Spinel · Variety of Spinel
Red Spinel
Vivid red to orangy-red; sometimes called flame spinel
Red
Optical characteristics
- Ref. index
- 1.712 – 1.736
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Pleochroism
- None (isotropic)
- Fluorescence
- Strong red (LW)
Source localities
Myanmar
Myanmar: Mogok Valley
Legendary
★ Top Source
Classic Burmese red spinel; historically confused with ruby. Mogok material often shows vivid crimson and excellent transparency.
Tanzania
Tanzania: Mahenge
Premium
★ Top Source
Mahenge red spinel is among the finest in the world, with vivid neon-red hues that sometimes exceed ruby in per-carat value.
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Kuh-i-Lal / Badakhshan
Premium
★ Top Source
Kuh-i-Lal has supplied red spinel for centuries; historic Balas rubies of medieval trade were Tajik spinels.
Vietnam
Vietnam: Luc Yen / Quy Chau
Notable
Vietnam produces red and pink spinel alongside ruby and sapphire.
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