SPINEL
Spinel is part of the mineral class of oxides. Spinel owes its name to its octahedral form, which means thorn or point. A case can also be made for the Greek word for spark–"sprinter"–as the source of the name.
Spinel, violet, Sri Lanka (4.58 ct)
Spinel possesses a high hardness. Spinel displays a relatively high refraction of light and no pleochroism, which means that it exhibits a constant color from all perspectives. Rare blue spinels with good color intensity can be colored by cobalt, among other things, which is a fairly unusual color source for the more common gemstones.
Spinel possesses a high hardness. Spinel displays a relatively high refraction of light and no pleochroism, which means that it exhibits a constant color from all perspectives. Rare blue spinels with good color intensity can be colored by cobalt, among other things, which is a fairly unusual color source for the more common gemstones.
Spinel, blue
In the past red spinel was frequently confused with ruby, on the one hand because both faceted stones can display a deep, fiery red, and on the other hand because they both occur in similar source formations and can even look similar in their raw form! The "balas ruby" in the crown of the English monarchy is actually a red spinel.
At the present deposits in Tajikistan are known, which provide good quality pink and red spinels.
Deutsches Edelsteinhaus DEH GmbH
Chief Executive Officers: Alexander Streeb, Oliver Kleimaier
Commercial Register Number: HRB 737047
