SPINEL
Spinel is a very rare and spectacular gemstone; however, it is also probably one of the least understood and most confusing gems in history. Spinel is its own crystal structure that occurs naturally in the earth as a pure, clear crystal. It gets its colors from elements from the surrounding soil as it grows. Different transitional elements infused in the crystal determine what color the gem will be. Spinel has been found in red, blue, green, yellow, brown, pink, and occasionally violet. Unfortunately, most stones are not transparent enough to be faceted into gemstones. The earliest examples of green, pink, yellow, and brown spinels have been found in Ancient Roman jewelry. The other two colors, red and blue, were the beginnings of the confusion about spinel. Spinel grows in identical conditions as corundum. Corundum, ruby, and sapphire require that aluminum or chromium be present to give the gem its color. Spinel needs the same elements to give it either a red or blue color. The two different crystals are formed side by side. In fact, in every ruby or sapphire mine, the correlating color spinel is also present. Many times, it is unclear which stones they are until gemological tests are performed. Before the early 1900’s, the stones were often sold as the same thing. Since ruby and sapphire were much better known through history, people were disappointed to find out their treasured family ruby was actually a spinel. We now know that disappointment is unwarranted. Many red and blue spinels in large sizes are in fact rarer than their corundum counterparts.
The other factor that led to the confusion was that in the late 1800’s, man-made spinel was created. It was one of the first natural crystals ever created in a laboratory. We had finally figured out how to grow an identical gem to the naturally occurring stone. These stones were expensive to create at the time and commanded prices close to the natural gems. The public’s fascination with this man-made gem was instant. People were buying the lab version of spinel with great excitement. As demand grew, more companies started to duplicate this gem. As supply exploded over the next 10 years, the prices dropped, and people soon were no longer interested in these spinels. The gem was so prevalent that by the early 1900s everyone associated the name spinel to mean synthetic. The naturally occurring gem would have to wait another 100 years to gain back its desirability. It bears noting that corundum was lab created in the 1920s, but most people, having remembered the synthetic spinel, were not willing to pay comparable prices to the natural rubies and sapphires.
When selecting a spinel, the three biggest determiners of value are color, transparency, and size. The stones have no known heating, and the colors go from lights to darks in any of the aforementioned colors. The goal is to find the purest color available. Spinel is usually found with a prominent gray or silver secondary tone to the premier color. The purer the overall color, and less of the gray background, the more desired, rare, and valuable the gem becomes. Whether it’s a soft baby pink or an intense neon pink, the purer the color, the better.
Another factor is the degree of transparency the gem displays. Spinel, by nature, is usually a little milky overall. The more crystalline the stone, the more valuable the stone. That being said, sometimes a slight milkiness can actually make the pink and violet stones florace.
This phenomenon seems to make the stone appear as if it is glowing from within. If floraces occur in the stones, although slightly clouded, they are still highly prized. The last feature is size. Natural stones rarely are found over 3 carats. Those large, pure colored, transparent spinels are very important and collectible.
HISTORY AND FOLKLORE
Spinel has a most interesting history. In Ancient times, the mines of Central and Southeast Asia produced some very rare large red spinels. These stones were given to the king and emperors of the times since nothing like these stones had ever been found before. One famous example of one of these red gems is the “Black Prince’s Ruby.” This important red stone is set in England’s Empirical Crown and displayed in the Tower of London. Its known history dates back to mid-13th century Spain. The stone was owned by a succession of Spanish kings. In 1367, it was gifted to Prince Edward of Wales –The Black Prince – as payment for victory in battle. It has remained in the King’s collection as the center piece of the royal crown. Although still being referred to as the “Black Prince’s Ruby,” it was discovered in the 1970s to actually be a spinel.
Another famous and priceless red stone is the TIMUR RUBY. The Timur Ruby was discovered in the 12th century in central Asia. The magnificent red jewel is a faceted 352-carat gem. The stone was first acquired by Timur, the Turks-Mongolian ruler of Asia. During his reign, there were several wars with the Persians. Eventually, the stone was captured and passed through a lineage of Persian rulers. With the British expansion in the 1800s, the stone was given to Queen Victoria in 1857 as a trade for land. It became part of the Crown Jewel Collection and was known worldwide as the world’s largest ruby. In the mid-1960s it was tested and proved to be the world’s largest red spinel. This priceless gem still remains with the English royal collection, and is still called the “Timur Ruby.” Spinel has many positive metaphysical properties. It is said to bring high energy to its wearer in any pursuit. Whether its money, love, or intellect. Spinel will make all of these more attainable through its energy raising power.
Wear and Care
Spinel is an 8 in hardness and is considered very durable. Overly aggressive treatment should be avoided as it can lead to facet abrasions.