What is green spinel?

What is a spinel gem? Spinel is a mineral that owes its beautiful color to chromium, much like rubies and emeralds do. It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs hardness scale (diamond has a hardness of 10). Spinel is seen in a wide range of colors: red, lavender, violet, blue, green, brown, black.

Is green spinel natural?

This variety of color, along with the strong fluorescence (in both long-wave and short-wave UV radiation) is rare in natural spinel, and we needed proof that this stone was not synthetic. A refractive index of 1.715 suggested the stone might be natural (flame-fusion synthetic spinels typically have an RI of 1.728).

Is green spinel expensive?

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.

Is a spinel valuable as a stone?

All of this said, a high-quality spinel gem is only worth a tenth of the value of a ruby of the same quality. Flame spinel stones are another sought-after color due to their orange hues. The bright orange and pink stones are a favourite, although they are not as valuable.

What color spinel is most valuable?

In general, red spinel is the most desirable, followed by fine cobalt-blue spinel, then by vibrant hot pink and vivid orange stones. Violet and bluish purple to purple, or lavender, stones tend to be less attractive, and less in demand than other, rarer colors.

What Is Spinel - Gemstone Facts and Information

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 good investment?

Red Burmese spinels and the neon pink-red spinels from Mahenge, Tanzania have the best investment potential. Spinel is completely untreated and prices on fine pieces have risen significantly in the last 5 years.

Why is spinel expensive?

Interestingly, red spinel is much rarer than rubies, but due to its extreme rarity there is little demand for it and therefore it is not as valuable. As with any gemstone, spinel with even saturation and intense hue are the most valuable.

Is spinel a diamond?

Spinel is a natural gem that is in its own mineral group (so, not a gem with siblings like Ruby and Sapphire, or Emerald and Aquamarine.) In terms of mining, Spinel is mostly gathered as pebbles in streams (called “alluvial deposits”) in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

Is spinel good for jewelry?

An ancient mineral, spinel flaunts vivid, saturated hues in a cubic crystal formation. The natural stone is often transparent and usually needs no treatment. Its ranking of 8 on the Mohs hardness scale makes it ideal for every type of jewelry.

Does spinel fade in sunlight?

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

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.

What is the rarest spinel?

Blue Spinel is a very special gemstone because it is one of the few that occur naturally. While all Spinels are increasing in popularity, it is the blue variety that is starting to attract attention of savvy gemstone buyers.

What is wrong with spinel?

As a result, Spinel spent those eons haunted by the reminders of a once-happy relationship, her pain triggered over and over again. Sometime during those 6,000 years (as some in the fandom have noted), Spinel began to develop symptoms of BPD.

Is spinel the same as 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.

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.

Is green tourmaline valuable?

Most green tourmalines are strongly pleochroic. Stones that show attractive colors in both directions—such as bright green in one and blue in another—are the most valuable.

Where does the best spinel come from?

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.

Where is spinel found?

Spinel can be found on several continents, from Brazil in South America, Kenya in Africa, and especially across the southern portion of Asia, stretching from Afghanistan to Vietnam. It has been commonly found in gravel beds in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Madagascar, and marble deposits in Vietnam.

Is spinel a natural gemstone?

Natural spinel, however, has always been a rare and beautiful gem. As more information comes to light about the extensive and invasive enhancements lower-grade ruby and sapphire receive to “pump up” their color or clarity, educated consumers have come to appreciate spinel's natural beauty.

Are spinels heat treated?

The heating of spinel seems to be the most recent trend. Although a few years ago it was shown that spinel heated from approximately 950°C to 1150°C may be improved in transparency, this form of treatment has so far not been widely encountered. Even more recently, a newer heating procedure has been seen.

Can spinel change colors?

Red spinel has often been mistaken for ruby. Some spinel exhibits asterism (a star-shaped pattern of reflections), chatoyancy (a “cat's-eye” effect seen in reflected light) or a color change when viewed alternately under incandescent and fluorescent lighting.

What is the difference between ruby and 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 ...

How common is spinel?

Because of spinel's vibrant red, it is often considered a substitute for ruby. Ironically, fine spinel is rarer than the ruby it "imitates" but is usually less expensive. And because spinel is so rare, it has hardly had a chance to become popular.