SPINEL

SPINEL	Once confused with Ruby and Sapphire
Major Sources	Burma, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania & Vietnam
Colors Found	Various
Family	Spinel: MgAl2O4
Hardness	8
Refractive Index	1.71–1.72; SR
Specific Gravity	3.54–3.63
Crystal System	Cubic
Enhancements	May be enhanced

Spinel was once mistaken for ruby and sapphire, but it’s no impostor, rather a “master of disguise.” One of the gem kingdom’s best kept secrets, spinel is treasured for its eternal brilliance and spectacular colors. Whether your fascination with gems is for their beauty, rarity or history, spinel is a superb addition to your jewelry collection.

Spinel’s name is derived either from the Latin word for thorn, spina, as a result of its characteristic octahedral crystals having pointed ends, or from the Greek word for spark, spintharis, in reference to the gem’s bright red hues.

Legends and lore

Due to its mistaken identity, spinel has few historical references. However, spinels have a bizarre association with sorcerers and alchemists. Spinels were used by practitioners of the “dark arts” to summon demons and also used as amulets to protect them from fire. One tale describes how spinels could be used to work against their masters. Those thought to possess supernatural powers were found guilty if they began to shake when approached with a spinel wrapped in paper.

Spinels occupy a unique place in gemstone history. Despite being recognized as a separate gem species in 1587, up until the 19th century the intense coloration displayed by red spinel led some to mistakenly identify this gem as ruby. The source of confusion stemmed not only from color similarities but also the close proximity of their deposits. It was not until 1783 that Rome de L’Isle became the first scientist to clearly distinguish differences between ruby and red spinel.

Red spinel’s near identical resemblance to ruby results in it being a prodigious, albeit accidental feature in many of the world’s most famous gem collections, including the Vatican’s and the Crown Jewels of Russia, Iran and England. Interestingly, both the legendary 352 carat Timur Ruby and the 170 carat Black Prince’s Ruby, which feature in the British Imperial State Crown proved to be red spinel.

In 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt the English King, Henry V wore a helmet garnished with jewels including the Black Prince’s Ruby. During the battle, the French commander, the Duke of Alencon, struck Henry’s head a mighty blow with his battle-axe, nearly killing the King. Surprisingly, the force of the blow glanced off the spinel saving his life and allowed Henry to lead his troops to what many thought would be an impossible victory.

Just the facts

The reality behind red spinel’s ruby-like appearance is its proximity to corundum deposits, the base mineral of rubies and sapphires, and chromium, the Midas element responsible for giving both red spinels and rubies their deep red color.

Today, spinels can be easily identified by their refractivity. Since red spinels are singly refractive and rubies doubly refractive, the primary color in red spinels appears purer and more intense than the reds seen in many rubies.

Spinel occurs in many colors including red, blue, pink, orange and a plethora of other fancy colors. Apart from color prefixes, some of spinel’s variety names include:

Ayanna Spinel	Red to pink spinel from Mahenge, Tanzania
Balas Ruby	An historical name for spinel, which referred to gems from the Kuh-i-Lal mine in Badakhshan in present-day Tajikistan
Cobalt Blue Spinel	Resembling fine sapphires, these exceptional blue spinels from Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam are sometimes colored by cobalt. Regular blue spinel also hails from Tanzania and displays similar visual similarities to sapphire, particularly those from Montana, USA.
Flame Spinel	The orange-red variety of spinel
Gahnite or Gahnospinel	Named after Swedish chemist L.G. Gahn, it is the rare greenish or bluish, zinc-rich variety of spinel.
Red Spinel	The red variety of spinel that was historically mistaken for ruby.

Similar to ruby, spinel is mined from alluvial deposits generally derived from weathered marbles. Spinels come from a handful of sources including Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tunduru in Tanzania’s remote southeast and central Vietnam’s Luc Yen region. While most gemstone aficionados know Burma to be the classic and most familiar source for fine red spinel, new discoveries in Tanzania’s Mahenge region are shifting paradigms. Tanzanian red spinel is increasingly acclaimed for its bright red hues and a brilliance and luster that defy verbal description.

Perfect octahedral crystals are sometimes set into jewelry in their original uncut octahedral shapes. The Burmese refer to these gems as nat thwe, meaning spirit polished. Sometimes nat thwe spinels will receive a very light polishing.

Pure spinel is white, but impurities give it a wide range of colors. Almost all colors are used in jewelry, but the most valuable and popular color is red spinel. Occasionally, color change varieties are found, turning color from a light grey blue in daylight to a light purple under candlelight. Star spinels are also known, particularly from Sri Lanka. They may show both four and six-rayed stars, even on the same stone. Cat’s eye spinels are extremely rare, with only a handful of specimens known.

Even though they are more affordable, did you know that spinels are rarer than rubies? In the gem kingdom, “rare” can be both a blessing and a curse, as this affects market prices and availability. This is unfortunate for the spinel miner, but great news for everyone else as they are one of nature’s most beautiful treasures.

Spinels are intensely colored durable gemstones perfect for all jewelry. Spinel’s high refractive index makes cutting important, as the quality of the cut will affect its brilliance. Naturally, all spinels sold at GemsTV are faceted by experienced cutters who always take each gemstone’s physical properties and individual attributes into consideration.

Tanzania is the latest entrant in the spinel sweepstakes and new finds have sent prices soaring. While spinel was first found in Tanzania near Matombo in the Mahenge area of Tanzania, East Africa, spectacular finds in July 2007 set the spinel world on it’s head. Within a span of just three months, several large crystals were unearthed at Ipanko (Mahenge), including one of 52 kg.
When we first saw this lovely bloom we decide to name it ayanna, which is Swahili for “beautiful flower” or “wildflower.” Swahili (Kiswahili in the native tongue) is the language of Tanzania.