1.10 Ct. Greyish Violet Spinel from Burma (Myanmar)

This offering from The Natural Gemstone Company presents a transparent cushion shape spinel weighing 1.10 carats, color described as greyish violet, with precise dimensions of 7.16 by 4.87 by 3.87 millimeters. The cutting style is faceted, executed as a mixed brilliant cut to combine the scintillation of brilliant facets on the crown and pavilion with the elegant silhouette of a modified cushion outline. The color intensity registers as medium, providing a balanced saturation that reads neither pastel nor deeply saturated, which allows the mixed facet architecture to modulate tone across viewing angles and to emphasize internal light return. The stone is natural and untreated, with no enhancement, and the country of origin is Burma, a source recognized historically for fine spinels and for material that often exhibits strong crystalline integrity and desirable color nuances.

The cut quality is central to this gem because the mixed brilliant execution optimizes both brilliance and face up color. The crown features a full array of star and kite facets calibrated to distribute light across the table while preserving pavilion brilliance. The pavilion is fashioned with a precise brilliant facet relationship, engineered to maximize return through internal reflection rather than leakage. The measurements translate to an overall depth ratio of approximately 64.4 percent when using the average of length and width as the baseline, a depth range that supports lively sparkle without sacrificing face up spread. The polish is graded excellent, indicating meticulous lap polishing with clean facet junctions that produce crisp light facet boundaries and minimal surface disturbance. Optically the spinel is singly refractive with a refractive index in the typical spinel window around 1.712 to 1.718, and a modest dispersion near 0.018, which means fire is present but restrained, lending colored flashes that compliment rather than compete with the body color.

Clarity assessment is very slightly included, evaluated at eye level, which communicates that inclusions are minor and do not materially impede brilliance or the overall visual appeal when seen without magnification. In practical terms the eye level clarity allows the gem to read as clean across the table from typical viewing distances, while microscopic and loupe magnification will reveal small crystallographic features consistent with natural spinel growth, such as tiny octahedral crystals and healed fissures, which in fact serve as indicators of natural origin and crystal history. The excellent polish and careful facet symmetry minimize light scatter associated with such features, preserving crisp reflections and a lively face up appearance. The absence of any enhancement, combined with Burma provenance, positions this spinel as a collectible piece for connoisseurs who prioritize untreated material and documented origin. Hardness is approximately 8 on the Mohs scale and specific gravity clusters near 3.58 to 3.60, which together make this stone suitable as a centerpiece in rings and other jewelry configurations that benefit from robustness and stable wear characteristics.

For clients considering complementary gemstones, the discussion of opal type Fire Opal is relevant because Fire Opal offers a contrasting aesthetic and technical profile that pairs attractively with greyish violet spinel. Fire Opal is an amorphous hydrated silica with a body color range from yellow through orange to red, with specimens that are transparent to translucent and that may or may not exhibit play of color. The typical refractive index for opal is variable, roughly between 1.37 and 1.52, and specific gravity sits low relative to spinel, near 2.10 to 2.23. Hardness is lower than spinel, generally in the range of five and a half to six and a half on the Mohs scale, and structural water content makes opal more sensitive to heat, solvents and rapid humidity changes. In design practice, pairing this greyish violet spinel with a warm toned Fire Opal can create striking color contrast, with the spinel providing durable brilliance and the Fire Opal contributing vivid body color or iridescent play. When combining these materials, mount the Fire Opal with protective settings and avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaning, while the spinel is compatible with standard jewelry fabrication techniques and routine care. For provenance documentation, gemological particulars, or bespoke setting recommendations, The Natural Gemstone Company can supply detailed imagery, light performance notes, and consultation to ensure the stone functions as the centerpiece in a refined and technically sound design.