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Spinel
The Black Prince's Ruby. The Timur Ruby. For centuries, spinel, the great imposter, masqueraded as ruby in Europe's crown jewels.
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GIA's Gübelin Gem Project: Spinel
Found in nearly every color – most notably red, pink and blue – spinels are popular gemstones because of their abundance, moderate cost and attractiveness.
Spinel Description
The spinel used in jewelry is a small part of a group of minerals that share the same crystal structure. Not all of them form transparent crystals suitable for jewelry use, however. Spinel offers a range of hues, from orange to intense “stoplight” red, vibrant pink, and all shades of purple, blue, and violet through bluish green.
Spinel History and Lore
Spinel is a good candidate for the title of “History’s Most Underappreciated Gem.” Some ancient mines that supplied gems for royal courts from Rome to China produced spinel, but it was usually confused with better-known stones like ruby and sapphire.
Spinel Journey
The Black Prince’s Ruby. The Timur Ruby. For centuries, spinel, the great imposter, masqueraded as ruby in Europe’s crown jewels
Spinel Care and Cleaning Guide
Learn about spinel's durability and how to care for your spinel jewelry.
Color Modification of Spinel by Nickel (Ni) Diffusion: A New Treatment in the Gem Market
GIA researchers report on a new nickel-diffusion treatment used to modify color in spinel and present criteria for identification.
Seek the World’s Most Vivid Blue Spinel with GIA Field Gemologists
Join GIA’s field gemologists as they seek Vietnam’s exotic sky-blue spinel.
GIA Lab Reports on a New Cobalt Diffusion Treatment of Natural Spinel
Report on a new cobalt diffusion treatment of natural spinel, using analysis of inclusions, UV-Vis-NIR and EDXRF spectroscopy, and LA-ICP-MS.
