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Spinel · Variety of Spinel

Orange Spinel

Orange to reddish-orange, sometimes called flame spinel

Orange
Optical properties

Optical characteristics

Ref. index
1.712 – 1.736
Luster
Vitreous
Pleochroism
None (isotropic)
Fluorescence
Moderate orange (LW)
Origins

Source localities

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka: Ratnapura / Elahera
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Sri Lanka produces the finest orange spinel, with vivid flame-orange hues highly prized by collectors.

50% est. supply
Myanmar Myanmar: Mogok Valley
Major

Mogok yields orange spinel alongside ruby and red spinel; material can show strong saturation.

30% est. supply
Tanzania Tanzania: Mahenge
Major

Mahenge produces some orange spinel alongside its famous pink and red material.

20% est. supply
Inclusions

Inclusions & features

Crystals Crystal Inclusions Under 10x loupe: solid, well-formed mineral crystals trapped inside the host gem. They may… Fractures Feathers and Fractures Under 10x loupe: irregular internal surfaces that catch light and appear bright, wing-like, or… Fractures Fingerprint Inclusions Under 10x loupe: curved or wavy lines of tiny dots forming patterns that look… Clouds Pinpoint Clouds Under 10x loupe: concentrations of extremely tiny bright dots that individually are too small… Multiphase Two-Phase Inclusions Under 10x loupe: a transparent irregular cavity containing both a liquid phase and a…
Identification

Instruments used

Dichroscope Reveals pleochroism, instantly eliminates singly-refractive stones 10x Loupe Your most-used instrument, start every examination here Polariscope Determines single vs. double refraction, quick and conclusive Refractometer Measures refractive index, the backbone of gem identification UV Lamp, Long Wave and Short Wave Fluorescence exposes treatments, synthetics, and origin