BLACK SPINEL NECKLACE

THIS IS A STRAND OF FACATED NATURAL SPINEL ON A SILVER CHAIN WITH CLIP.

STAMPED SILVER 925

TOTAL WEIGH 79 CTS APP

SIZE OF BEAD 6.3X 6.3X4.5 MM APP

Spinel (MgAl2O4) is a mineral similar to corundum (Al2O3) and is often found in ruby and sapphire bearing areas. Spinel comes in a variety of colours but the relatively rare opaque black variety is only found in a few areas – traditionally Thailand is the main source but Australia is also a major producer. With a hardness of 8.0, uniform nature, high reflectance and lack of cleavage, black spinel makes excellent gem material. Black spinel has been often called “black sapphire” or “nin” in Thailand. Miners here often call it Blackjack and regard it as an indicator of good sapphire being present in the wash. Let there be no confusion though as black spinel is an excellent gemstone in its own right.