Spinel Gemstone Information

Introduction

Spinel is a rare and often flawless gemstone that comes in a wide variety of colors. It has a durable hardness rating of 8, which is only just behind sapphire, ruby, and diamond. With these qualities, you might wonder why it's so undervalued and underappreciated!

Part of the issue stems from synthetic spinel created in labs and used in costume jewelry, which has tarnished the reputation of natural spinel. Then there's the history of spinels being mistaken for or substituted as rubies and sapphires, a topic explored in the historical background of spinel gemstones, which somehow diminished its standing - though really, that should enhance its prestige.

Anyway, this lovely gemstone is generally all-natural and receives no enhancing treatment. It's one of the few gemstones that naturally appears in blue, boasts a grand past in famous jewelry, and is starting to gain popularity.

By the way, there are many stories about spinel featuring in crown jewels from India to Russia to Britain, where everyone thought they were rubies until someone revealed they were spinels. These tales are probably exaggerated, as spinel was well-known among jewelers and royalty as far back as the 11th century. The main criteria for gems in royal crowns were 'big and red' - whether spinel or ruby didn't matter much until the 18th century when rubies gained higher value.

Spinel Colors

The rich, almost ruby-red shade - sometimes called traffic light red - is the most popular color for spinels. But the cobalt blue spinel is possibly even more sought after and certainly rarer. Naturally blue gemstones aren't common, and unlike spinels, sapphires, tanzanites, and aquamarines usually get their color from heat treatments.

The nearly neon pink spinels from Mahenge in Tanzania have boosted spinel's reputation over the past decade or so - they're stunning and highly desired.

Like most high-quality gemstones, spinel's color comes from impurities or tiny traces of minerals mixed in during formation. Spinel is magnesium aluminum oxide and would be colorless without impurities, but that almost never happens in nature; clear spinels are exceptionally rare.

Traces of chromium cause the red, pink, and orange hues, while iron creates deep reds similar to rubies. Manganese and cobalt appear in spinel too, and sometimes these elements combine to produce blues, purples, violets, and grays.

Green and yellow spinels are almost non-existent in nature but can be lab-created, so be cautious if you see them for sale. Pink, purple, and orange varieties are much-loved, and gray spinel is becoming fashionable, especially for engagement rings or men's jewelry.

One type of spinel shows color-change properties, appearing bluish-gray in daylight and shifting to light purple under artificial lights.

When selecting a spinel based on color, consider the tone - graded from very light to very dark, with medium tones being most valuable.

Saturation matters too. Some red spinels lean toward brown, while blues, purples, and violets can look grayish. Strong saturation means a deep, true color. Even color distribution across the gem is key as well.

Spinel Species

Generally, spinel gemstones are one species, differentiated mainly by color - red spinel, blue spinel, gray spinel, and so on. Over the years, other names have emerged, some for marketing flair and others perhaps misleading.

You can find a more extensive classification in our overview of spinel gemstone types.

Some include:

• Almandine Spinel – A violet color
• Balas Ruby – An age-old name for a pink to pale red gemstone
• Flame Spinel – Orange or reddish-orange color
• Picotite – A brown Spinel
• Alexandrite-like Spinel – A color-change spinel usually from gray to violet

Spiritual Meaning of Spinel

Disclaimer: The information provided about the spiritual and healing properties of spinel is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Spinel is a rejuvenating gemstone that re-energizes and inspires you toward bigger and better things. It guides you onward and upward, not letting anything stand in your way, while providing optimism and determination to overcome obstacles.

Discover deeper insights in our article on spinel's metaphysical powers.

If you're feeling negative or unsure of your abilities, spinel could be the gem for you.

Spinel aids not just your work life but your love life too. Its revitalizing strength helps relationships, letting you appreciate the important people in your life.

It can also help you shed negative relationships, giving you confidence to move on from toxic people and release past attachments.

Spinel and the Chakras

Disclaimer: The information provided about the spiritual and healing properties of spinel is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Chakra, an old Sanskrit word meaning wheel or circle, refers to the seven energy centers in your body, each influencing different physical, emotional, or mental states.

These are the Crown, Third Eye, Throat, Heart, Solar Plexus, Sacral, and Root. Each links to a color, and a gem with a dominant color connects to that chakra.

Sometimes chakras get blocked or misaligned and need realignment or cleansing. One method uses chakra healing stones, with colors corresponding to chakras: red for Root, orange for Sacral, yellow for Solar Plexus, green for Heart, blue for Throat, indigo for Third Eye, and purple for Crown.

Spinel is special because it comes in nearly every color and relates to all chakras. Different colors stimulate specific chakras and resonate with the full spectrum.

Because spinel appears in so many colors, it's said to be powerful in awakening Kundalini, the divine energy within us waiting to be unleashed.

Let's dive a bit deeper:

• Red Spinel - encourages physical vitality and strength, activates the kundalini energy, clears and aligns the base chakra
• Blue Spinel - stimulates clear communication, clears and aligns the throat chakra.
• Orange Spinel - stimulates creativity, intuition, and balances emotions, clears and aligns the root chakra
• Violet or Purple Spinel - stimulates spiritual development and clears and aligns the crown chakra
• Pink Spinel - Protective and calming, clears and aligns the root and heart chakras
• Yellow Spinel - boosts intellect and personal power, clears and aligns the solar plexus
• Green Spinel - stimulates love, compassion, kindness, clears and aligns the heart chakra

Note: Green and yellow spinel are very rare naturally but available as synthetics. While synthetics have the same minerals and structure, they lack the geological history and energy absorbed over millions of years in the earth.

Health Benefits of Spinel

Spinel Price

Learn more about how spinel value is assessed based on color, clarity, and origin.

Spinel Discovery and History

In 1783, mineralogist Jean Baptiste de Lisle used crystallography to distinguish spinel from ruby, revealing many 'rubies' in European crowns were spinels. This discovery is chronicled in our history of spinel gems.

What is So Special About Spinel?

Spinel might be the most underestimated gem. It adorned crowns for centuries, mistaken for rubies, yet deserves top status. Its unique appeal is discussed further in our overview of rare and exceptional spinel gems.

Frequently Asked Questions