1.12 Ct. Greyish Violet Spinel from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This listing presents a single transparent 1.12 carat cushion shape greyish violet spinel, precisely measured at 7.31 x 4.99 x 3.65 mm, cut in a faceted mixed brilliant style, with a clarity grade of slightly included evaluated at eye level, and an excellent polish. The proportions yield a length to width ratio of approximately 1.46, producing a subtly elongated cushion profile, and a calculated depth percentage near 59 percent, which sits well within the ideal range for balanced light return and depth. The color reads as a light intensity greyish violet, a cool and restrained hue that benefits from controlled saturation and even tone. This spinel is unenhanced, natural in every respect, and its surface condition is exemplary, the excellent polish preserving sharp facet junctions and minimizing surface diffusion of light.

The cutting style is a carefully executed mixed brilliant, combining a brilliant facet arrangement on the crown with complementary pavilion facet geometry designed to manage return of light through the pavilion while preserving scintillation and overall brilliance. The cushion outline with softened corners requires precise facet planning to avoid light leakage in the transition zones, and this piece demonstrates that control, with evenly matched facet arrays across the crown and pavilion. The mixed brilliant approach in a cushion format produces a balance between broad flashes and fine scintillation, and here the cutter appears to have optimized table and crown proportions to allow a pleasing face up brightness despite the stone s light color intensity. The excellent polish enhances the optical performance by ensuring facet planes are true and facet junctions are crisp, which is particularly important in spinel due to its refractive index near 1.72, where minor surface imperfections can subtly degrade perceived brilliance.

Clarity and color combine in this example to offer an attractive, natural aesthetic and reliable durability. The slightly included clarity grade, assessed at eye level, indicates the presence of small, natural internal features that are consistent with a gem of primary origin, these inclusions do not dominate the visual field under normal viewing conditions and often serve as internal fingerprints that corroborate natural provenance. The light, greyish violet tone benefits from the cushion mixed brilliant cut, the facet geometry amplifies the stone s apparent brightness and allows the delicate grey overtones to read as sophisticated and modern. From a material science perspective, the hue in spinel commonly results from transition element traces, and in greyish violet variants a combination of elements such as iron, manganese, and low levels of chromium can interact to produce subdued violet with a grey veil. Because this spinel is untreated, the color and clarity are wholly natural, a factor that elevates market desirability for collectors and connoisseurs who prioritize untreated material.

The origin of this spinel, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, materially enhances its desirability and value, and The Natural Gemstone Company emphasizes provenance because it matters for both aesthetic assessment and long term collectability. Sri Lankan spinels are historically renowned for producing clean crystals with attractive natural tones, and Ceylonese deposits are noted for yielding stones that combine transparency with subtle, complex hues that differ from more saturated sources. Geologically, many Sri Lankan spinels are derived from metamorphic marble hosted environments and alluvial placers, conditions that often favor the growth of euhedral crystals and good clarity, characteristics evident in this specimen. Provenance from Ceylon carries a premium because of the region s long gemological heritage, established cutting traditions, and a predictable profile of material quality that trade participants recognize. For technical buyers who value traceable origin, the unenhanced status and clear Ceylon provenance provided by The Natural Gemstone Company together constitute a compelling combination, offering both a technically sound gemstone and the documented background that underpins its valuation, making this 1.12 carat greyish violet cushion spinel a rare opportunity for collectors and designers seeking an elegant, naturally occurring stone.