Spinel

overview

Naming : The etymology of the spinel gemstone is not entirely clear. The name could come from the Latin spinella ("little thorn") and refer to the pointed, thorn-like, octahedral spinel crystals. Or it comes from ancient Greek and means "spark" or "sparkle".
Mineral group: Spinel belongs to the mineral class of oxides. In mineralogy, spinel refers to a whole group of similar minerals, only a few of which have gemstone quality.
Color : Pure spinel is colorless. However, if coloring substances such as iron, chromium, vanadium or cobalt are present, a wide range of possible colors is possible. The most sought-after is a red similar to ruby.
Cut : The most common cuts of spinel are cushion cut and oval cut.
Special feature : Spinel was often confused with ruby in the past. That is why many famous rubies from history are actually spinels.

Color

Spinel comes in a variety of colors, but the most popular is a ruby-like red.

carat

A high-quality spinel weighing over 5 carats is a rarity. One carat (ct) is approximately 0.2 grams. The more a gemstone weighs, the more valuable it is. However, the color, clarity and cut are equally important quality factors.

purity

Spinels with few inclusions are the most sought after. If there are visible inclusions, the gemstone loses value.

cut

Spinel is usually cut into a cushion or oval shape. If the cut is excellent, it will have a beautiful shimmer.

The Spinel and its Special Properties

The streak color of the spinel gemstone is white; it is a fairly hard gemstone with a Mohs hardness of eight. Depending on the color, some spinel gemstones fluoresce. A red spinel, for example, can have a strong reddish fluorescence, while a blue one can fluoresce a weak reddish or green.

Special Spinels

famous

The famous ruby of the Black Prince is in reality not a ruby, but a red spinel.

The Greatest

The two largest spinel gemstones ever found are in the British Museum in London and weigh 520 carats each.

Special occasions

No special occasion was assigned to the spinel.

occurrence of spinel

Spinel is mainly formed in igneous rock (e.g. gneiss and marble). The gemstone is found mainly in the USA, Myanmar, Siberia and Sri Lanka.

jewelry with spinel

Are you dreaming of spinel jewelry or would you like to buy a spinel gemstone? At RENÉSIM we design jewelry according to your wishes and find the most beautiful gemstones in the world for you. Contact us without obligation using the inquiry form below. We look forward to hearing from you and will be happy to advise you!