Spinel · Variety of Spinel
Lavender Spinel
Pale lavender to soft mauve
Pink
Purple
Optical characteristics
- Ref. index
- 1.712 – 1.736
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Pleochroism
- None (isotropic)
- Fluorescence
- Inert to weak
Source localities
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Ratnapura / Elahera
Major
Sri Lanka is by far the leading source of lavender spinel; alluvial deposits of Ratnapura yield pale lavender and mauve material regularly.
Myanmar
Myanmar: Mogok Valley
Notable
Mogok occasionally produces lavender spinel as a byproduct of corundum mining.
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…
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