So, today, a new favourite of mine is dragged into the spotlight: the spinel. Recently, I added black faceted spinel briolettes to my stash, and I love them! They sparkle like mad and look almost like black diamonds.
Again, to get the necessary raffle out of the way: The supposed healing properties are in no way scientifically proven and don't replace medical treatment. A doctor should be consulted in every case. I don't advertise the so-called healing properties of stones, I just report the different opinions of others to create a comprehensive picture. Yadda yadda.
During the 16th century, the name spinel was coined and given to any red gemstone, allegedly meaning spark stone (Greek 'spinos' = spark). The mineral that is known under that name today got it around 1800. However, spinel can not only be red, there are also orange, yellow, green, dark green to black, brown, blue and purple versions of this stone. To make it even more difficult (and interesting ;)), each color also has its own name(s):
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| 'Black Diamonds' - Faceted black spinel briolettes |
Red: Alabandine Ruby, Alamandine Ruby, Alamandine Spinel, Balas Ruby, Precious Spinel, Garfunkel, Ruby Spinel, Spinel Ruby
Orange: Vinegar Spinel (not sure about THAT translation ...), Rubicell, Vermeille
Yellow: Rubacell
Green: Chlorine Spinel
Dark green to black: Candite, Ceylonite, Pleonast, Zeilanite
Brown: Picotite
Blue: Sapphirine, Sapphire Spinel
Purple: Eastern Amethyst
Spinel often appears via contact metamorphosis in marble, dolomite marble, crystalline slate, gneissic rock and serpentinite. Since it's quite hard, erosion doesn't affect it much, and so it is often flushed out of its original mother rock and found in river sediments (placer deposits). Spinel is mined in Russia, Sri Lanka, Birma, Thailand and the USA. Big red crystals have also recently been found in Russia, Afghanistan and Pakistan (Pamir Highlands).
Spinel mostly grows octahedrons, sometimes also cubes or rhombic dodecahedrons (... I'm too lazy to google it right now, but I'd really like to know exactly HOW this assemblage of vocals and consonants is supposed to look like ...).
The mineral is a magnesium-aluminum-oxide from the spinel group and the mineral class of oxides. The blue colored variant is because of more iron and less magnesium, green is created by a bit of magnesium being replaced by copper and aluminum being replaced by iron, and red by chrome instead of aluminum and manganese and zinc instead of magnesium. Larger iron percentages in the make-up create brownish and black colors.
Mohs hardness of Spinel is 8, denseness is between 3,58 and 3,61, it has imperfect fissionability and white streak color.
Apart from the possibility to mistake spinel for alexandrite, amethyst, chrysoberyll, garnet, ruby, saphhire or topaz, there are many imitations to be had. They are synthetic spinels, which are also used to imitate a number of other stones. Apart from that, natural spinel can also be burned to achieve a different color, so if in doubt, your best bet is a gemmological examination.
Although the supposed healing effects of spinel are not up to par with ruby or garnet, the spinel is nevertheless used to achieve a positive attitude towards life and helps with accepting yourself as you are. It lends stability to fickle personalities, and is supposed to lighten the mood and lend courage and confidence. It is also said to cleanse the intestines and the skin and to re-awaken numb or paralysed body parts.
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