Spinel

A notably sharp, very well-formed, lustrous, single floater octahedron of Spinel with a gorgeous reddish-pink interior. The crystal is rather gemmy (better than the photos might indicate), but what really sets it apart is that it contains several wispy inclusions with varying orange to pink hues that create eye-catching color combinations when the piece is backlit. The fact that the crystal is rather gemmy is significant since it measures over 1 cm, and the faces are very smooth with a glistening luster on the surface. A small indentation can be seen on one side, which is not damage but rather an interrupted growth where the crystal was pushed up against the host rock marble in which it formed. This crystal displays a fiery glowing red fluorescence when exposed to UV light.

The area around Mogok is world famous for producing the finest crystals and gems of Spinel in the world. Many of these crystals have yielded the most impressive red Ruby Spinel gems ever found. Mogok is most likely the site of the discovery of the famous Black Prince's Ruby in the Crown Jewels of the UK. The significance of the stone in the crown is that it was actually revealed to be a giant (170 carat) Spinel, and not a Ruby as had been thought for centuries. Spinels are typically found in opaque, dark crystals, but we were fortunate to pick up a parcel of not only colorful but GEMMY crystals direct from the source!

Specimen #SPINEL111914