Unsightly inclusions will also bring down the value of the stone considerably. Faceted spinel stones are considered more valuable than the more commonly found corundum formations of the stone. It is often confused with rubies and sapphires during the mining process, so is not as frequently used by jewellers, nor sought after by consumers as much as the classic red ruby for example. The black spinel stone, although rare, is not considered as valuable to the jewellery trade as you may think. Although traces of Spinel have been found across Brazil, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nepal and Nigeria. Spinel is most commonly found and mined in Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Colour: Aside from the deep black hue, Spinel stones also occur in a range of colours, including rich reds, pinks, purples, light to dark blue tones, and amber and yellow huesīlack spinel is usually mined along with ruby and sapphire, which is why they share so many similar properties.Chemical treatment: Not usually required although lighter coloured Spinel stones may require chemical treatment.Clarity: Good quality spinel should have no inclusions but when inclusions occur, a star effect (asterism) can be the result.Character: Mostly found as water worn pebbles, they can also occur as octahedral crystal formations.What are the properties of black spinel stones? It’s said that the name ‘Spinel’ comes from the Latin, ‘spina’ meaning thorn – this refers to the sharp crystal formations it’s made up of. Specifically, black spinel is one of the rarest minerals that comes from the Spinel family and is a true gemstone often confused with black tourmaline. What is a black spinel stone?īlack spinel stone is a rare gemstone made up of hard vitreous magnesium aluminium oxide or magnesium aluminate. Get to know the mysterious black spinel gemstone including its properties, where it comes from, and where you can get it from in different cuts, with our complete guide to black spinel below. Black gemstones have made a resurgence in popularity, and, although you may have used deeply coloured rubies and sapphires before, you might not have come across naturally occurring black spinel gemstones. 'Thank you for the awesome new tool that is part of the Fire Mountain Website - 'Colors of Gemstones, Shell and More.We’ve got just the thing for your latest designs.

Please keep in mind that the comments expressed below are those of our customers and do not reflect the views of Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. We would like to share some of the customer comments we received in response to the 'Colors of Gemstones, Shell and More' guide, featured in a newsletter. Green, grey, red, orange, yellow - all colors Golden color-translucent with occasional bandings Twisting and turning bands of various colors Subtle shades of reddish-brown with cream and greyĮarth tones with terra cotta reds and hints of purpleĭistinct appearance of grey, mauve and pink color combinations Has a 'crackled' look (web-like pattern of white crackles) created via heat treatment, and color enhancement produces the fiery oranges and redsīlack, blue, fossil, gold, green, white, pink, purple, red or orange Glowing rusty orange color with scattered veins of grey-white. Green-transparent/translucent with occasional bandingsĭark to lime green with creamy tones and a varying black and grey matrixĪmber color - can vary in color from yellow to red to honey brown White background with green splotches (semitranslucent to opaque) Translucent to opaque, with black cross-like pattern on a light brown background, can also be dark green and transparent Red-brown, golden, yellow and white mixed in very broad patterns Multicolored (green/blue/clear/purple/golden)ĭeep brown, brick red, grey/black and cream colorsĬhocolate brown with grey and caramel colorsĮarth tones with terra cotta, red, tan, brownīrown/tan background with golden/light brown patternsīrown stone with a heavy golden/metallic, shimmering chatoyancy Mint green with spotted grey/black specks in varying patternsīlue, some pyrite or white calcite (usually dyed)ĭenim blue, some pyrite or white calcite (usually dyed) Swirls and spotted patterns in grey, black and white Translucent, grey color with occasional banding Rich dark brown-black color with marbled red and greyĬreamy pink tones against a dark backgroundĭark stone, blending black, grey and brown colors with cream specks Translucent to opaque black, may show occasional banding

Green, rust, grey, cream, blue, brown, and camel color A range of bead materials organized into color families: black and stone, blue and purple, green and aqua, red and pink, white and clear, and more.