Spinel is a fascinating gemstone that has a rich and decorated history with royalty and nobility around the world. One of the most iconic spinel gemstones is a 170-carat red stone known as the Black Prince’s Ruby and it forms part of the British Crown Jewels. Surprisingly, these gemstones are not rubies and they were even regarded as imposters for quite some time until they became highly regarded in their own right. If you are selling spinel, you need to do all you can to make sure you are getting what it is worth.
How to Sell Spinel Gemstones and Jewelry with Worthy
1 Prep for sale
2 Auction online
3 Get paid
- Tell us about your item – answer a few basic questions about your spinel jewelry for our experts to review.
- Shipping – Schedule a secure FedEx pickup from your home or drop off from a FedEx location. Worthy covers all shipping costs plus insured shipping by Lloyds of London.
- Prepare for sale – Our team of experts professionally cleans and photographs your spinel jewelry before sending it out for grading at a third-party lab, such as GIA or IGI.
- Online auction – Once you have set a reserve price and started your online gemstone auction, you’ll be able to watch the offers roll in.
- Get paid – When your item has sold, you’ll receive the final sale amount, minus Worthy’s fee, which is a percentage of the sale price.
Our Shared Success
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About Spinel Gemstones
Spinel’s Rainbow of Tones
The pure variety of this gemstone is colorless, but strangely enough the impurities give it a wide range of color. The spectrum ranges from pinks and purples and orange to blue, red, and yellow.Â
Spinel Has a High Level of Hardness
The stone has a refractive index of 1.718 and a specific gravity of 3.60 with a hardness level of 8 on the Mohs scale.
Sources for Spinel
Spinel gemstones are mined in several countries around the world including Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Myanmar (formerly Burma). Since it is so rare, it is not available in calibrated sizes.
The Appeal of Spinel Gemstones
A 361-carat spinel gemstone – the Timur Ruby – is owned by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. Such is the glittering appeal of these fabulous imposter gemstones that royalty and the upper echelons of society the world over are attracted to them. For centuries, spinel gemstones substituted for rubies and very few people could tell the difference. Another name for these exquisite gems is Balas Rubies – owing to their origin. As time passed, spinel gemstones came into their own. They are now highly regarded in their own right and jewellery collectors are fascinated by them.
Spinels are Scarcer Than Rubies
Unlike many other precious gemstones spinels are mined, and manufactured in a laboratory. It should be borne in mind that these gems are extremely rare. In fact fine spinels are scarcer than rubies. Fortunately they are priced in such a way that they are more affordable to those wanting to own such beautiful gemstones.