Spinel

FUN FACTS

The most famous spinel is the “Black Prince’s Ruby” which was at one point possessed by England’s Edward II and acquired as part of a military campaign. It’s currently set in the Imperial State Crown in the Tower of London.

Legend has it that Henry V’s life was saved by wearing a spinel on his helmet; a battle axe aimed at his head hit the stone instead.

Sometimes mistaken for ruby or sapphire, spinel can be differentiated from other stones because of its octahedral structure.

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Spinel

ABOUT

Spinel is said to be a calming gem best used to face one’s challenges and can be used to relieve people with undue amounts of stress and low self-esteem, and associated with renewal and relieving fatigue, both physical and mental. Red stones in particular are believed to help unblock the emotions of those normally closed off.  While spinel comes in a variety of colors including pink, purple, and blue, it is the red spinel that is hardest to find (owing its bright color to chromium) and therefore the most valuable.

Spinel

STORY

The name spinel is said to come from either the Latin‘spina’for ‘thorn’ because of its pointed nature, or the Greek word for ‘spark’ because of its brightness. Sometimes known as the ‘balas ruby’, the stone finds its origins in Badakshan, a region in northern Afghanistan. Because of its resemblance to ruby, it was sometimes known as the ‘imposter gem’ and included in the collections of many royal jewelry collections by accident. Spinels are often found in mines alongside rubies and sapphires in Southeast Asia (specifically Vietnam and Burma), Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. 

GEMOLOGICAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • FAMILY

    Crystal

  • CHEMISTRY

    MgAl2O4

  • REFRACTIVE INDEX

    1.712 – 1.736

  • BIREFRINGENCE

    1.712 - 1.762

  • SPECIFIC GRAVITY

    3.58 - 3.61

  • HARDNESS

    3.54 - 3.63