0.98 Ct. Spinel from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This cushion shaped bluish green spinel offered by The Natural Gemstone Company is a technical study in proportion and optical performance, weighing 0.98 carat, and measuring 5.98 x 5.97 x 3.57 millimeters. The near square outline of the cushion creates a substantial face up area that reads larger than its carat weight might suggest, aided by a well controlled depth of approximately 59.8 percent, which places it within the ideal zone for balanced light return. The cutter has employed a mixed brilliant faceting scheme, combining a brilliant crown and a pavilion that transitions into larger step influenced facets at the girdle, an approach that preserves scintillation across the table while producing broad flash facets on movement. The table proportion has been calibrated to maximize apparent size without sacrificing dispersion, and the overall symmetry is executed with consistent facet junctions that concentrate contrast in a way that enhances the bluish green hue rather than diluting it.

Clarity plays a defining role in the gemological character of this stone, recorded as very very slightly included when evaluated at eye level, a grade that confirms inclusions are minute and do not interfere with the optical pathways that produce brilliance and fire. Under standard gemological observation the inclusions are difficult to locate without magnification, which allows the mixed brilliant faceting to operate with minimal obstruction, giving crisp facet reflections and sharp pinfire scintillation. The polish is excellent, a critical attribute for a mixed cut where facet plane smoothness governs both contrast and the clarity of reflected light. Excellent polish translates to clean windowless surfaces and tight facet intersections, which in this spinel support high contrast patterning and a lively return of white light and spectral flashes in response to directional lighting.

Color is rendered in a medium light intensity bluish green, a tone that benefits from the stone s transparency and the cutter s intent to balance saturation and brilliance. The medium light intensity provides enough depth to be perceived as richly colored in both daylight and artificial illumination, yet it retains translucency that allows faceted brilliance to travel through the pavilion and out the crown. Mixed brilliant cutting helps maintain even color distribution across the table and minimizes the risk of dark zones or color banding, producing a consistent face up color that appears lively without becoming overly deep. This spinel originates from Ceylon Sri Lanka, a locality renowned for yielding clean material with fine natural color, and the specimen is natural with no enhancement, confirming that the bluish green is indigenous to the crystal chemistry rather than introduced by treatment.

For a buyer seeking a true statement piece, the combination of size, cut, and clarity in this 0.98 carat cushion makes it particularly compelling. The near six millimeter face up dimension offers a commanding presence on a finger, particularly in rings where the well proportioned depth allows the gem to sit with a pleasing pavilion profile, providing both visual weight and comfortable wearability. Design recommendations to amplify its statement quality include a minimal four prong solitaire in a high profile setting to maximize light entry and allow the mixed brilliant pavilion to perform, or a halo mounting with fine melee to increase perceived size while preserving the central stone s optical dynamics. The hardness and toughness of spinel make it suitable for daily wear, and with its excellent polish and very very slightly included clarity the gem will exhibit sustained brilliance in a variety of mounting options. The Natural Gemstone Company can provide additional technical images and mounting consultations to ensure the final jewelry design exploits the stone s depth, pavilion angles, and table proportion, producing a piece that is at once technically balanced and visually arresting.