Spinel

The area around Mogok has been the source of the finest crystallized Spinels in the world for decades, but the vast majority of crystals are under 1 cm. Most people are familiar with the classic red Ruby Spinel crystals from this area, but with the exception of yellow, Spinels come in literally every color of the rainbow. Recently we were able to obtain a handful of large Spinel crystals from recent mining in Mogok, and they are some of the more impressive examples of crystallized Spinel that we've handled. I was impressed to see specimens of this size with such excellent crystallization, unique coloring and fine quality.

Typically, Spinels will become incredibly distorted, dull and unappealing when they are found in larger crystals, but this piece is a superb example of a large Spinel as it is notably sharp, lustrous, and well-formed! It's not "lumpy" or muted like so many of this size can be. It has very smooth octahedral faces with a glistening almost "wet" luster and a beautiful color combination of a grape purple with pink tones swirling throughout. Small areas of the crystal actually show a golden hue on the surface, making for a wonderful contrast. When the crystal is backlit, it shows a gorgeous reddish or golden pink hue on the edges. It's nearly a full 2 inches across, and to top it off, the piece is a complete "floater" with no point of attachment whatsoever! Spinel is one of those gem crystal species which most collectors do not have a good example in their collection and a piece like this is certainly better than the vast majority we've seen over the years when compared to crystals of equal size.

Specimen #WWMIX51811