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Spinel: The Mystery Stone

Spinel is to ruby as Salieri is to Mozart. An odd


statement to be sure, but not too far from the mark!
Whenever I ask people to tell me what they know
about ruby, I normally get an interesting fact or two.
But ask about red spinel, and I can see their brow
furrow right before a blank look crosses their face.

Nearly everyone has heard of ruby, but spinel is


about as well known as Salieri, whose significant
musical talents were overshadowed by those of his
more celebrated contemporary, Mozart.

Spinels Throughout History


Spinel has been totally eclipsed by its precious red companion in nature. To make mat-
ters worse, spinel has been confused and misunderstood by man for most of its journey
throughout the corridors of history. To understand spinel better, let's deal with the past
before the present.

If you look back hundreds or even thousands of years, you will notice an absence of
references to spinel. Why? Well, for starters, gems were divided by color. Not very sci-
entific to be sure, but that was the standard for separation back then. So red gems such
as spinel and garnet were placed into the category of ruby.

Many famous gems, such as the Black Prince's Ruby and the Timor Ruby in the crown
jewels of England, aren't rubies at all. They are spectacular large red spinels.

We can all be thankful for the evolution and refinement of gemology. Without this sci-
ence, spinel would still be lingering in total anonymity, a fate is does not deserve.

Spinel has been identified as a separate and distinct mineral for more than a century
and a half, yet in all that time it has never gained the prominence or the wide-spread
recognition of ruby. Although a number of factors are responsible for this outcome, sup-
ply has always been a major issue. If sufficient money were devoted to promoting and
marketing spinel, it would most undoubtedly create greater demand. Over the years, the
supply of spinel has never been consistent and would not be capable of sustaining such
an effort. It is truly a shame, since red spinel is an excellent and less expensive alterna-
tive to ruby.
A Rainbow of Colors
I have spent a great deal of time discussing red
spinel, yet spinel comes in every color of the rain-
bow. Its palette is truly exceptional. There are
even colorless and black varieties. In the gem
trade, the bright lively reds and blues garner the
highest prices.

Durable Spinel
Spinels are also excellent for use in jewelry be-
cause they are hard, tough, and more affordable
than ruby or sapphire. Unfortunately, the supply of
spinel limits most mass-market jewelry to smaller
stones. Larger, cleaner goods are in short supply
and often set in one-of-a-kind pieces. Spinel is
also prized by mineral collectors for its well-formed
octahedral crystals. In rare cases, a lucky collector
might even run across a fully formed cube or do-
decahedron.

Spinel or Corundum?
How difficult is it for a gemologist to differentiate between spinel and corundum? Not
very. Spinel may often look like corundum, but it has different chemical, optical, and
physical properties. In simple terms, spinel is not as hard or as dense as ruby or sap-
phire. It also has many other discrete characteristics. The most notable difference be-
tween the two is crystal structure. Spinel belongs to the cubic system and, unlike ruby
and sapphire, is singly refractive. The fastest and easiest way to separate the two gems
is by looking for double refraction or its absence.

Chemically, spinel is a magnesium aluminum oxide,


its chemical formula represented as MgAl2O3. Nature,
however, rarely creates anything quite that pure. Many
other elements are often present in varying amounts,
creating a slightly wider range of values for many of
spinel s properties. Iron, manganese, and zinc are
three of the most common replacements for magne-
sium. In rare cases, spinel may exhibit phenomena.
Star and color-change spinels are highly prized by
gemstone collectors. Stars may have four or six rays,
dependent upon the orientation of the cut.

Spinel Mining
Spinel is found in some of the most exotic and nearly
inaccessible parts of Earth. Myanmar (old Burma) and
Sri Lanka are two of the most well-known spinel
sources, but spinel may also be found in Cambodia,
Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, Thailand, and Vietnam.

You may have noticed that all of these countries are also sources of corundum. Spinel is
commonly found in association with ruby and sapphire.

Can this gemstone take its rightful place among the best that Mother Nature has to of-
fer? Possibly, but the challenges are great. Remote locations, adverse political condi-
tions, difficult terrain, inhospitable weather, and primitive mining techniques all work
against the widespread availability and prominence of this magnificent gemstone.

Unless these factors can be overcome or mitigated, spinel will continue to reign in ano-
nymity, save among the most loyal and devoted of gemstone enthusiasts. It is to be
hoped that, with time, spinel can claim greater recognition than the Salieris of the world.

Browse a wide selection of spinel at jtv.com.

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