Guaranteed Natural Gemstones

Spinel is a special gemstone in many ways. For centuries it was mistaken for ruby and gained undeserved fame. Today fine red spinel is more rare than ruby but less valuable. That looks like a delayed revenge for its unlucky past. Its name derivation is also ambiguous. Experts are undecided whether it derives from the Greek word for "spark" or the Latin for "thorn".

Although commonly thought of as red, spinel can be found in a range of beautiful pastel shades. These outstanding shades of pink, purple, orange, blue, plus every combination in between make spinel one of the most desirable stones in the world. Of particular interest is a vivid hot pink with a tinge of orange, mined in Myanmar, that is one of the most spectacular gemstone colors in any gem species.

Due to its excellent hardness (8 on Mohs scale) and high clarity spinel produces fine jewelry in various cuts and shapes. Spinel is never treated in any way and continues to be a great substitute for ruby and sapphire as well as an outstanding stone in its own right.

For more information see our Spinel Info Page