Spinel

Spinel is a fine stone used in jewelry . It takes its name from the Latin word " spina " meaning thorn, in reference to its sharp, pointed crystals with very sharp edges.

It is a masculine name. In fact, although one might want to say Spinel, one should say Spinel .

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SPINEL

Like topaz or stones from the Beryl family, this astonishing stone has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale (10 being the maximum hardness corresponding to diamond), which places it just below sapphire and makes it a very interesting stone to set in jewelry on pieces that are subject to daily wear, such as engagement rings, for example.

Spinel is a mineral species belonging to the oxide family. It is an oxide of aluminum and magnesium, most often forming octahedrons. Its different colors are attributed to traces of chromium, iron, and vanadium . When it contains iron in association with titanium, it is colored blue or even black. When it contains chromium, its color varies from pinkish-purple to deep red.

These spinel gems can be found in limestone or igneous rock.

SPINEL OR RUBY?

Red spinel has long been confused with ruby , which has given it a large number of synonyms. The ancients wrongly considered red spinel to be a variety of ruby ​​called "balay ruby". Rubies and spinels are in fact found in the same deposits (marble or gravel), in Tajikistan, Myanmar or Sri Lanka. These two precious stones are close but nevertheless distinct .

Spinel , a term originally coined as an epithet for the word “ruby,” is actually composed of multiple tiny crystals. In this respect, it resembles tourmaline. It was in the 19th century that spinel was officially differentiated from the blood-red gemstone (ruby), both by its structure and by its slightly less deep color.

SPINEL IN HISTORY AND LITERATURE

Marguerite de Foix (died in 1486), Princess of Navarre and Duchess of Brittany by marriage, owned the Côte-de-Bretagne spinel which, bequeathed to her daughter Anne of Brittany, entered the royal treasury of François ^I. Recut in the shape of a dragon to form the insignia of the Golden Fleece of Louis XV, it is one of the Crown Jewels preserved at the Louvre Museum.

References to this stone have been found in literature since the 16th century. It is sometimes referred to by other names, such as Balas stone. Extracted since ancient times from the mines of Badakhshan, a province in northern Afghanistan, it is described in the journal of the famous explorer Marco Polo. The purple stones belonged solely to the king of the country, and no one else had the right to possess them. He gave them as gifts to the kings of other countries and various important figures. Spinels were synonymous with success and were a real source of wealth for the region. This is why today, the majority of these minerals found in museums and royal collections around the world must most likely have come from Afghanistan.

SPINEL AT LEGION

The stones selected by traditional jewelers to set their jewelry are chosen for their high purity, without any inclusions. However, it is not uncommon to see some pretty crystals that have been trapped inside the stone . They then give a “sparkling” appearance to the stone, as if it were filled with small crystallized wings, resembling ice or frost crystals , a bit like in sapphire. Spinel also offers a wide variety of possible colors, like tourmaline it excels in so-called “falling” tones, that is to say between two shades, which we particularly like at Legion.

At Legion , we choose the most "lively" spinels because we love rarities, things you won't see anywhere else. A long "favorite" selection is made each season with the aim of creating fantastic works that stand out from the overly conventional tradition of classic jewelry houses. This is why we select geometric , asymmetrical shapes or unconventional cuts. We appreciate the falling palette of grays ranging from mauve-gray to bluish-gray to faded pink. Each spinel is carefully selected to offer you uncompromising originality and uniqueness in each of our creations. There can be no two similar stones in those we choose.