Burmese black spinel A (tumbled stone)

Small tumbled black spinel stone from Burma, approximately 15-20mm
Sold individually.
The shapes can vary from one stone to another

The oldest known spinel was discovered in a Buddhist tomb dating back to 100 BC. This tomb is located near Kabul in Afghanistan. This spinel is the oldest known. In England, blue spinels from the Roman period have been identified, dating from 50 BC to 400 AD.

The etymology of spinel comes from the Latin word "spina," meaning thorn or "spinula," meaning small thorn, due to the shape of its crystals. Another etymology derives from the Greek word "spinther," meaning sparkling or glittering.

Its name was given to it in 1783 by Jean-Baptiste Louis Romé de L'Isle (1736-1790), a French mineralogist and physicist considered one of the founders of modern crystallography. He was able to distinguish spinel from rubies and sapphires and differentiate it from other gemstones. He subsequently became the founder of gemology.

It should be noted that despite its spelling, spinel is masculine despite its ending -elle.

Spinel comes in a variety of colors: red, blue, orange, pink, purple, green, and black. These beautiful colors are due to the impurities present in its crystalline structure. For example, chromium gives it its red color, iron its green, and cobalt its blue.

It stands out from other gemstones due to its extremely high melting point of 2135°C. It is relatively insensitive to heat. With a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, it is highly prized by jewelers and goldsmiths for creating exceptional pieces. For comparison, diamond has the highest hardness, at 10 on the same scale.

Spinel has a reputation for being the greatest imposter in the world of gems. For many years, even centuries, it was used in royal and ecclesiastical creations as genuine rubies or sapphires. Indeed, its high refractive index (identical to that of sapphire), its hardness, and the intensity of its colors are the source of these numerous confusions.

Thus, in antiquity, all red stones were mistakenly thought to be rubies, as they were essentially red spinels. The most famous example of this confusion is the Black Prince's Ruby set in the center of the Crown Jewels of England. In reality, it is not a ruby, but a red spinel.

Furthermore, black spinel is an exceptional gemstone. Very similar to black diamond, also known as carbonado, they are both opaque and reflect no light. Visually, it is virtually impossible to distinguish them. However, black diamond is more porous and requires considerable effort and care to cut.

Thus, the black diamond is much less well-known and used in jewelry. However, the black spinel is an excellent alternative to the black diamond. Cut into cabochons, it displays an asterism with a beautiful six-pointed star clearly visible under a beam of light.

The main spinel deposits are on all continents, notably in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Africa, etc.

In crystal healing, black spinel is a protective stone against negative energies, jealousy, bad luck, black magic, and curses. It acts as a shield, reflecting negative influences back to their source and stopping any attempt at psychic intrusion. It strengthens grounding and provides the strength to start afresh. Black spinel helps one let go of the past and move more freely toward the future.

This magnificent black stone allows its wearer to better structure their thoughts and maintain consistency in their actions. It bestows courage, determination, and willpower. In fact, the wearer of this stone is able to achieve their goals. They see their projects and desires through to completion.

Black spinel is renowned as a stone of love. It encourages openness and kindness towards others, fostering compassion, empathy, and understanding. It promotes longevity in relationships, strengthens passion and fidelity, and facilitates communication between friends or partners, even resolving conflicts.

Finally, black spinel is a stone of mourning. It helps to overcome the loss of a loved one, and even a painful separation.