We are an affiliate
We hope you love the featured products! Just so you know, we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page, at no extra cost for the buyer. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it!
Spinel gemstones are used in all sorts of jewelry.
They come in a range of colors from red to yellow, from amber to purple.
Probably, the most famous member is the red spinel which is on The Imperial State Crown, worn by British monarchs.
In this post, we’ll have a closer look at the black color version of this mineral.
Click on the photo to check on Amazon
What is Black Spinel?
Black spinels are made of magnesium oxide or magnesium aluminum oxide, in the crust of the earth.
They are completely different from black diamonds, which are made of carbon crystals.
They mostly occur as water-worn pebbles and octahedral crystal formations.
It is a hard and durable gem with a 8 rating on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Deposits are found in many countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, USA, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Tadzhikistan, Nigeria, Madagascar, Brazil, Nepal, Australia, and Afganistan.
Because of its color, it may be mistaken for diamond, onyx or tourmaline of black color.
Click on the photo to check on Amazon
What does black spinel mean? What is it origin?
The word Spinel may come from the Latin word “Spinella”, which means little thorn.
You may ask, why would a gemstone be named something like a thorn?
One way to justify it would be that it is quite sharp- at the very beginning of its formation.
Maybe that is why whoever worked with it decided to name it that way.
Another origin can be the Greek word “Spinos” which means “sparkle”.
This is easier to understand as these spinel crystals are highly reflective showing lots of sparkles.
Is black spinel valuable?
It is a naturally-occurring durable gemstone.
It is rarely found and valuable, yet there are also versions made in the lab.
These are cheaper stones, used as diamond simulants in frugal setups for engagement rings and other jewelry.
And just as with diamonds, they are priced based on their clarity, color, carat and size.
Just as in high quality white diamonds, the top quality spinel gems show fullness in their color. They do not have obvious inclusions.
Yet, structurally flawless diamonds and other gems are extremely rare. These are priced higher than gemstones with minor inclusions.
Click on the photo to check on Amazon
What is black spinel worth?
The red and green variants of this gem get often mistaken for ruby and emerald, respectively.
However, they are different materials with different properties.
The same goes for black spinel stone which is an alternative often compared to black diamond, black onyx or black sapphire.
Diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire are the top precious gems, unlike spinels.
Even though, they are found rarely, they do not command high-price tags like diamonds.
A jewelry piece with faceted spinel stones gets priced higher as their carat increases.
Large, well cut gems with saturated colors will be priced accordingly.
We must also add that untreated and inclusion-free stones will receive the highest valuation.
You can check our post Black Sapphire vs Black Diamond for more on the most prominent black gemstones compared.
How to clean and care black spinel
It is always a good idea not to wear precious jewelry pieces while doing hard work or outdoor activities. It is no different with black spinel jewelry.
Cleaning these pieces is easy: soft soap, water and soft cloth will get the job done.
Dip the soft cloth into the soapy water and gently remove and dirt and grime.
After cleaning your items, make sure to rinse and dry it to avoid any residues and water marks.
Ultrasonic and steam jewelry cleaners are very helpful in many cases but for black spinel, you should not use them.
Click on the photo to check on Amazon
Black Spinel vs Black Diamond
Black spinel is a black diamond substitute.
As it is significantly cheaper, it welcomes buyers who do not want to spend their budget on a wedding ring.
It is a hard gem yet it is softer than diamond.
Diamond tops the Mohs ratings with a 10 while the spinels have about an 8 rating,
Click on the photo to check on Amazon
Black Spinel vs Black Tourmaline
Tourmalines come in many different colors from red to baby blue, from orange to black.
Black tourmaline is a hard gem with a 7.5 rating on the Mohs scale.
Thus, it is just a little softer than black spinel by a small difference.
Black tourmaline is sensitive to heat and chemicals.
Inclusions can increase its fragility against high-temperature fluctuations and reactive materials.
Probably, because of these reasons, black spinel would be a better choice than a tourmaline.
Black Spinel vs Black Onyx
Onyx is a variety of chalcedony which has parallel strips. It differs from Agate which has curved strips.
It may have many color layers such as red, blue, pink and black.
Onyx specimens generally contain black and/or white stripes.
Black spinel is harder and it does carry more luster than black onyx.
As it comes in bigger volumes, it is much easier to cut an uniform color piece than a black onyx which has layers.
Click on the photo to check on Amazon
Related questions
1. What is black spinel made of?
It is a member of the spinel family, which are naturally occurring stones.
These are made of crystalized magnesium-aluminum oxide.
2. Is black spinel expensive?
It generally has a largely lower price tag than diamonds.
It is a rare gem with sparkle and hardness.
The prices will vary with carat, cut and fullness of its black color.