Skyjems News
The Splendour of Spinel, part 6: A Recent Return
Spinel now holds an important place in the world of bespoke gemstone jewellery, but for a large portion of history the stone was underappreciated. ...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 5: Mysterious Marvels
The spinel mines of central Asia produced many of the world's greatest spinels, and by extension some of history’s greatest “rubies”, but among the...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 4: Tajik Treasures
During the centuries in which the spinel mines of the Pamir Mountains were at their peak of productivity, countless high quality gemstones were une...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 3: Early Exploitation
Even though it is a lesser known gemstone, spinel’s history still stretches at least as far back as pre-Christian antiquity; some of the oldest kno...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 2: Types and Treatments
Spinel is one of many gemstones for which there are numerous varieties. Just like its cousin corundum, spinel gems can occur in a myriad of differe...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 1: A Cousin to Corundum
Species
Spinel
Chemical Formula
MgAl2O4
Mohs Hardness
7.5 - 8
Cleavage
None
Luster
Vitreous to Subadamantine
Refr...