Knowledge
Perhaps one the world’s most overlooked and underappreciated gemstones, spinel has a rich history stretching back centuries. Historically mistaken for a ruby, collectors and investors are today looking to spinels as the market’s understanding and appreciation for this gemstone continues to grow.
Gemstones
What is a Spinel?
The name ‘spinel’ is actually derived from the Latin word ‘spinella’, meaning little thorn, due to their sharp crystal formation. Like diamonds, they are part of the cubic crystal system and form in perfect octahedrons.
A hard and durable gemstone, spinel scores an 8 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, making it a perfect choice for a piece of jewellery.
Spinels can come in a myriad of colours, including red, pink, orange, blue, violet, green, and black. The finest spinels exhibit a bright and brilliant red, which can be similar in appearance to ruby, leading to historical confusion between the two gemstones.
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Mistaken Identity
The mining of spinels dates back over one thousand years. However, throughout most of history they have often been mistaken for other gems, in particular, the ruby. Some of the largest and most famous ‘rubies’ in the world have now been revealed to be spinels.
One of the most famous examples is the so-called ‘Black Prince’s ruby’ found on the British Imperial state crown. This historic crimson-red gem is a semi-polished octahedral cabochon with three faces. It first appeared in the historical records of 14th century Spain, and was owned by a succession of Moorish and Spanish Kings before Edward, Prince of Wales, the ‘Black Prince’ received the stone in 1367 as payment for a battle victory.
Since then, many British monarchs, including Henry VIII, have cherished the gem. It has outlasted them all, surviving fires, attempted thefts, and World Wars, to become one of the centrepieces of the British Crown Jewels.
It was only in 1783 that mineralogist Jean Baptiste Louis Rome de Lisle developed a test to differentiate between ruby and spinel.
Historic Spinel Mines
The mining of spinel began in Badakhshan (Balascia), a region in the Himalayan mountains of north-eastern Afghanistan, between 750 and 950 A.D., as documented by Marco Polo. These red stones were known as ‘balas rubies’, at a time when all red gemstones were generically termed ‘rubies’. Historically, the grandest and most famous spinels came from the legendary Kuh-i-Lal (‘red mountain’) mines on the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, with the Black Prince’s Ruby likely originating from here.
Over the centuries, spinel deposits have been found in various locations around the world, and different geographical sources produce spinels with distinct characteristics. The old mines of Ceylon and Burma, in particular, have historically been some of the most famous and significant sources of vibrant red and pink spinel, adding to the confusion, as they form alongside some of the world’s finest rubies.
Visit the Berganza showroom to view our entire collection of antique spinel jewellery, dating back to the 16th century. Coming in a range of colours from vibrant red spinel cocktail rings to pink spinel rings that would make for the perfect engagement ring, you can also explore our full collection online.
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A spinel is a gemstone that has historically been mistaken for rubies, but today is becoming increasingly popular for their beautiful colouration wearability.
Spinels come in many colours, notably reds and pinks, but also purple, blue and a bluish green can all be found.
Whilst not one of the big four gemstones, spinel is comparable in appearance and beauty to a ruby and is becoming increasingly sought after.
Depending on their size and quality, spinels can be valuable. Famous examples, such as the black prince’s ruby also have rare historical value as well.