spinel, Burma, Tanzania, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, gems

Spinel is rising. Like a phoenix, a gem that for centuries was associated with power, fire, beauty and life, is back again. Over the past several years, interest in spinel has grown and I am delighted to see the newfound fame for classic gem. I first became interested in gemology while studying the history of the 100 Years’ War between France and England. Who could forget the Black Prince’s Ruby, a stone given by the Spanish king to the Black Prince of England as payment for his military support in the civil war of 1366. Later, in 1415, the stone was said to have saved the life of King Henry V of England at the battle of Agincourt. Henry, who had placed the large red orb on his helmet, was struck by the battle axe of the French Duke of Alencon. Sword hit stone; both the ruby and Henry survived. If these stories were not already amazing enough, imagine a costly military campaign paid for entirely with a single gemstone. These are the legends of the Black Prince’s Ruby. But my greatest astonishment was learning that that the gem was not a ruby at all but, in fact, a red spinel. Since I had no idea what a spinel was, I decided to learn more about this mysterious gem. Thus began my interest in gemology. The gemology of spinel is a pleasure. Unlike ruby, there are few treatments and separation from both synthetics and simulants is straightforward. Nevertheless spinel is a rich subject, with a history nearly as long as ruby itself. The past fame, disgrace and recent resurrection of the gem are a lesson in the importance of nomenclature in marketing. Since gemology is truly a human science—mixing science, history, geography, art, trade and terminology—we must understand that human emotion is a crucial factor in marketing. Gems, even if rare and beautiful, also need a good name, and spinel is a classic example of that fact.