Spinel: The most beautiful gemstone almost nobody knows

For centuries, spinel was mistaken for ruby – today, it is highly valued as a gemstone in its own right. Spinel is an insider tip among colored gemstones (at least here in Europe).

In the Tower of London, one of the most famous crown jewels in the world is kept: the "Black Prince’s Ruby" – a 170-carat stone that has been considered a ruby for centuries, but is not one. It is a spinel. This is not an isolated case, as the "Timur Ruby" and numerous other stones in European royal houses, which were traded as rubies for centuries, later turned out to be spinels.

This confusion is not a coincidence, nor a flaw, but rather demonstrates how similar ruby and spinel can be. Added to this is the fact that in the past, it was simply impossible to distinguish these gemstones mineralogically. Those times have changed. –

What is a spinel?

Spinel is an independent mineral and is chemically completely different from corundum. Ruby is red corundum and forms in similar geological environments. This means that ruby and spinel are often found together.

The hardness of spinel is 8 on the Mohs scale, making it excellent for use in jewelry of any kind, whether as a pendant, bracelet, or ring.  It also has a property that makes it particularly popular among gemologists: it is almost always untreated. While the market for rubies and sapphires is dominated by heat treatment, this is not (yet) the case for spinel. An extra plus: spinel is singly refractive and thus has a strong sparkle and luster.

Colors: More than just red

Although we only talked about it being mistaken for ruby in the first two paragraphs, that does not mean that spinel is always red. Spinel is one of those gemstones that comes in almost every color.

Red and pink: The classic spinel colors that were once mistaken for ruby. Mahenge spinels and Jedi spinels are particularly sought after.

Blue: Cobalt-blue spinel is one of the rarest gemstones in existence. Furthermore, this stone can also be color-changing, meaning it can develop from a blue gemstone by day into a violet one by night.

Orange and violet: Rare, coveted color variants for collectors and people looking for something unusual.

Black: Deep, velvety, opaque. Black spinel is often used in modern jewelry design and has an elegant and timeless appearance.

Why spinel is interesting now

Spinel is a high-quality gemstone that is still relatively undervalued on the market, especially compared to rubies and sapphires of similar quality. That is currently changing. Auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s are increasingly achieving record prices for fine spinels, and interest from collectors and investors is growing steadily. While spinel is already highly valued in Asia and America, the European market probably needs a little more time.

In addition, spinel is almost without exception untreated. In a market where over 90% of all rubies and sapphires are heated, this is an extraordinary advantage for collectors, investors, and anyone who prefers the original over the optimized.

Spinels are beautiful gemstones, with so many different characteristics that there is truly something for everyone. People born in August can highly value this wonderful gemstone as their birthstone.

Those who give spinel the attention now that it will inevitably attract in the coming years still have a chance today to get good prices that will rise even more sharply in the next few years.