Spinel is a completely misunderstood gem...in ancient days Spinel was thought to be Ruby...Boomers tend to remember it as a synthetic stone for class rings....in today's terms, we need to work on this stone's "brand". The crowning glory for Spinel was when the Crown Jewels of England were found to have Spinel instead of Ruby as some of the stones.
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Spinel is found in many locals worldwide - and in some of the most exotic gem-rich countries. Today, due to a new find in Tanzania, this rich and beautiful jewel is finally taking its place beside the finest of gems and doing it with its real name intact!
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The name Spinel comes from "spina" the Latin for thorn which is thought to refer to the pointed octahedral shaped crystals. It is the magnesium aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals, with the formula MgAl2O4. As with most gems, Spinel in it's purest form is a clear colorless stone - trace elements in the areas where the deposits are found are responsible for the rainbow of colors that this up and comer can be found in. From the palest of pastel lavenders, pinks and blues, warm coffee browns to the most vivid red and gleaming black.
The name Spinel comes from "spina" the Latin for thorn which is thought to refer to the pointed octahedral shaped crystals. It is the magnesium aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals, with the formula MgAl2O4. As with most gems, Spinel in it's purest form is a clear colorless stone - trace elements in the areas where the deposits are found are responsible for the rainbow of colors that this up and comer can be found in. From the palest of pastel lavenders, pinks and blues, warm coffee browns to the most vivid red and gleaming black.
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The Crown Jewels of Iran include what are thought to be the finest collection of Spinel, the largest of which is a 500 carat stone. This collection was plundered from India when the Mogul Empire fell. Yet the most famous Spinels, or should I say infamous are the 170 carat "Black Star Ruby" and 361 carat "Timur Ruby" found in the British Crown Jewels. Only 150 years ago was this gem identified as a separate species from its look-a-like cousin, Corundum or Ruby. And by 1910 using the Verneuil method of synthesizing, Spinel was successfully created in the laboratory. This synthesized version became the hit of the "class ring" world of the 40s-50s and 60s. Today gorgeous Spinel gems are coming out of Tanzania and the gem rich Mogok Valley. It's color and hardness make it a great option for jewelry.
.The Crown Jewels of Iran include what are thought to be the finest collection of Spinel, the largest of which is a 500 carat stone. This collection was plundered from India when the Mogul Empire fell. Yet the most famous Spinels, or should I say infamous are the 170 carat "Black Star Ruby" and 361 carat "Timur Ruby" found in the British Crown Jewels. Only 150 years ago was this gem identified as a separate species from its look-a-like cousin, Corundum or Ruby. And by 1910 using the Verneuil method of synthesizing, Spinel was successfully created in the laboratory. This synthesized version became the hit of the "class ring" world of the 40s-50s and 60s. Today gorgeous Spinel gems are coming out of Tanzania and the gem rich Mogok Valley. It's color and hardness make it a great option for jewelry.
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal: Isometric
Morphology: Usually Octohedral
Hardness (Mohs): 7 1/2 to 8
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Thanks to GemCal and The Daily Jewel for their information on Spinel.
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