Red spinel – the most valuable spinel
When you buy a red spinel, you are buying the most valuable of all spinels.
The name spinel probably comes from the Latin “spinella”, meaning “little thorn”. And the sharp crystals of spinel do resemble little thorns. In addition to red spinel, there is also green, pink, purple and blue spinel.
Red spinel or ruby?
Thanks to its intense red color, red spinel can be mistaken for rubies. It is only possible to distinguish between the two on closer inspection.
Some of the most famous rubies in history have turned out to be spinels. These include two large red gems in the English Crown Jewels, the “Black Prince's Ruby” and the “Timur Ruby”.
Whether a stone is a spinel or a ruby makes a big difference, especially in terms of price. Although spinels can be quite expensive, they are still quite affordable compared to rubies.
Structure makes the difference
Spinel and ruby differ in their structure. Spinel has an octahedral crystal structure and simple light refraction. This means that it emits the same color in all directions. This property is also referred to as “isotropic”. Rubies, on the other hand, are uniaxial. This means that they have a second color shade. If you look at the stone from a different angle, it changes its hue slightly.
In addition to refraction, hardness also plays a role in differentiating between the two. The ruby has a Mohs hardness of 9 and is the second hardest precious stone after the diamond. The spinel is softer, with a Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8.
Red spinel: from Africa to Europe and Asia
Spinels are mined worldwide, including in Myanmar, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Pakistan, Australia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Europe.
Use for unique jewelry
Thanks to its high Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8, spinel is ideal for processing. You can have gemstones from the IGNEOUS gem shop made into beautiful pieces of jewelry by a goldsmith.
Are you looking for a suitable piece of jewelry for someone born in August? Like the peridot, the spinel is also the birthstone of the month of August (according to the American Gem Society). If the person you love also likes the color red, the red spinel is definitely the right gemstone for your birthday present.
In general, jewelry with a red spinel is ideal for anyone who likes the color red. Spinels are less expensive red gemstones than rubies and are therefore often preferred.
If you don't compare spinels with rubies, sapphires or emeralds, they are always valuable stones, whose value can be further increased by a finely crafted platinum or gold setting. This precious stone also comes into its own in a silver setting.
Whether you have your gemstone made into a ring, necklace, or bracelet is entirely up to you.
Treatment to optimize clarity
The color of spinels is not improved by treatment. Although the color of these stones can change when they are heated, they return to their original color when they cool down again.
Their clarity, on the other hand, can be enhanced. Spinels are generally found in a very pure form, but sometimes they contain apatite inclusions and healing cracks. These cracks are filled by treatment with oil. Any such treatment must always be stated in the certificate of a gemstone.
Most common cuts: from cushion to brilliant
Spinels are often cut in a cushion shape. They can also be found in a round or oval brilliant cut, in an emerald cut and as a smoothly cut cabochon.
