Spinel

Spinel is a favorite of gem dealers and gem collectors due to its brilliance, hardness and wide range of spectacular colors. In addition to beautiful rich reds, spinel can be found in a range of beautiful pastel shades of pink and purple. In fact, the main thing holding back greater recognition for spinel is rarity. Fine spinels are now more rare than rubies. Strangely, they are also more affordable: in the gem world, too rare can be a drawback because so few people even get a chance to grow to love these gem varieties.

In recent years its price has begun to steadily increase as it has become better known and appreciated among gem collectors. Spinel is only slightly softer than corundum, and like it has no cleavage and is among the most durable of all gemstones.  Diamond is the hardest of all substances (10) in the gemstone world; next in line are ruby and sapphire (both 9 on the hardness scale), followed by spinel (8 1/2). Because of this, spinel is perfect for all jewelry uses, including rings which are worn daily.

The prices and value of spinel can vary tremendously, depending on the size and quality of the gemstone.  AJS Gems is your source for the highest quality spinel gemstones and many other precious colored stones from across the globe, available at Bangkok direct wholesale prices.  Your gorgeous spinel from AJS Gems is sure to impress when set into jewelry, be it a platinum mans ring, a lovely yellow gold ladies ring, a silver pendant necklace or white gold earrings sold as a matched set.  Our loose gem stones are used to create the finest gemstone jewelry - You will positively love setting your loose cut gems into yellow gold, white gold, silver or platinum jewelry, whether your design or your jeweler's creation.  Discover the thrill of designing your own unique top quality spinel rings, spinel earrings, spinel pendants,  spinel wedding sets, or that special spinel bracelet necklace set to be given as a loving gift to that special someone in your life.  Creating the finest jewelry starts with finding the best gemstones, and the best gemstones are found at AJS Gems.
 
Why Buy Loose Gemstones Instead of Pre-Set Jewelry?
 
There are many reasons, but mainly it comes down to value and choice...

When buying your spinel gemstone loose instead of a pre-set stone, you can be sure that you are getting the best value for your money.  Loose gemstones are less expensive, a better value, and you can really see what you are paying for.  The most important part of getting the right price and finding the best value is to first see what you're getting.  A jewelry setting will hide the inclusions inside a gem, and can deepen or brighten its color.  With a loose stone you can much more easily inspect the gem and see it for what it really is.  In this way you can get a better idea of its true worth and be sure you are paying a fair price.

The second advantage of buying a loose gemstone is choice.  You are free to pick the exact color, cut, shape and variety of the stone for the setting of your dreams, be it yellow gold, white gold, platinum or silver; prong set or bezel set with diamond accents.  You can experience the joy of creating your very own, one-of-a-kind jewelry design. Choose from a variety of jewelry settings and styles to create a completely original presentation that will perfectly suit your individual gemstone and will be as unique as you are!

We have become one of the world's leading precious and semi-precious loose Spinel dealers with one of the most extensive selections of Spinel.  At AJS Gems, you will find a large collection of Fine Quality Wholesale cut loose spinel gemstones to help add beauty and maybe a little extra fun to your life.

Spinel Wholesale Cut Loose Natural Unheated Ruby Red Pink and Blue Burma Spinel Gemstones.

Fine Spinel Jewelry	Vivid Spinel Gem	Burmese Spinel	Wholesale Spinel	Spinels
Spinel Ring Gemstones	Loose Spinel	Spinel Jewelry	Spinel Gems	Burma Spinel Gemstone

Attributes

Spinel is in the "aluminium oxide" mineral family of corundum. Spinel is found primarily in metamorphic rock, and as a primary mineral in basic rock. Spinel is also found in igneous and carbonate rock. In molten rock or magma, the absence of alkalis (sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide) prevents the formation of feldspar. If aluminum oxide is present in the magma, corundum (ruby) will form or the aluminum oxide will combine with magnesium to form Spinel. Ruby and red Spinel derive their coloration from the same Chromium Cr(3+) ion plus trace amounts of iron, manganese, and zinc. This is why spinel and ruby are often found imbedded in the same matrix. 

Spinel has a hardness of 8.0 on the Mohs scale. The toughness of Spinel is good. Spinel has a low refractive index and is described as transparent to opaque with a vitreous to dull luster. Spinel has a refractive index of 1.712. 

The refractive index (RI), measured using a refractometer, is an indication of the amount light rays are bent by a mineral.  Birefringence is the difference between the minimum and maximum RI. When birefringence is high, light rays reflect off different parts of the back of a stone causing an apparent doubling of the back facets when viewed through the front facet. 

Most gems have a crystalline structure. Crystals have planes of symmetry and are divided into seven symmetry systems. The number of axes, their length, and their angle to each other determine the system to which a crystal belongs.  The crystal structure of spinel is isometric, and its crystal habit is octahedral or twinned octahedral (macles) and to a lesser extent, cubic or dodecahedral.  

Color

              

Red is the most valuable color, followed by orange red, pinkish red and purplish red.  As the brightness of the color drops the price falls.  Of particular interest is a vivid hot pink with a tinge of orange that is mined in Burma that is one of the most spectacular gemstone colors in any gem species.  Spinel also comes in beautiful blues which are sometimes called cobalt spinel, but these are very very rare.

A fine deep raspberry red spinel is mined in Tadjikstan, a part of the Soviet Union. While the material is very beautiful, unfortunately this deposit produces only very small quantities of gems.

Cut

Spinels are cut mostly ovals, cushions and rounds.  Spinel is rarely found in calibrated sizes due to its rarity. 

Wholesale Spinel

Spinel Jewelry

Cobalt Blue Spinel Pendant

Spinel Stones

Burma Burmese Spinel

Nearly all spinel gems are natural and untreated.  Usually color and clarity are already good in the crystals as mined, so little if any Spinel is treated to change its color, or improve its clarity.

Spinel Gemstone

Loose Spinel Stones

Red Burmese Spinel

Spinel Burma

Fine Spinel Necklace Gems

Mythology
 

Some of the world’s most illustrious “rubies” are actually spinels...

One of these is the Black Prince’s Ruby, a polished but unfaceted red spinel that weighs about 170 cts. It appears in historical records dating back to the 1300s and is a central stone in the British Imperial State Crown.

One of the most fascinating spinels in the world is the "Timur ruby" which is a red spinel weighting 361 carats, that is cut in cabochon and named after Tamerlain, the Tartar conqueror, who was one of his owners.
This stone has the names of its former owners engraved upon it, and some of them are the same with previous owners of the famous Kohinoor diamond.  The Tamerlain is now owned by Queen Elizabeth of England.

A faceted red spinel of more than 400 carats belonged to Empress Catherine II of Russia, and is now part of the Russian Treasure in the Kremlin.

Spinels were most often referred to as "balas rubies", name which may have referred to their country of origin, either Badakshan in Afghanistan or the Balaksh region of Sri Lanka.

The origin of the name spinel is unknown. It may be a derivative of the Latin word "spinella" or from a Greek word meaning spark, in reference to the bright red or orange color of some crystals.

Spinel is thought to protect the owner from harm, to reconcile differences, and to soothe away sadness.

Spinel Gems

Wholesale Red Spinel

Spinel

Trillion Cut Pink Spinel

Burma Spinel Bracelet