One of the most beautiful of gem materials, red spinel rivals—and has often been mistaken for—fine ruby. Recently, Russian laboratories have developed new flux-grown synthetic red and blue spinels, some of which can be identified only by sophisticated techniques. The lead article in this issue discusses these commercially available flux synthetic spinels and means of separating them from their natural counterparts. The three pieces in this photo represent historic and contemporary uses of fine spinel in jewelry. The Victorian-era spinel beads contains approximately 9 ct of spinels, while the nine strands of faceted spinel beads weigh approximately 3.40 ct. Both are courtesy of Gary R. Hansen, Precious Gemstones, St. Louis, Missouri. The contemporary ring is highlighted by a 6.27 ct red spinel, 2.20 ct of yellow diamonds, and 2.54 ct of tsavorite garnets. It is courtesy of R. Esmerian, Inc., New York. Photo © Harold & Erica Van Pelt—Photographers, Los Angeles, CA.