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

This transparent IGI certified violet spinel weighs 2.20 carat, and presents an oval shape with precise dimensions of 9.22 millimeters by 7.31 millimeters by 4.67 millimeters. The gem exhibits a greyish violet hue with a light color intensity, and a clarity grade reported as very very slightly included, evaluated at eye level. The cutting style is faceted, executed in a mixed brilliant configuration, and the surface finish is described as excellent polish. The piece is unenhanced, with no treatments applied, and its recorded origin is Ceylon Sri Lanka. The length to width ratio of approximately 1.26 to 1 produces a compact, elegant oval face up, and the measured profile yields a depth that corresponds to roughly 56.5 percent of the average table diameter, a proportional relationship that balances apparent size with optimal light performance.

The mixed brilliant faceting on this oval spinel is a deliberate choice to enhance the material innate optical properties, combining a brilliant cut crown geometry with a pavilion architecture that maximizes light return while controlling leakage and windowing. On the crown, the arrangement of star facets, bezel facets, and upper girdle facets work together to refract incoming light into multiple internal reflections, producing concentrated flashes of white light and selective color return. The pavilion employs a mix of modified brilliant facets and elongated pavilion mains that act as directed mirrors, folding light back through the crown and table rather than allowing it to escape through the pavilion. This interplay of facet sets yields a scintillation pattern that is coherent with the oval outline, producing broad flashes interspersed with fine pinfire scintillation along the length of the gem. The slightly compact length to width ratio and the measured depth percent favor a brighter face up appearance, because the proportioning reduces the occurrence of a dark window near the table, while preserving enough pavilion depth to sustain full internal reflection. The excellent polish facilitates uninterrupted transmission, minimizing microfacet diffusion and preserving the purity of each return pulse, and the very very slight inclusions present at eye level are sufficiently sparse and discreet so as not to interrupt the primary light pathways, allowing the greyish violet body color to manifest evenly across the table and within the flashes.

From a craftsmanship and provenance perspective, the combination of mixed brilliant execution, careful proportioning, and meticulous polish reflects an advanced lapidary approach suitable for a high quality collector grade spinel. The cutter has prioritized symmetry and facet alignment to ensure that the kite and triangular facets on the crown meet their corresponding pavilion facets with precise junctions, an alignment that is critical for producing the consistent scintillation columns expected in oval mixed brilliants. The choice to preserve a light but clear greyish violet tone underscores a respect for the natural character of the Ceylon material, rather than forcing saturation through any enhancement. The IGI certification provides documented confirmation of weight, dimensions, clarity assessment, and the absence of treatments, supporting confident valuation and comparability. For purchasers who assess gemstones on technical merit, this piece presents an instructive synthesis of gemological integrity and lapidary skill, a transparent, unenhanced spinel that demonstrates how proportion, facet design, and surface finish cohere to amplify light reflection and color expression. The Natural Gemstone Company stands behind the provenance and specifications provided, and offers this violet spinel as an example of how disciplined cutting philosophy can elevate a gem from raw material to an object of measurable optical refinement.