Spinel, 5.57ct

About Spinels

Spinels, for a long time, were misidentified as Rubies because of their extremely fine red color. These gemstones come in a wide variety of colors similar to the Corundum family (Rubies and Sapphires). The refractive index of spinels ranges from 1.712 - 1.762. They have a hardness of 8 on the Moh's hardness scale.

In short, Spinels are extremely fine-looking, durable gemstones which are an excellent alternative to Rubies and Sapphires. They are found in all hues such as red, pink, purple, blue, violet, green and orange. The most valuable spinels are however the ones that have a vivid blue or red color. The best and rarest blue spinels have a special term coined to describe their excellent blue hue known as "Cobalt-Blue". These can be extremely rare to find in Nature and are sought after by collectors.

Spinels have been found in deposits all over the world, however, the most notable origin are Burma, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan. Burmese spinels are the most valuable, however recently with the discovery of new mines in Tanzania and Mozambique, that fact is now changing.