| Spinel is the great imposter of
gemstone history: many famous rubies in crown jewels around
the world are actually spinel. The most famous is the Black
Prince's Ruby, a magnificent 170-carat red spinel that
currently adorns the Imperial State Crown in the British Crown
Jewels after a long history: Henry V even wore it on his
battle helmet! The Timur Ruby, a 352-carat red spinel now
owned by Queen Elizabeth, has the names of some of the Mughal
emperors who previously owned it engraved on its face, an
undeniable pedigree!
In Burma (Myanmar), where some of the most beautiful colors
are mined, spinel was recognized as a separate gem species as
early as 1587. In other countries the masquerade lasted for
hundreds of years after that. Spinels were most often referred
to as "balas rubies" which may have referred to
color or to country of origin.
Now treasured for its own sake, spinel is a favorite of gem
dealers and gem collectors due to its brilliance, hardness and
wide range of spectacular colors. In addition to beautiful
rich reds, spinel can be found in a range of beautiful pastel
shades of pink and purple. Of particular interest is a vivid
hot pink with a tinge of orange that is mined in Burma that is
one of the most spectacular gemstone colors in any gem
species. Spinel also comes in beautiful blues which are
sometimes called cobalt spinel, but these are very very rare.
Because spinels made in a laboratory are often used for
imitation birthstone rings, many people think
"synthetic" when they hear the name "spinel."
They have often never even seen the real thing.
In fact, the main thing holding back greater recognition
for spinel is rarity. Fine Spinels are now more rare than the
rubies they used to imitate. Strangely, they are also more
affordable: in the gem world, too rare can be a drawback
because so few people even get a chance to grow to love these
gem varieties.
In addition to Burma, now known as Myanmar, spinel is mined
in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Tadjikstan, part of the former
Soviet Union.
Spinel is a durable gemstone that is perfect for all
jewelry uses. It is most often faceted in oval, round, or
cushion shapes and is not currently found in calibrated sizes
due to its rarity.
Color: red, green, blue, purple, brown, and black • Luster
is vitreous. • Transparency: Crystals are transparent
to translucent • Crystal System: Isometric • Crystal
Habits typical octahedron, • Cleavage: None • Fracture
is conchoidal. • Hardness is 7.5-8.0 • Specific
Gravity is 3.6-4.0 • Streak is white |
