Important Notice

Comprising a two line necklace of graduated rose-cut diamonds and pearls, suspending seventeen drop-shaped spinel beads weighing a total of 158.51 carats, each with a diamond cap, with a back chain of gold; and a pair of ear pendants en suite, each designed as a line of two spinel drops with a surmount of diamonds and a natural pearl; with a total diamond weight of approximately 31.62 carats, mounted in gold



The spinel has held an important place in the spectrum of coloured gemstones for centuries largely because of its close physical and chemical resemblance to the ruby. Ruby, a red variety of the mineral corundum, is made of aluminium oxide, while spinel consists of magnesium aluminium oxide. Both stones attain their colour due to the presence of chromium. And while the spinel is not as hard as the ruby, it's rating of 8 on the Mohs scale still makes it one of the hardest minerals found in nature.

Because of their strong similarity to rubies, spinels have often been both confused and substituted for rubies. The Black Prince's Ruby, which is not a ruby at all, is perhaps the most famous spinel ever known. This 170 carat red spinel is set in the Imperial State Crown of the British Crown Jewels and was even worn by King Henry V in his battle helmet.

The most commonly found spinels are in shades of pink or red, but they can also sometimes occur as green, blue, purple, brown, and black. Spinels were historically called Balas Rubies after the Badakshan region in northern Afghanistan, which was famed for its gem production in the Middle Ages. The stone has traditionally been mined in Burma, especially in the Mogok region that has produced famed and brilliant rubies. Today spinels are also mined in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Tajikistan and Cambodia.

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