Spinel

In many circles, spinel is considered the ‘great impostor’ in gemstone history.  Many famous rubies in crown jewels around the world are actually spinels. Perhaps the most famous is the Black Prince's ruby which is a 170-carat red spinel that adorns the Imperial State Crown of England in the British Crown Jewels.  Because of its brilliance, hardness and wide range of spectacular colors, spinel is considered a favored gemstone, euphemistically known as “balas ruby.”  This may have referred its color or country of origin.  In addition to beautiful rich reds, spinel can be found in a range of gorgeous pastel shades of pink and purple.  Spinel also appears in beautiful blue tones called cobalt spinel, which are extremely rare.  A durable gemstone that is perfect for all jewelry uses, spinel is most often faceted in oval, round, or cushion shapes.

The Pieces Using this stone: