Well, I do like writing that name almost as much as I enjoy mispronouncing it….
It is ‘better’ known as the iron rich Black Spinel which is currently gaining popularity being cut into tiny faceted stones as a black diamond simulant.
It is also lesser known as a simulant for Jewellers Black Onyx. Amusing that Jewellers Black Onyx is not an actual stone but a generic term used for almost any shiny black material. The most common being a dyed chalcedony but also includes agate, lignite, plastics and glass.
Black Spinel does provide a much harder and tougher inlay material and I recommend the extra expense when successive failures of dyed Chalcedony occur.
The first picture however is not Pleonaste, it is dyed Chalcedony that I recently inlaid into a white gold ring for a customer. It is a useful contrast;
[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaixng_volumesmedia-projectsimovie-project_lifestyle[/dailymotion]
This Pleonaste inlaid ring has suffered a few failures with Chalcedony and hopefully I won’t get to see it again for a long time;
[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaixqa_volumesmedia-projectsimovie-project_lifestyle[/dailymotion]
This Pleonaste inlaid Harley Davidson ring also suffered a failure with Chalcedony;
[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaixrz_volumesmedia-projectsimovie-project_lifestyle[/dailymotion]
Although it’s very unlikely that Black Nephrite jade would be sold as black Onyx as it does have a different look and of course there is the additional cost. Three pieces cut and inlaid into this 19 kt white gold ring;
[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xak3dg_white-gold-ring-with-black-jade-inl_lifestyle[/dailymotion]
Just to show that I haven’t just been inlaying black stuff, here is some blue in a silver ring;
[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaixon_volumesmedia-projectsimovie-project_lifestyle[/dailymotion]
Tony.
anthonylloydrees
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