The famous rubies in history actually turn out to be spinel!

For a very long time, Spinel was not known to the mankind. A sparkling red stone was either mistaken as a ruby or sapphire. But with the advent of more sophisticated tools, it was realised that it is something none of them. In fact, it is an even more mystical gem.

With that, a lot of stones that were famously celebrated as rubies in history turned out to be spinels too. For instance, large red gems, such as the Black Prince’s Ruby and the Timur Ruby in the Crown Jewels of England have confirmed to be large red spinels.

However, its distinguishing features, like its octahedral crystal structure and single refraction, are what sets it apart from other gems. Moreover, spinel also has a lower Mohs hardness than ruby and sapphire.

Author: Deepa Mishra

Disclaimer: All images used in the blog have been sourced from Google purely for the purpose of informative reference. The models, celebrities or products showcased in these pictures are not to promote any brand in any manner.