Spinel Beads
Spinel beads are a magnesium aluminum oxide, a gem mineral that forms in the same marble deposits as ruby and sapphire and was confused with them for centuries. Black spinel, colored by iron, is the most common bead form; pink and multicolor spinel are rarer. This collection holds natural spinel in a range of finishes and shapes for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Appearance
Black spinel is an opaque, even black with a bright glassy luster, and it holds a sharper polish than onyx or obsidian. Pink multicolor strands mix rose, lavender, grey and red in small transparent beads, with color varying bead to bead. Rough spinel keeps its natural crystal faces and shows a duller, grainy surface.
Microfaceted and faceted cuts show spinel at its best: the high luster gives black spinel a crisp sparkle that plain black stones lack, and faceting lets light into the pink beads. Smooth beads are quieter and read as a deep, polished black. At 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale spinel is harder than quartz, resists scratching in everyday wear and has no cleavage to worry about. It needs no special care.
Formation and origin
Spinel crystallizes in marble that formed when limestone was baked by heat and pressure deep in the crust, and in some aluminum-rich igneous rocks. It is often found in the same gravels as ruby and sapphire, which is how the famous Black Prince's Ruby in the British crown turned out to be spinel. Pure spinel is colorless; chromium gives red and pink, and iron gives the black of the variety sometimes called pleonaste or ceylonite. Black spinel is mined mainly in Thailand, with pink and multicolor spinel from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam. Synthetic spinel is common in costume jewelry.
Pairings
Chrome diopside beads: bright green beside black spinel, both taking a high polish that reads well together.
Sapphire beads: deep blue and black with the same marble origin and similar hardness, so they wear together.
Ruby beads: red next to black spinel is a classic contrast, and the 2 stones come from the same deposits.
Meaning and Metaphysical Beliefs
Spinel has long been worn by rulers who believed it to be ruby, and several famous crown jewels are spinel. In crystal traditions black spinel is associated with grounding, protection and letting go of resentment, and pink spinel with kindness and renewed energy. It is often placed with the root chakra and, in its pink form, the heart chakra. Spinel was added to the August birthstones in 2016. These are traditional beliefs, not claims of physical effect.
