Spinel

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For centuries many of the world's most celebrated rubies were in fact red spinel, including the Black Prince's Ruby set in the British Imperial State Crown—a confusion that reflects spinel's ability to rival the finest rubies and sapphires. Spinel is an aluminum oxide mineral occurring in virtually every color, with vivid red, pink, and blue stones the most prized. The Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan and the Mogok Valley of Myanmar produce the most sought red and pink material, while vibrant blue spinels come from Sri Lanka and Tanzania. A Mohs hardness of 8 and excellent toughness make spinel highly suitable for daily wear, and it is recognized as a modern birthstone for August.

Physical & Optical Properties

Category Semi-Precious Gems

Mohs Hardness 8.0

Specific Gravity 3.54 – 3.7

Refractive Index 1.71 – 1.735

Crystal System Isometric

Luster Vitreous

Cleavage Indistinct

Fracture Conchoidal

Color various

Dispersion 0.02

Pleochroism Absent

Mohs Hardness

Mohs hardness of Spinel shown against the ten reference minerals, from talc (1) to diamond (10).

Mohs	Reference mineral	Spinel
1	Talc
2	Gypsum
3	Calcite
4	Fluorite
5	Apatite
6	Orthoclase
7	Quartz
8	Topaz	●
9	Corundum
10	Diamond

Crystal System

Value & Market

Price Tier Fine ($500-5,000/ct)

Where to Buy Spinel

Blue Nile Fine jewelry retailer

James Allen Gemstone jewelry

Brilliant Earth Ethically sourced gems

Amazon Wide selection

Links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Cultural Significance

Birthstone Month 8 (traditional)

Treatments

8Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references 3.54 to 3.70Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references IndistinctWalter Schumann, Gemstones of the world (2001) More from other references ConchoidalArthur Thomas, Gemstones (2009) 1.710 to 1.735+Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references IsotropicHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) Anomalous double refractionMore from other references AbsentWalter Schumann, Gemstones of the world (2001) 0.020Arthur Thomas, Gemstones (2009) Rare star 4/6Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references Red, pink, orange, blue, violet, blue-greenUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references Pink to red: inert to fluorescent red. Rare cobalt blue: reddish.Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) Violet to purple, Cr3+ in octahedral coordination and Fe2+ in tetrahedral coordination. Cobalt blue, Co2+ and Fe2+ in tetrahedral coordination. Bluish green Fe3+ and Fe2+ in tetrahedral coordination. Green (synthetic spinel), Cr3+ in octahedral coordination. Pink to red, Cr3+ in octahedral coordinationW. William Hanneman, Pragmatic Spectroscopy For Gemologists (2011) TransparentUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references VitreousArthur Thomas, Gemstones (2009) Red spinel: strong - red; blue spinel: weak - reddish, green.Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the world (2001) Pink to red: inert to reddish. Blue: inert. Rare cobalt blue: normally inert.Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references Pink to red: inert to red-(orangy). Blue: greenish. Rare cobalt blue: weak to moderate red. Colorless and light green: inert to moderate orangy-red.Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references There is a moderate glow of crimson colour for red and pink spinels. Some purple to mauve specimens glow plum-colour to lilac. Other specimens respond green.Michael O?Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) IsometricHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references Octahedra though some specimens may show dodecahedron or cube faces.Michael O?Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references Spinel is formed at high temperatures as an accessory in igneous rocks, in regionally and contact metamorphosed limestones and in other contexts.Michael O?Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) Spinel information at mindat.org Afghanistan  Hughes (1994) Cambodia  Hughes (1994) China  Madagascar  [var: Pleonaste] Pezzotta (1999) Milisenda et al. (2001) Myanmar  Smith and Bosshart (2001) Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Hughes (1997) Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Ted Themelis (2008) Gems & mines of Mogok Pakistan  Hammer (2004) Russia  Evseev (1994) Sri Lanka  G. Zoysa (2009) Dissanayake et al. (2000) Dissanayake et al. (2000) Dissanayake et al. (2000) [var: Gahnospinel] Milisenda and Henn (1999) Tajikistan  Bowersox and Chamberlin (1995) Tanzania  Hyrsl (2001) Hyrsl (2001) Hyrsl (2001) Quinn and Laurs (2004) Pardieu (2007) Thailand  USA  Kunz, George Frederick (1883), American gems and precious stones: Mineral Resources U.S., 1882: 486; Kunz, George Frederick (1905a), Gems, jewelers’ materials, and ornamental stones of California: California Division Mines Bulletin 37, 171 pp.: 47; Murdoch, Joseph & Robert W. Webb (1966), Minerals of California, Centennial Volume (1866-1966): California Division Mines & Geology Bulletin 189: 346. Vietnam  Pardieu and Senoble (2005) Pardieu and Senoble (2005) Gemexplorer.org

About Spinel

スピネルはほぼすべての色で産出するアルミニウム酸化物鉱物で、鮮やかな赤・ピンク・青のスピネルは美しさと歴史的な名声においてルビーやサファイアに匹敵します。何世紀もの間、世界で最も名高い「ルビー」の多くは実際にはスピネルであり、その中には英国の帝国国家冠の「ブラック・プリンス・ルビー」も含まれています。タジキスタンのパミール高原とミャンマーのモゴック渓谷は最高品質の赤・ピンクスピネルの産地で、スリランカとタンザニアからは鮮やかな青色の石が産出されます。