What is blue Spinel?

Blue spinel is a rich cobalt blue hue, rivaling some of the finest sapphires you'll see. It's a strongly desirable shade, infrequently seen at affordable rates in today's market. Natural blue spinel is extremely rare, commanding some of the highest prices seen among spinel stones.

Is blue spinel valuable?

Price for the Cobalt Blue Spinel from Vietnam can reach many thousand dollars per carat. However this perfect blue material is so rare and limited, the maximum size you can get is below one carat. Any well-cut gem above one carat and especially two carats is collectible and exclusive.

Is blue spinel natural?

Unlike the other blue gemstones such as Sapphire, Tanzanite and Aquamarine, there is no known treatments for Spinel. This means that every Spinel is completely natural and free from any modifications by man. Spinel for many years has gone unnoticed as a gemstone if great durability and intense color.

Is blue spinel the same as Sapphire?

Firstly, When comparing these stones side by side, one may notice that the Sapphire's color is more vivid blue. Although Spinel does come in such vivid saturation, it is less common, as Spinel is typically less saturated than Sapphire. A vivid gem will command a higher price. Hardness.

Are spinel stones valuable?

Top Spinels in the 2 to 5 carat size will often sell for $3,000 to $5,000 a carat. For the very rare stones over 5 carats, prices in the range of $8,000 to $10,000 per carat are not unusual for the top colors.

BLUE SPINEL: the BIGGEST MOST VALUED GEMSTONE by Yavorskyy

How can you tell a fake spinel?

The proper way to analyze whether Spinel is real is to put it under a UV Radiation Light. Set it to long-wave and look for any stones that are particularly glowy. If the stones are glowy, that means it's synthetic and not natural.

Are spinels fake diamonds?

Colorless spinels are most likely synthetic. (Aside from the very rare colorless natural spinels, there are also very light, almost colorless natural specimens). These colorless synthetics make nice diamond simulants.

Is spinel better than sapphire?

When comparing these two gemstone gemologically there are distinct differences to consider. Sapphires are considered harder, as corundum is a 9 on the Moh's hardness scale, only diamond is harder. Spinel is ranked as a 7.5 to 8. As such, both gemstones are tough and durable gems for regular wear.

Is blue spinel the same as aquamarine?

This chameleon quality means you'll love the way it looks with almost everything in your closet. Unlike aquamarine, the gem it most resembles, aqua blue spinel doesn't need to be over five or ten carats in size to have a lovely color.

Does spinel fade in sunlight?

High heat can cause some spinel colors to fade, but spinel is stable when exposed to light and chemicals.

Where is blue spinel found?

Today, fine spinels come from a handful of sources. The best red, pink and orange spinels originate from the rich gem gravels of Burma's Mogok Stone Tract. The best blue and violet spinels are found in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Gem spinel is also found in Vietnam, the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, Tanzania and Madagascar.

What type of stone is a blue spinel?

Blue spinel is a rich cobalt blue hue, rivaling some of the finest sapphires you'll see. It's a strongly desirable shade, infrequently seen at affordable rates in today's market. Natural blue spinel is extremely rare, commanding some of the highest prices seen among spinel stones.

What birthstone is blue spinel?

Spinel Birthstone Meaning & History

This second August birthstone comes in a wealth of colors: intense red, vibrant pink, orange, purple, violet, blue and bluish green. For centuries, spinel was mistaken for other gemstones. Some of history's most famous “rubies” have actually turned out to be this August birthstone.

What is the rarest blue gemstone?

Is blue spinel treated?

Cobalt diffusion-treated spinel has been introduced to the gem market for a few years and the aim of treatment was to produce the rare color intense cobalt-blue spinel by diffusion technique. Our study has demonstrated that the treated stone can be identified fairly easy by a number of techniques.

What is the rarest gem on earth?

Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades. By the year 2004, there were less than 2 dozens known gemstones.

How can you tell a blue spinel?

Synthetic blue Spinels are also easily distinguished by pink fluorescence under long wave UV light due to cobalt in the absence of iron. Iron in natural Spinel quenches any fluorescence. Most synthetic Spinels (flame-fusion type) also have a slightly higher refractive index (approx. 1.73) than natural Spinels (approx.

What is the prettiest blue gemstone?

Sapphire

The list can never really be complete without the mention of the royal gem. With a blend of absolute magnificence and remarkable strength (9 on Mohs scale), it is of little wonder why sapphire is one of the most-desired jewels in the world.

What colour is spinel blue?

Blue Spinel colors can range from blue to greenish-blue, steely-blue or even a purplish-blue. They can have light pastel colors all the way through to deep inky tones. Spinel is the new birthstone for August, together with Peridot.

Does spinel scratch easily?

Spinel is also very hard - only a few materials can scratch it. Spinel is tough - it does not break easily. Those two qualities make spinel one of the most durable gems. The most durable gems are both hard and tough.

How do you wash spinel?

To clean spinel jewelry at home, let the piece soak in a solution of warm water and a gentle dish detergent, scrubbing with a soft brush to remove dirt and dust. As with all fine jewelry, spinel should be removed before sleeping.

What does spinel symbolize?

The Meaning of the Spinel Gem

The stone is believed to help people put their egos aside and become devoted to one another. The red colour of the stone is also associated with longevity, passion, and devotion – a common characteristic of most red gemstones.

Is spinel a natural stone?

Spinel is a mineral with a lot of history. Long mined in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand, spinel garnered deep appreciation for its beauty, even winning a treasured place in a number of crown jewels.

What is the difference between a ruby and a spinel?

A ruby is dichroic (meaning it shows different colours when viewed from different directions) whereas a spinel is singly refractive (it has only one refractive index - much like diamond and garnets), this property means that spinels general have vivid fire and colour, making it a wonderful stone to work with on ...

What is normal spinel?

Normal spinel structures are usually cubic close-packed oxides with eight tetrahedral and four octahedral sites per formula unit. The tetrahedral spaces are smaller than the octahedral spaces. B ions occupy half the octahedral holes, while A ions occupy one-eighth of the tetrahedral holes.