Sparkling Spinel

History tells us that for hundreds of years Spinel was mistaken for Ruby, the Black Prince's Ruby an integral part of the British Crown Jewels isn't actually a Ruby at all but a very fine specimen of this rare and underrated gemstone.

The reasons for this confusion are quite understandable as this gemstone is found in Ruby and Sapphire deposits where magnesium is present and like Rubies they do fluoresce under ultraviolet light.

The most sought after and popular colour of this jewel is a bright red orange which carries a higher price than other varieties, these are known as Rubicelle.

Blue varieties called Gahnite and Gahnospinel are often commonly mistaken for Sapphire and Tourmaline and are usually blue-violet in colour.

Typical inclusions present in these stones are rutile needles and very small octahedral crystals.

Asterism as well as green, yellow and colourless are very rare indeed.

Good examples of this striking gem can be found in Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka as well as Madagascar, Africa, Pakistan the United States, Thailand, Brazil and Russia.

Photos by Henry Chaplin

The popularity of Spinel Jewelry is without doubt on the increase, the hardness of the stone which measures 8 on the Moh scale means that jewelers find it ideal for use in engagement rings it's high resistance to abrasion making it perfect for every day wear.

Another big bonus the stone has in it's favour is the fact that it isn't a brittle jewel and faceted edges stay sharp keeping it's appeal for a long time even if worn daily.

Most of the gemstones found in the shops today consist of small faceted stones as large gems are rarely found, maybe this is the reason why it hasn't reached the popularity of other gemstones.

A well proportioned faceted jewel in a brilliant cut can rival even a diamond for fire and there are no issues with treatments as the stone is rarely ever heat treated so you can assume with confidence that your sparkling purchase is as mother nature intended.

Synthetic varieties have been manufactured now for nearly a hundred years and should be labelled as such.

At this current time Spinel Jewelry remains a good cheaper alternative to Corundum but you can be certain that as this striking gemstone becomes more prominent in the public eye prices are surely set to rise.

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