Spinel is magnesium aluminum oxide mineral consisting of magnesium, iron, because, zinc, manganese and so on elements, they can be divided into many kinds, such as aluminum, iron, zinc spinel spinel spinel, manganese spinel, chrome spinel etc.. As with different elements,develop orbit
different spinel can have different colors, such as red, blue, magnesia spinel in green, brown or colorless; zinc spinel is dark green; iron spinel for black and so on. Spinel is a hard glassy surface of the body eight or the particles and block. They appear in igneous rocks, granitic pegmatite and metamorphic limestone. Some transparent and beautiful color spinel used as gemstones, some as iron magnetic material. The use of artificial methods have been created more than 200 varieties of spinel.
Spinel ( Spinel )
Chemical formula MgAl2O4, magnesium oxide
System : the genus isometric
Crystal habit: often assumes the eight surface forms, sometimes eight surface body and the diamond twelve surface body, cube into poly form
Cleavage: no cleavage
Fracture: conchoidal fracture
Gloss: vitreous luster to sub adamantine luster
Transparency: transparent to opaque
Refractive index: 1.718, because it contains trace elements to vary up to 2 unique index.
Light: the homogeneous, isotropic
Dispersion: 0.020 medium dispersion
Absorption spectrum: red spinel by chromium induced color, with a typical spectrum in the red light district of 686nm, 675nm showed 2 main absorption lines, sometimes with other absorption lines long, up to 8, the green and purple areas generally absorb; Blue Spinel because of low Fe, and display complex spectrum
Color: the color and rich,adjust price
red, blue, green, purple, orange, yellow, black
Luminescence: red or pink spinel in the long, short wave has dark red fluorescence; blue for Fe, does not fluoresce
Pleochroism: no
Contents: eight surface shape is often contain spinel, columnar zircon and apatite solid inclusion and more gas liquid or surface of the body eight negative crystal inclusions. Sometimes the zircon around the disc stress crack.
Cut: no optical effects of gems into facet model
Special optical effects: Starlight effect ( rugose or six shot ), the discoloration effect. Scarce
Hardness: 8
Density: 3.60 ( + 0.10, – 0.03 ) g / cm3
Origin: Burma,jewelry factory Sri Lanka, Kampuchea, Thailand and China ‘s Henan, Hebei, Fujian, Xinjiang, Yunnan
The main synthetic methods: flame dissolution method
Synthetic spinel authentication method: RI-1.727 ( single refraction, relatively stable ) with typical Blue Spinel cobalt spectrum, in red, orange, green area of 3 strong absorption bands, the cobalt color Blue Spinel red color filter, visible internal curved growth pattern, bubble shape is umbrella-shaped, elongated shape or different shapes.
Spinel is a mineral, in nature, is formed in the molten magma intruded into the impure limestone or dolomite formed by contact metamorphism in. Some appear in the aluminum rich mafic magma rock in. Gem spinel refers to spinel, is a kind of magnesium oxide. Crystal morphology of eight surface and the eight surface and the twelve surface of poly shape diamond. Color is rich and colorful, colorless, pink, red, purple red, light purple, blue and purple, blue, yellow, brown.
Spinel varieties are divided according to color, have red, orange, blue and purple, Blue Spinel etc.. Vitreous luster, transparent. Conchoidal fracture. Pink and red spinel in the long, short wave ultra-violet light with red fluorescence. Features
Spinel and similar gems, synthetic spinel difference. Red spinel and ruby are very similar, there are two difference: ruby color, color is not uniform, with a silk like inclusions. Spinel is homogeneous, without the two color, color uniform, solid inclusion for the eight face of the body.
Blue, blue, purple, green, and Blue Spinel sapphire to confuse, difference: sapphire two color obviously, ribbon flat, with a silk like inclusions and twinning plane. Gem two density, refractive index, polarity is different.
Synthetic spinel colors, uniform, fewer inclusions, occasionally with an arc line of growth, high refractive index, 1.727. Red synthetic spinel much imitation ruby red, Blue Spinel with brilliant blue. Natural spinel can also according to the internal inclusion characteristics and synthetic spinel difference.