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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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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.
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 Care and Cleaning Guide
Learn about spinel's durability and how to care for your spinel jewelry.
Abstracts; Fall 1991
This article, from the Fall 1991 issue of Gems & Gemology, is a compilation of abstracts of important gemology-related articles published outside of Gems & Gemology.
Abstracts; Winter 1991
This article, from the Winter 1991 issue of Gems & Gemology, is a compilation of abstracts of important gemology-related articles published outside of Gems & Gemology.









