DIAMOND

SPINEL

Spinel has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, with no cleavage properties, and is durable. It is a brilliant gem that comes in a variety of colors. Yet, it is one of the most unfamiliar of gems, owing to lack of exposure. Of particular note is red spinel. It is so much like the rubies with which it is often found that in the past it was mistaken for ruby. As noted before, the Black Prince's Ruby in the British royal crown is actually red spinel.

The red may be purplish (almandine spinel), orangish (rubicelle), e red of ruby (balas or ballas ruby), or deep red (ruby spinel). I colors include translucent grass green, dark yellow-brown, or green brown. It may also be an opaque dark green, brown, or black.

Spinel Substitutes. Despite the fact that genuine spinel is unfamiliar and not expensive, synthetic spinel is in wide use. Interesingly enough, synthetic spinel-which has been made since 1915,jsed to substitute for itself as much as it is used to substitute for stones, mostly in class rings and inexpensive birthstone .. If you see "topaz," "aquamarine," or "tourmaline" used e quotation marks, the stone is most likely to be synthetic about twenty years later in California. It gets its name from George F. Kunz, a famous American gemologist. Kunzite is colorless, violet, or deep violet in different directions.

Gem-quality spodumene has been found in other countries. Brazilian spodumene may be pink, yellow, and yellow-green, as well as violet According to the Roman Pliny, topaz was named from the island Topaz was in the Red Sea, where it was mined. It . also have come from a Sanskrit word meaning "fire" or "to -e." It was supposed to be good for the eyes if it was soaked in was for three days, with the wine then being used to moisten the eyes. Dreaming of topaz before a trip means a safe journey.

TANZANITE
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Tanzanite is the only member of the zoisite family used as a gem, except for a pink variety called "thulite" found in Norwaway Tanzanite has a hardness of only 6 on the Mohs scale, making - better for jewelry other than rings. The best Tanzanite is a rich blue with high dispersion that rivals the beauty of blue sapphire. Brown pink, yellow, and green tanzanite may be heat-treated, which turns them a desirable violet-blue color.