About Spinel
History and Folklore
GIA wrote that 'Spinel is a good candidate for the title of "History's Most Underappreciated Gem," and a little bit of hunting through history books will tell you why. The Romans, the English Empire and the Chinese Dynasties all used spinels in their most prized jewelry. The crown jewels of England housed a famous a collection of sapphires and a 14th-century 'ruby' called The Black Prince's Ruby. It was not until 1783 when Jean Baptiste Louis Rome de Lisle discovered that these blue and red gemstones were actually not sapphires and rubies at all! As you may suspect, all of these stones were the overlooked beautiful spinels1 This collection is still on display today and worth a visit to the Tower of London.
Facts and Information
Spinel has been underappreciated for far too long! Increasing demand for ruby and sapphire alternatives rekindled appreciation for spinel's rich red and blue colors and history. Spine! comes in a massive range of hues, from orange to intense "apple" red. hot pink. and all shades of purple. blue. and violet through bluish green. Like diamonds, these stones are one of the few single refractive gemstones used widely in today's marketplace. With a Hardness of 8, this stone is a wonderful alternative for Amethyst. Peridot. and Tourmalines of all colors. It is important to note that Spinels are commonly found UNHEATED. This is a great option for any client that is looking for unaltered color,
Major Sources
Identification and Characteristics
- R.I.: 1.718
- Birefringence: None
- Hardness: 8
- S.G.: 3.60
Cleaning Methods
- Safe In warm, soapy water
- Usually safe in ultrasonic and steamer as long as not heavy Included
