red, pink, brown, orange, yellow, blue and
purple. It is a very bright gem, having an almost
diamond-like brilliance.
Many of the world's most celebrated 'rubies'
including several in the Crown Jewels of England
were found to actually be red spinels, thanks to
the new science of gemology introduced in the
19th century. But even after they were correctly
identified as red spinels, these gems were still
referred to as "Balas Rubles' or "Ruby Spinels'.
Tests carried out in the early 1800s showed
spine[ was useful in detecting people with
supernatural powers. The suspected clairvoyant
was approached with a spinel wrapped in a piece
of paper. If she was guilty as charged, the stone
caused convulsions in her upper limbs!
Spinel is the accepted anniversary gemstone for
the twenty-second year of marriage.
Spinel is a hard, tough stone and perfectly suited
to daily wear. To clean, immerse in a jewelry
cleaner or in lukewarm soapy water and clean
with a small bristle brush. As with all gemstones,
care should be taken to protect ft from scratches
and sharp blows.
Spinel is found mainly in Burma and Sri Lanka.