Spinel stone meaning and properties
Spinel is a red long mistaken for ruby, which recent crystal books associate with renewal.
- Renewal
- Brilliance
- Confusion
Spinel at a glance
For you, a vivid color to keep in view as a reminder that you can be mistaken for someone else and still remain yourself.
What change of direction would you like to begin, even a modest one?
A sudden change in temperature can crack it: no direct heat source.
- Color
- red, pink, blue
- Associated intentions
- renewal, confidence
- Birthstone
- August (2016 list)
- Type
- mineral
What it evokes
Modern crystal practice associates spinel with renewal and confidence: it is said to be chosen to mark a new beginning, in a vivid color.
Its history is one of confusion. For centuries, red spinels were mistaken for rubies and called “balas rubies,” after Badakhshan in Central Asia, where the finest came from. The Black Prince’s Ruby and the Timur Ruby, among the British crown jewels, are in fact spinels. The beliefs reported are therefore first of all those of ruby.
It has been an August birthstone since 2016: a very recent convention.
The traditions
- India, tradition reported by Kunz
According to Kunz, the Hindus divided rubies into four castes, like diamonds: genuine oriental ruby for the Brahmin, rubicelle for the Kshatriya, spinel for the Vaisya, balas ruby for the Sudra. Owning the Brahmin ruby, the padmaraga, was said to confer perfect security on its owner.
Gutenberg 57978, Kunz 1913, chapter “Ruby” - Balas rubies and great jewels
According to this article, transparent red spinels were called “spinel rubies” or “balas rubies,” a term tied to Badakhshan, whose mines, now in Tajikistan, remained for centuries the main source of red and pink spinels. The Black Prince’s Ruby and the Timur Ruby, among the British crown jewels, are spinels.
Wikipedia (en), “Spinel” (secondary, named) - 2016 list
In 2016, Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association added spinel to the August birthstones, alongside peridot. No older list gave it, since it was confused with ruby: it is a recent commercial convention.
National Jeweler, June 2, 2016 (announcement by Jewelers of America and the AGTA)
A gestureAs a ring or pendant, red, pink, or blue to your taste: a small marker of change.
No stone has a proven effect on health: if you have a health concern, see a health professional.
Its profile
- Type
- Spinel (magnesium aluminum oxide)
- Family
- Mineral
- Composition
- MgAl2O4
- Mohs hardness
- 7.5–8 out of 10
- Crystal system
- cubique
- Colors
- red, pink, blue
- Origins
- Burma (Myanmar, Mogok), Sri Lanka (Ratnapura), Tajikistan (Pamir)
- Common imitations
- synthetic spinel ; verre
Caring for it without damaging it
- WaterYesA quick rinse in warm soapy water, then drying, does not damage it.
- SaltYesMohs hardness 7.5–8: harder than salt (2.5), it can handle brief contact; rinse afterward.
- SunYesNo known fading in daylight.
- HeatAvoidA sudden change in temperature can crack it: no direct heat source.
- Scratches and knocksResistantMohs hardness 7.5–8: it resists everyday scratches, but not sharp knocks.
Cleansing and charging without damage
Cleansing a crystal: the reported methods
Charging a crystal: moon, flower of life
Nuances and sources
Modern books link it to the root chakra or to several signs, with no agreement among them. The word designates a species, not a color: red, pink, or blue. Synthetic spinel, very close to the natural kind, is common in August birthstone jewelry, and the trade also sells glass.
- Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineral Data Publishing (2001–2005), species record · read October 15, 2026
Spinel: your questions
How can you tell a spinel from a ruby?
By eye, the difference is slight: ruby is a corundum, spinel a magnesium aluminum oxide, and both can be red. Ruby is harder, about 9 on the Mohs scale against 7.5 to 8. Only a gemologist settles it with certainty. If a stone is sold as ruby, ask for a certificate.
Is there synthetic spinel?
Yes, and it is even very common, because it is inexpensive and pleasant to cut. It has the composition of natural spinel, which makes it hard to tell apart without a lab. For a natural stone, insist on the word natural or synthetic on the invoice: an August stone sold at a very low price is often synthetic.
Why is spinel an August birthstone?
Because the American list added it in 2016, after peridot and sardonyx. No older list gave it, which makes sense: it was confused with ruby. The choice is therefore recent and commercial. If another August stone speaks to you more, nothing obliges you to choose this one.
Related crystals
- Alexandriterenewal, confidence
- Rhodochrositelove, confidence
- Topazconfidence
- Tourmalinecreativity, renewal
Spinel on this site
Which crystal for your intention?
Three crystals chosen according to tradition, your color, and your birth month, in one minute.
Find my crystal Free, no account · nothing leaves your browser · no promises.