EVERYTHING
aBOUT RED SPINELS

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We are all familiar with spinel, a gemstone that can be found in many different colors. Its fiery red color makes it an exceptional gemstone equal to the most beautiful rubies in the world. In addition to cobalt blue spinels, neon pink spinels have gained popularity among collectors in recent years. Yet, despite being a very rare gemstone, spinels have never been particularly popular in the gem industry. Let's discover why.

Red ruby, the colored variety of corundum that also includes blue sapphire, and spinel are two stones that have been coveted and valued as gemstones since antiquity. The separation of these two stones, however, did not happen until much later. Late in the sixteenth century, Myanmarese gem traders were the first to separate spinel from ruby. Europe continued to misidentify spinel as ruby until the middle of the nineteenth century.

If spinel is currently so undervalued, there are a number of reasons why.

The first is its resemblance to the ruby gemstone in both appearance and provenance. The reason spinel is frequently substituted (and mistaken for) ruby may be that spinel is an indication gem for ruby. When a gem miner discovers spinel, he is certain that ruby is nearby. A trained eye may easily tell the difference between the crystals, especially if the crystal's natural shape has not been worn away. In Burma, the octahedral crystals of spinel are so precisely formed that they are referred to as "angel cut," meaning that the crystals were cut by angels.

The second reason is the saturation of the market with synthetic spinels. The market was quickly flooded with synthetic stones manufactured by the Verneuil technique (the most common) or the anhydrous alternative.

The third and last explanation for its market unpopularity is its lack of advertising, which is currently the most crucial factor in selling any product. As a result, most of the errors of the past have remained embedded in standards, relegating red spinel to imposter status despite its rarity and beauty rivaling that of the greatest rubies.

Spinel is among the rare gemstones that require no additional treatment. Spinel is almost always untreated, as its rich, vibrant hues and superior clarity are all-natural. In addition to its greater hue and brilliance, spinel is much rarer than ruby. In addition, only a few stones are as resistant as spinel, and its extraordinary hardness of 8 is unmatched. Due to its high hardness, it is a daily-use stone that is easily wearable, unlike the market's more fragile semi-precious stones.

In alluvial deposits, spinel coexists with ruby and sapphire, primarily in the Mogok region of Myanmar and southwest Sri Lanka. Burma, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, and Madagascar are modern sources of spinel; nevertheless, you may be surprised to learn that spinel has also been discovered in New Jersey, the United States, Australia, Brazil, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Nigeria.

Spinels are frequently referred to as "ruby imitations" despite the fact that they are stones that may compete with them. Therefore, it is more engaging for jewelers to set rubies in order to retain this reputation than to select fiery red spinels.

Note henceforth that naturally red spinel is never treated and that heat treatment has no visual impact on its appearance. Spinels, which are classified as type II gemstones, are rarely affected by inclusions. And even if imperfections are present, they rarely diminish the visual attractiveness of the stone.

Red spinel is famous for retaining a unique hue. If you ask a gemologist about a stone with a very specific color in its effigy, he will almost always mention spinel. Why ? Because spinel, in its purest form and best "version," offers a spectrum of colors unmatched by any other gemstone species.

In addition to its distinctive refractive property, spinel's attractiveness lies in its uniqueness. As a singly-refractive gemstone, spinels only reflect the primary color, in contrast to sapphires, which can have many hues within a single stone. As opposed to a mixture of hues, spinels' properties make it display a single beam of a single color. This differentiates it from rubies, which can appear violetish-red or orangish-red. To put it simply, it is not a single color beam that has been split in half.

Spinels are also recognized from other stones mostly by their fluorescence, which contributes to their color saturation. The presence of UV light in daylight causes the stones, among other things, to physically glow, or to shine vividly in natural light. The reputation of pink neon spinel owes in part to this term.

Consequently, a red spinel owes its vivid color to the aforementioned traits. Spinel is a priceless gem for collectors and gemologists due to its extraordinary brilliance, which makes it one of the most stunning semi-precious stones.

Spinel's gray color is associated to a cold color. As a result, silver, white gold, and platinum are color palettes associated with this hue. To accentuate the color of a cushion-shaped spinel, it can be surrounded by white diamonds. If your spinel has a deeper violet tone, you might sublimate it with black diamonds, amethyst, or lighter cold colors.

Although spinels are quite shock resistant, mounting them on rings that you will wear every day is not suggested due to the possibility of fracturing the stone (if deep inclusions are present) or seeing some cracks appear on its surface. Prefer bracelets, earrings, or a complete necklace set.

Spinel's gray color is associated to a cold color. As a result, silver, white gold, and platinum are color palettes associated with this hue. To accentuate the color of a cushion-shaped spinel, it can be surrounded by white diamonds. If your spinel has a deeper violet tone, you might sublimate it with black diamonds, amethyst, or lighter cold colors.

Although spinels are quite shock resistant, mounting them on rings that you will wear every day is not suggested due to the possibility of fracturing the stone (if deep inclusions are present) or seeing some cracks appear on its surface. Prefer bracelets, earrings, or a complete necklace set.

Spinel's gray color is associated to a cold color. As a result, silver, white gold, and platinum are color palettes associated with this hue. To accentuate the color of a cushion-shaped spinel, it can be surrounded by white diamonds. If your spinel has a deeper violet tone, you might sublimate it with black diamonds, amethyst, or lighter cold colors.

Although spinels are quite shock resistant, mounting them on rings that you will wear every day is not suggested due to the possibility of fracturing the stone (if deep inclusions are present) or seeing some cracks appear on its surface. Prefer bracelets, earrings, or a complete necklace set.

Spinel's gray color is associated to a cold color. As a result, silver, white gold, and platinum are color palettes associated with this hue. To accentuate the color of a cushion-shaped spinel, it can be surrounded by white diamonds. If your spinel has a deeper violet tone, you might sublimate it with black diamonds, amethyst, or lighter cold colors.

Although spinels are quite shock resistant, mounting them on rings that you will wear every day is not suggested due to the possibility of fracturing the stone (if deep inclusions are present) or seeing some cracks appear on its surface. Prefer bracelets, earrings, or a complete necklace set.