WHAT IS SPINEL MEANING
The blood-red spinel gemstone, whose color is caused by salts of chromium, highly reminiscent ruby stone. From a chemical point of view of spinel is a complex oxide of magnesium and aluminum. Thus magnesium can be replaced by zinc, iron or manganese, and aluminum – iron, manganese or chromium. As a result, the color of spinel is blue, purple, eelenym, brown or even black.
Highlight spinel stone in a separate class of minerals began only in XIX century. In this category are often caught and spinel, while it did not become a separate category of precious stones.
By the way, some of the famous ruby gems turned out to be spinel. For example, the crown of the Russian Empress Catherine II of jeweler Jeremiah Poze crowns spinel weighing nearly 400 carats in size. Two well-known spinel adorn the British crown. These stones are known as “Ruby Black Prince” and the “Timur Ruby”.
Large spinel are stored in collections Smitson Institute in Washington (USA), the Museum of Natural History (New York), the British Museum of Natural History (London) and the Louvre.
Name of this stone comes from the Latin “spinella” meaning “spines”, which indicates the shape crystals of spinel. Sometimes the crystals of spinel are connected to druzes. It is also possible that the term “spinel” derived from the Greek word “spinos” meaning “the spark”. Indeed, faceted spinel, as it can glow in the twilight.
This mineral may have a different color. Dark green and black opaque spinel is called ceylonite, brown – picotite. Transparent stones are called noble spinel, the most prized of them painted in red color is the biggest pink spinel crystal weighing over 5 kg was found at Pamtsee in 1986
Main fields of spinel are in Burma and Sri Lanka. Jewelry with a noble spinel should be set in gold, the spinel rings should be wear on the index or ring finger of his left hand.
SPINEL JEWELRY
In the case of jewelry worth mentioning only the red and blue varieties of spinel.
Red spinel is a very beautiful and relatively rare stone, best of which is worthy of competing with ruby, especially since both are painted with chromium. (The famous ruby gem “Black Prince” of the crown of the British Empire turned out to be spinel.)
Specialists distinguish spinel in color, which tends to “strawberry” (also called “sweet red”), in contrast to blood-red (“pigeon blood”) in quality ruby. Still, a good red spinel is a great gemstone, famous for his game, true, the size of it is seldom more than 5 carats. Ways to distinguish spinel and ruby described in the article on this site about choosing jewels.
Blue spinel can be confused with sapphire; way to distinguish see in the article about choosing sapphire.
Synthetic spinel, occurring often enough, and are similar to ruby, and sapphire. Therefore it is necessary to remember the index of refraction of spinel (1,72). Also, you should keep in mind that the colorless synthetic spinel is often used as imitation diamonds, since it has a cubic crystal lattice and a single refraction, like a diamond.
SPINEL HEALING PROPERTIES
In the East of precious red stones entrenched strong reputation of powerful stimulant of sexual energy, love and passion. That is true of the stones, which we now call the spinel gemstone. It was believed that it had the ability to bring an insurmountable passion.
These stones nurture human life force, is concentrated in their desire, giving them the opportunity to feel happy for a moment the young. People with excessive impulsivity spinel contraindicated – under its influence they can quickly “burn out”.
It is considered that spinel has projective energy Yang and able to influence the chakra Svadhishthana. Stone is well affect the physical and emotional condition of the body. According littotterapists books, it strengthens the immune system, increases circulation, promotes tissue regeneration, healing infection, skin and gastric diseases, and also increases the potency.
SPINEL BIRTHSTONE
Zodiacal sign of spinel is Leo, the planet is Saturn. Spinel is July birthstone.