1.60 Ct. Spinel from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

From the cool caves and alluvial gravel beds of Ceylon Sri Lanka to the quiet light of our display at The Natural Gemstone Company, this spinel has traveled more than distance, it has carried centuries of story. Unearthed from terrain that has given the world some of the most cherished gems in history, this transparent 1.60 carat radiant shape pinkish purple spinel measures 7.24 x 6.45 x 3.76 mm. The color arrives first, an intense pinkish purple that seems to shift in different lights, like the memory of a tropical dusk held in crystalline form. Early gem traders in Sri Lanka once mistook spinel for ruby, and for good reason, it shares that same regal glow, yet it expresses itself with a freshness all its own. This particular stone was assessed as very very slightly included, evaluated at eye level, a clarity that speaks to purity when seen with the naked eye, and it comes to you with no enhancement, preserving the authenticity of its origin. The polish is excellent, the facets laid down with a patience that honors the gem rather than forcing it into a shape. For anyone who values provenance as much as beauty, this spinel carries the quiet authority of Ceylon, a provenance that ties the gem to a lineage of craft and respect for nature.

The journey from rough to radiant cut is a meditation on restraint and intention, a story I love to tell because it reveals how human hands can reveal what nature has hidden. When the cutter first examines a rough spinel, they listen for the way light will travel through it, they consider the internal features and the best way to deliver that intense color to the surface. Choosing the radiant cut for this stone was an intentional decision, it combines brilliant facet patterns on the pavilion with step like structure on the crown, it captures and returns light in a way that emphasizes both fire and color saturation. During cutting the aim was to preserve as much weight as possible, while achieving symmetry and facet transparency, so the stone retained its 1.60 carat presence and its luminous heart. The excellent polish invites the eye to linger, smoothing each plane so that reflections are clean and continuous. Because this spinel is unenhanced, its finish is a true expression of the material itself, not the result of treatment. The very very slightly included clarity means that at eye level the gem reads as remarkably clean, and under magnification its natural birthmarks tell the story of geological time, glacial shifts of pressure and the slow accumulation of color forming elements. This narrative from earth to hand is what makes wearing a stone like this feel like carrying a small piece of history.

Versatility is one of the most compelling aspects of spinel, and this pinkish purple radiant delivers in both casual and formal settings with equal conviction. For everyday wear imagine this stone set in a low profile bezel for an elegant ring that pairs effortlessly with denim and a linen shirt, the color adding a personal punctuation to your daily life. In a more formal context the same gem becomes the focal point of an engagement ring or a pendant, its radiant cut throwing light across a dinner table and complementing evening textiles with an understated intensity. Designers often pair pinkish purple spinel with warm metals to bring out the pink, or with cool metals to emphasize the purple, the choice is yours and it will read distinctly different in each setting. Durability is practical for everyday enjoyment, spinel enjoys a hardness that makes it resistant to scratching and suitable for rings and pieces meant to be worn often. At The Natural Gemstone Company we can recommend settings that protect the stone while allowing the facets to breathe, or create a bespoke piece that tells your own story, the history of its origin and the story you will make with it. If you are looking for a gem that bridges casual comfort and formal grace, that carries provenance and the quiet workmanship of expert cutters, this 1.60 carat radiant pinkish purple spinel from Ceylon Sri Lanka offers both the visual poetry and the practical resilience to be worn and treasured for a lifetime.