Secrets from the Vault – The Stone Spinel
Submitted by Lacee Tasker
The stone Spinel
Spinel occurs in all colors, the favorite being a ruby-like red. The pigments, which give it its color, are chrome and iron. Large stones are rare and star spinel are very rare.
Spinel was recognized as an individual mineral only 180 years ago. Before then it was classed as ruby, because it also occurs with it. Some well-known “rubies” are really spinels, such as the oval “Black Prince’s Ruby” and the “Timur Ruby” in a diamond set necklace; both are in the English Crown Jewels. Both are uncut and only polished. The drop shaped spinels in the “Wittelsbacher’s crown of 1830 were also originally thought to be rubies.
Main deposits are in Burma and Sri Lanka. Less important deposits are in Afghanistan, Brazil, Thailand and the U.S. (New Jersey). The two largest spinels weigh 520 cts each and are in the British Geological Museum in London.
This mineral can be used to renew energy and to provide encouragement for further attempts at difficult tasks. It can also be used to enhance ones appearance, and to increase the positive aspects of ones own personality.
