Spinel

Most people associate the name "spinel" with synthetic "birthstone imitations" typically sold

jewelry stores. This association has become so pervasive that it is not widely realized that spinel is a hard, durable, natural gemstone that occurs in a range of colors large enough to rival sapphire!

Diamond is the hardest of all substances (10) in the gemstone world; next in line are ruby and sapphire (both 9 on the hardness scale), followed by spinel (81/2). Moreover, spinel is usually less included than ruby and sapphire, comes in larger sizes, and wears just as well in jewelry. Yet spinel costs a fraction of the price of a comparably colored corundum gemstone. This discrepancy is even more striking when it is realized that spinel is, in its finest grades, at least as rare as ruby and sapphire of comparable hue.

Red spinels are frequently mistaken for rubies; the so-called "Black Prince's Ruby" in the Crown Jewels of England is actually a large, irregularly-shaped spinel. Spinel also occurs in spectacular pink, violet, blue and orange colors. Green spinels are rare, and colorless stones are virtually nonexistent. The intense, rich hues of these gemstones, combined with their great rarity and extremely low price, make them natural selections for long-range appreciation and an integral part of well-diversified gem investment portfolios.