1.63 Ct. Spinel from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This pear shaped purple spinel is presented as a transparent natural gemstone weighing one point six three carat, with dimensions seven point nine eight by six point four zero by five point zero zero millimeters. The stone has been fashioned in a mixed brilliant cut to balance light return and color saturation, and it displays an even medium color intensity within the purple range, appearing rich yet not overpowering under neutral lighting. Clarity has been graded as eye clean, evaluated at eye level, with no notable inclusions to interrupt the visual field, allowing faceting to deliver pleasing scintillation and internal reflection. The polish is excellent, creating crisp facet junctions and a smooth surface that accentuates the stone s transparency and reflective behavior. There has been no enhancement applied to this spinel, ensuring that its optical and material characteristics are fully natural, and its reported origin is Ceylon Sri Lanka, a region long recognized for producing gem quality spinels and other classic gem species.

The story of this spinel began millions of years ago deep within the earth, in a geological environment where magnesium rich carbonate rocks were subjected to sustained heat and directed pressure during regional metamorphism. Spinel is a magnesium aluminum oxide mineral in its ideal chemical form, and crystals of spinel nucleate and grow when the right combination of chemistry, temperature, and pressure converges. In Sri Lanka these conditions are commonly associated with ancient high grade metamorphic terranes where marble lenses and carbonate horizons were intruded or heated during tectonic events, and where slow crystallization allowed well formed euhedral and subhedral crystals to develop. Trace elements including chromium, iron, and in some cases manganese and titanium were incorporated into the crystal lattice as it formed, and the particular balance of these elements in this specimen produced the purple hue that is visible today. Growth was gradual rather than instantaneous, with each crystal face recording subtle changes in the local chemistry and thermal regime, and over spans of multiple millions of years the assemblage of minerals in the host rock organized into the dense, intergrown metamorphic fabric typical of gem bearing marble.

As tectonic forces uplifted the ancient terrain and weathering and erosion took their course, discrete spinel crystals were liberated from their metamorphic host and transported by the slow and repetitive action of water, becoming concentrated in alluvial placers and river gravels. This natural redistribution is how many Sri Lankan spinels enter the hands of miners and traders, often arriving as water worn fragments or as relatively unabraded crystals suitable for cutting. The lapidary phase in the life of this stone was conducted with attention to preserving weight while optimizing visual performance. The pear shape was selected to present the purple color evenly, while the mixed brilliant faceting strategy was employed to enhance internal brilliance and to give the stone a lively face up appearance without sacrificing the depth of tone. Careful cutting and an excellent polish removed surface irregularities, while the intrinsic eye clean clarity of the rough allowed for an unobstructed window into the gem s internal light play. Spinel is a durable gem material with substantial resistance to everyday wear, and this specimen s combination of sound physical properties, natural unenhanced status, and measured medium color intensity make it a representative example of Sri Lankan spinel gemology. The Natural Gemstone Company provides this detailed description as part of our objective documentation, affirming the gem s origin, its unenhanced state, and the measured characteristics that inform both provenance and practical considerations for setting and long term care.