0.97 Ct. Pinkish Purple Spinel from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This spinel is a carefully documented example of natural color and precision cutting, weighing 0.97 carat, with dimensions 6.61 x 4.27 x 3.61 mm, presented in an emerald cut profile. The cutting style is the classic step cut, with broad horizontal facets on the crown and pavilion designed to create broad flashes of color rather than a scattered brilliance. The stone exhibits a pinkish purple hue with medium color intensity, balanced so that the color reads consistently under both daylight and artificial lighting. Clarity is graded slightly included at eye level, meaning that under normal inspection a small number of internal crystal inclusions are visible, but they do not dominate the appearance. Polish is excellent, with mirror like facet surfaces and well defined facet junctions, and the finish across the girdle and table reflects the care taken in final grading. Enhancement is none, the stone is unheated and untreated, and origin is Ceylon, Sri Lanka, a source known for producing spinels with delicate pastel to vivid tones. The Natural Gemstone Company presents this spinel with full attention to these technical parameters, and with provenance documentation on request.

The journey of this gem begins in the gem gravels around Ratnapura, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, where artisanal and small scale operations recover spinel bearing alluvial gravels. Rough spinel crystals typically form as octahedral fragments, and the initial sort focuses on crystal habit, color saturation, and internal characteristics. Our sourcing team selects rough specimens that promise a stable pinkish purple tone even after cutting. The rough is then transported to an experienced lapidary workshop where the decision to execute an emerald cut is taken for technical reasons. The step cut allows the cutter to retain weight and to minimize the impact of linear and crystal inclusions, by aligning the long axis of the cut parallel to the best color zoning and by creating large facet planes that emphasize hue and tone. Cutting parameters such as table size, crown height, and pavilion angle are calculated to balance light return with color saturation, preventing the stone from appearing washed out or overly dark. The cutter uses progressive faceting with frequent reinspection under magnification, adjusting facet junctions to achieve the excellent polish that defines this piece.

From a gemological perspective the spinel displays the expected optical and physical characteristics of natural spinel, including a refractive index approximately 1.718, and a specific gravity in the range of approximately 3.58 to 3.61, which contributes to its pleasing heft relative to size. Spinel is isotropic and therefore shows no pleochroism, providing stable, even color from all viewing angles, which complements the symmetry of an emerald cut. Hardness on the Mohs scale is 8, making this stone suitable for everyday wear in rings and pendants when set with proper protection, and the excellent polish and clean facet junctions enhance resistance to surface wear. The slightly included clarity grade indicates that inclusions are present but modest, often consisting of minute crystal inclusions typical for spinel from the region, and these inclusions serve as natural fingerprints confirming the gem is unenhanced and natural.

When the cutting and quality control phases are complete, the finished gem is photographed and mounted in protective packaging for secure consignment. At The Natural Gemstone Company we document the chain of custody from mine to market, including the mine source region, cutting notes, measurements, and the no enhancement declaration, so that responsible buyers have the technical data they require. For setting recommendations we advise open prong or bezel settings that permit light to enter the pavilion and that protect the beveled corners and girdle of the emerald cut. For clients seeking certification we can facilitate independent gemological reports that will confirm weight, dimensions, clarity grading at eye level, polish grade, unheated status, and origin. This pinkish purple 0.97 carat emerald cut spinel offers a combination of measured color, considered faceting, and ethical provenance, presented with the technical documentation and service standards you expect from The Natural Gemstone Company.