Most people have seen a spinel without realising it.
The famous red stone sitting at the front of Britain's Imperial State Crown, just above the Cullinan II diamond, spent centuries being called a ruby. It isn't. It's a spinel.
That story says almost everything about this gemstone. For hundreds of years, spinel lived in someone else's shadow. Today, it's finally being appreciated for what it is: one of the most remarkable coloured gemstones you can own.
The Stone That Wore Someone Else's Name
The Black Prince's Ruby has been part of British royal history since the fourteenth century. It changed hands through European royalty before becoming part of the Crown Jewels, where it remains today.
The gemstone at the front of the Imperial State Crown - Source from Wikipedia
For centuries, nobody knew spinel was a different mineral from ruby. The distinction wasn't properly understood until the late eighteenth century, which meant many of history's most celebrated "rubies" turned out to be spinels once gemology caught up. The Black Prince's Ruby is simply the most famous example.
When you know that history, it becomes much easier to understand why spinel remained overlooked for so long. It wasn't because the stone lacked beauty. Quite the opposite. It was considered beautiful enough to be mistaken for the finest rubies in the world.
What Spinel Actually Is
The name spinel comes from the Latin word spina, meaning "thorn", a reference to the pointed shape of its natural crystal.
It comes in more colours than most people expect. Rich reds, vivid pinks, oranges, violets, purples and beautiful blues all belong to the spinel family. Every now and then you also find an extraordinary cobalt blue that's unlike almost anything else.
One of the things I enjoy most about spinel is its clarity.
The Blueprint Pavé Diamonds Ring - Hot Pink Mahenge Spinel
Many stones are beautifully clean to the eye, but every so often you'll find delicate inclusions that formed naturally as the crystal grew. I never see those as imperfections. They're part of the gemstone's own character, a reminder that no two natural stones ever grow in exactly the same way.
What I Look For When Sourcing Spinel
Like every coloured gemstone, spinel is judged on several things working together rather than one characteristic alone.
Colour
Colour is always where I begin.
Fine red spinels have an intensity that's often compared with the finest rubies. Bright hot pinks are equally striking, while vivid cobalt blue spinels are among the rarest and most sought-after of all.
If you're discovering spinel for the first time, lilac and violet stones are a wonderful place to start. They have the same lively brilliance while being much easier to find than the famous reds and cobalt blues.
Origin
Some of the finest red and pink spinels come from Myanmar's Mogok Valley, the same region renowned for producing exceptional rubies.
Sri Lanka has long been another important source, while the historic Badakhshan mines, now largely within modern-day Tajikistan, are widely believed to have produced the Black Prince's Ruby itself.
When it comes to cobalt blue spinel, northern Vietnam remains the source collectors pay the closest attention to. Stones from the Luc Yen district have a remarkable electric blue that's unlike almost any other gemstone.
Treatment
This is one of the reasons spinel has become increasingly interesting to collectors.
Ruby and sapphire are routinely heat treated throughout the trade, and that's completely accepted when properly disclosed.
Spinel is different.
The vast majority of fine spinel on the market today is completely untreated. The colour you're seeing is simply how nature created it, which makes it one of the few coloured gemstones where finding an untreated stone is still the norm rather than the exception.
Durability
With a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, spinel is durable enough for everyday jewellery, including engagement rings.
It's one of the reasons I enjoy recommending it to clients who want colour without worrying that they're choosing a particularly delicate gemstone.
Why Clients End Up Choosing Spinel
Most people don't arrive asking to see spinel. They come in looking at rubies or sapphires, and I'll place a spinel beside them to see what catches their eye.
Some clients are drawn to the colour. Others enjoy discovering a gemstone they hadn't considered before. Quite a few are surprised to learn that many fine spinels are untreated, especially when they've been researching coloured gemstones for some time.
One of the reasons I enjoy working with spinel that once people see a beautiful example in person, it quickly develops its own identity.
I source spinel through trusted suppliers I've worked with for many years, and I'm always happy to talk through a stone's origin, treatments and what makes one example different from another before we begin designing.
Thinking About Spinel?
If you're considering spinel for an engagement ring, a bespoke commission or simply want to see a few exceptional stones side by side, I'd love to welcome you into the showroom or a virtual call for a private consultation.
