In today’s world, where few can afford a large ruby or a pink diamond, where the taste for beauty is greatly influenced by diamond marketing, where ruby is struggling with treatment controversies, spinel is making a noticeable growth. The lack of public wide recognition of spinel means the beautiful large gem is still more affordable than a ruby or a diamond of equivalent size and beauty. Thus weakness can possibly become an advantage.
Hi everyone,
I’m Sasha Kareva and on this channel I talk about GEMSTONES. Welcome!
Throughout history, spinel has been confused with ruby. Partly, this is because spinel is often found in the same deposits. The gem spinel is a magnesium aluminum oxide, while ruby is an aluminum oxide. In deposits where both ruby and red spinel are found, spinel is typically more common than ruby. This is because, when both magnesium and aluminum are present, spinel grows. Only after the magnesium is exhausted, does ruby get a chance to crystallize.
It occurs in many colors but it is generally identified with bright red color as that of ruby. Red color appears due to the presence of chromium in its chemical composition.
A rising star is the newly famed Jedi spinel. This means untreated spinels with high saturation and high fluorescence are found in ranges of red and pink. They were named Jedi after the famous Star Wars Jedi knights who are completely untouched by the dark side. Jedi spinels likewise are all burning hot neon red to pink hues without any dark tone or major clarity defects to drag down their fire and reflection.
Cobalt Spinels/Blue Spinel is the name for intense blue color, that is treasured most like bright red. These are highly sought after by gemstone collectors.
Other colors are green, orange, lavender, violet, yellow, purple, brown and black. These colors are the result of different impurities of elements in the composition.
It is important to understand the saturation and the tone of a spinel because it can affect the value greatly. As an example, a red spinel that is well saturated in color but has a dark tone is one tenth the price of the same saturated red stone in medium tone. A lesser saturated red becomes pink in color and also has a different value to the more saturated reds. Saturation refers to the amount of color that is in a gemstone while the tone indicates the lightness (Light, Medium, Deep) of a stone. As a general rule of thumb, dark toned spinels are more common and considered less in value.
CLARITY - Like other gemstones, spinel can have inclusions or flaws. However, spinel is known for its excellent clarity, so it's generally easier to find stones with minimal imperfections. Look for spinel gemstones with high clarity for maximum beauty and brilliance.
Faceted spinels can be found in large sizes upwards of 100 carats but are extremely rare. Very few are known to exist in these sizes and belong as polished roughs on the crown jewels of monarchs around the world. Any spinel above 5 carats are rare, especially in the Red and bright Pinks. Sizes up to 2 carats are common and readily available in any color. Above 3 carats spinels become less common and prices hike up dramatically from here. Fancy coloured spinels up to 5 carats can be found without too much difficulty.
Spinel can be cut into a range of shapes and styles, such as round, oval, cushion and pear. The best way to cut a spinel is by faceting. Because spinel has a high refractive index and dispersion, it is a brilliant and fiery stone. Expert cutting will emphasize these factors and maximize the beauty of the stone.
Next very important question. Does spinel have any treatments?
Although most spinels on the market are free from any forms of treatments or enhancements, heat treatment is possible. But in 2012, GemResearch Swisslab conducted an experiment on the heat treatment of Burmese spinels in Mogok which showed that heating spinels can have a slight improvement in color by means of removing orange and brown tones and increasing color saturation. Even though the possibility is there, the slight improvement in color does not warrant the cost of the treatment. Hence, most spinels in the market are unheated.
Most dangerous are Diffused Spinels
As of May 2015, there is a new form of treated blue spinels that has been injected into the market. Studies from the GRS and GIA report that these blue spinels have been diffused with cobalt and iron at high temperature to enhance light coloured spinels to a saturated blue. The treatment itself is not new to the gemstone market. Diffusion treated sapphires have been around for a few decades. This treatment follows similar techniques to add trace elements that cause color in spinel while heating. But this kind of treatment affects the price dramatically.
Speaking of imitation and synthetic spinel gemstones, both are available. Laboratories create synthetic spinel to look and act like natural spinel. They use methods like flame fusion or the Czochralski process. These lab-made spinels have the same chemical makeup and physical traits as natural spinel and are a more affordable choice in jewelry.
Imitation spinel, however, is different. Materials like glass or cubic zirconia only look like spinel but don’t share its chemical or physical properties. These imitations copy the color and appearance of spinel.
Although synthetic and imitation spinels are less expensive, they usually don’t have the unique features and rarity of natural spinels. Because of this, natural spinel is still very sought after in the gem market for its authenticity and natural beauty, especially by collectors and those who love gems.
The value and pricing of spinels is gauged through the above four quality factors (color, carat weight, cutting, clarity. It is important to consider all the factors of each stone to determine its price. One more factor is origin. Today, fine spinels come from a handful of sources. The best red, pink and orange spinels originate from the rich gem gravels of Burma’s Mogok Stone Tract. The best blue and violet spinels are found in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Gem spinel is also found in Vietnam, the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, Tanzania and Madagascar. Black spinel is mined in Thailand (at Bo Ploi, Kanchanaburi).
So, what is the price for Spinel?
If you watched my previous buying guides, you already know that it is impossible to provide exact numbers. But I’ll try.
As we already know, Red spinel belongs to the higher price category. First-class samples from these regions cost thousands of dollars per carat. The presence of additional color shades (orange, purple or burgundy) makes the price of red spinel cheaper.
A pink-colored spinel is also quite expensive. The market price of red and pink colored stones is constantly increasing. Prices from $300 to $3000/carat, with vibrant, intense pinks being the most expensive.
Light-Blue or blue-colored minerals are considered one of the rarest. On the jewelry market, they are usually called "cobalt spinel", since the color scheme is defined by the presence of cobalt. Prices for blue spinels can range from $1000 to $5000/carat, with deep, rich blues being the most expensive.
There are also spinels with purple and lavender hues. The more saturated minerals look the most attractive and expensive. Usually prices start at $300/carat for average quality 1-2 carat pieces and can be more than $1000-$2000/carat for spinels more than 5 carats with nice pure purple or lavender color. I have a good example of velvets violet pink burmese spinel in my stock. This piece is above 5 carats, very clean, only one needle you can find under a microscope and certified by a reputable lab. Don't forget to check this gem on my website.
Spinel has been touted as the HOTTEST GEMSTONE of 2021. Jewelry and high fashion houses such as Tiffany & Co., Piaget, Chaumet, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior use spinel in their high-end jewelry designs. Due to the stellar rise in spinel popularity, prices have soared over the past 5 years. Now is the time to invest in spinel, sit back and watch your investment increase in value over time. Spinel will soon rival sapphires and rubies in popularity!