN: Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. 19th Century.

SIZE: Diameter: 6mm. Depth: 4mm. All measurements approximate.

WEIGHT: 0.94 carats.

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstone as a ring, earring, or pendant.

DETAIL: Looking like a very vivid and richly hued violet sapphire, one instantly knows it is not merely iolite or amethyst due to the tremendous brilliance and flash of the gemstone. Is it corundum; sapphire or ruby? It has all the fire and sparkle of a precious gemstone. Actually if you were able to examine the crown jewels of the royal families of Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Europe from England to Russia, you would find many fabulous examples of this gemstone. And had you been able to ask the actual owners of these gemstone, royalty all, or their royal jewelers as to the identity of this stone, they would have answered ruby or sapphire - corundum. But history would prove them wrong, as many of the greatest, most massive, and most valuable rubies and sapphires in the crown jewels of Europe's royalty were:spinel. With nearly the same hardness as corundum, and similar flash and brilliance (refractive index), it has been mistaken for rubies, sapphires, and other precious gemstones for centuries.

This vivid and richly colored and brilliant gemstone shares this heritage. Mined here in Chelyabinsk Oblast (county), Russia, the gemstone was hand crafted and faceted by a 19th century Russian artisan, part of an heritage renown for the production of the elaborate gemstones and jewelry of the Czars of Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Russia. The result is an exquisite and incredibly rich violet colored gemstone with brilliant, almost metallic pink sparkles. It truly has all the flash and brilliance of a ruby, purple sapphire, or diamond. In fact though much more richly colored than any purple sapphire, it is probably going to be most often mistaken for purple sapphire should you be the lucky winner of this amazing gemstone. Spinel, like the rubies and sapphires it is so often mistaken for, is noted for being a rather "dirty" gemstone, much like emeralds and tourmaline as well. However this specimen is no worse than eye clean, and even in these 500% photo enlargements, it is difficult to discern any significant blemishes. To the naked eye it is without flaw, richly hued, and alive with sparkles.

Good quality spinel is in extremely short supply, especially such clean specimens, and can be very costly. This is at the present time one of only a handful of specimens we have to offer. Even here at the source in Chelyabinsk, Russia, it is a quite uncommon and fairly scarce gemstone. The trained eye will easily discern from the photo that the gemstone has been hand-faceted. The coarseness of the 19th century faceting is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment. Unlike today's computer controlled machine processes, the cut and finish of gemstones such as these is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-faceted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones.

This gemstone has great luster and sparkle, and to the eye is completely transparent and clean to the eye, but it is not absolutely flawless. True, the blemishes it possesses are not visible to the naked eye, and the gemstone can be characterized, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean". Even to close scrutiny (with the naked eye) it is indeed without blemish. However magnified 500%, as it is here, you might be able to pick out one or two slight blemishes within the gemstone, barely perceptible even at such high magnification, and as well occasional irregularities in the faceting and finish. But these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even theoretically possible, let alone commonly practiced, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today.

Two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. This is why antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones routinely mined from deep beneath the earth's surface today were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. However for most, the unique nature and character of antique gemstones such as this more than makes up for included imperfections which by and large, are (if at all) only visible under high magnification.

HISTORY: The name "spinel" is probably derived from the Latin word "spinella", itself derived from the Greek work meaning "spark", probably in reference to the bright red or orange color of some crystals. Spinel comes in a wide variety of beautiful colors and is especially prized for its red, blue, pink, and purple varieties. The red variety has oftentimes been mistaken for ruby, and many of the so-called "rubies" in Europe's crown jewels are actually spinel. The most famous is the Black Prince's "Ruby", a magnificent 170-carat red spinel that currently adorns the Imperial State Crown in the British Crown Jewels. Long believed to be a ruby, King Henry V even wore it on his battle helmet during the battle of Azincourt in 1415 A.D. The Timur Ruby is a 352-carat red spinel named after Tamerlain, the Tartar conqueror, its original owner. Now owned by Queen Elizabeth, the gemstone has the names of some of the Mughal emperors who previously owned it engraved on its face. A faceted red spinel of more than 400 carats belonged to Empress Catherine II of Russia, and is now part of the Russian Treasure in the Kremlin.

Though spinel is presently less expensive than ruby, it is many times more rare. And despite all of the confusion in Europe over what was spinel and what was ruby, in Burma where both gemstones have been mined for many centuries, spinel was recognized as a separate gem species as early as 1587 A.D. However in Europe, confusion lasted for many centuries after that, red spinel often being called "balas ruby", so called in reference to their likely medieval origin, the Balaksh region of Ceylon. As well, blue, pink, and purple spinel was oftentimes mistaken for sapphire. Here in Chelyabinsk, Russia, spinel has been produced continuously from a nearby deposit since 1843 A.D. Now treasured for its own sake, spinel is a favorite of gem dealers and gem collectors due to its brilliance, hardness and wide range of spectacular colors. Red and orange spinel owes its color to chromium, violet to manganese, and to iron or cobalt for the very rare blue variety of spinel. In addition to Burma and Russia, spinel has historically also been produced in Ceylon, and has recently been discovered in Tanzania (home of tanzanite).

SHIPPING OPTIONS: All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. Most of these antique gemstones were originally part of two collections, one originating in India principally composed of gemstones originally mined in India, Burma, Ceylon, and Siam, and then hand faceted in India. The addition of a second accumulation of antique gemstones originally mined in the Urals in the mid to late 19th century (including alexandrite) completed the collection. These gemstones as well were hand finished. The Urals have been one of the world's major sources of precious and semi-precious gemstones for many centuries. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers in Eastern Europe and Asia. These antique gemstones are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery.

We ship inventory from the USA order fulfillment center near Seattle, Washington. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipping within 48 hours of payment. A certificate of authenticity is available upon request. We prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment - and we will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no "holds"). We will accept PayPal payments. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE".