Judging quality
Look for bright unmodified color and clean transparency. Burmese red and Tanzanian hot pink lead the market; natural untreated status is spinel's central value proposition.
Oxide
Spinel
Long mistaken for ruby, spinel is a distinct mineral with brilliant color, excellent hardness and, crucially, almost no treatment in the trade.
Care
Hard and durable. Warm soapy water is safe.
History & lore
The Black Prince's Ruby in the British Imperial State Crown is a spinel, as is the Timur Ruby.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Spinel
- What is Spinel?
- Long mistaken for ruby, spinel is a distinct mineral with brilliant color, excellent hardness and, crucially, almost no treatment in the trade.
- How hard is Spinel and what is it made of?
- Spinel is a Oxide-family mineral with the composition MgAl2O4. It crystallizes in the isometric system and rates 7.5-8 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in red, pink, blue, black.
- Where does Spinel come from?
- Notable localities for Spinel include Myanmar, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Vietnam.
- How do you tell good Spinel from filler?
- Look for bright unmodified color and clean transparency. Burmese red and Tanzanian hot pink lead the market; natural untreated status is spinel's central value proposition.
- How do you care for Spinel?
- Hard and durable. Warm soapy water is safe.
Related stones
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.