August Birthstone Spinel: the Queen of Gems
In English, we don’t attribute masculine or feminine gender to gemstones. And yet, when it comes to Sapphire, everyone calls him the king. Who would be the queen of gemstones then? If you have any doubt, let’s look into Russian language: among all fine gems’ names, the only one in feminine gender is Spinel. Not only that, since 2016 Spinel has been named the new August’s birthstone, another curious linguistic turn for her royal highness of gems. Apart from the witty play on words, Spinel has all rights to be called the Queen of Gems from the historical overview.
Imagine you rule a whole nation in the age of no electricity and color print. When you step up in front of a crowd, all eyes on you, how do they know who is the Majesty here? Just placing a crown on top of your head is not enough: the crown itself does not glow. What does glow is the Big Red Stone in the center of this crown. In the sunlight, it shines like a red electric light, which people in your age hasn’t seen before. All eyes are magnetized to the powerful light on the top of your head, staring in awe. Everyone immediately realizes who is the Monarch, and why. The Imperial State Crown of Great Britain, Russia’s Great Imperial Crown, Imperial Crown of Austria, they are all graced with a Red Spinel, as the timeless and universal symbol of regal power. ?
In the world of gemstones, people desire rarity and beauty. There is no better way to achieve both of these goals than with nature’s treasure, a fine spinel. Once distinguished as history’s most under-appreciated gemstone, Spinel’s eminence is rising meteorically. These fine stones became known as “Balas Rubies,” and some of them were the treasured property of kings and emperors, often passing through many hands as spoils of war. As a result, some of the world’s most illustrious “Rubies” are actually Spinels.
The name spinel is believed to derive from the Latin word spina meaning “thorn,” perhaps in allusion to the pointed shape typical of spinel octahedra. Spinel comes in a variety of vibrant colors, including soft pastel shades of pink and purple, fiery oranges, and cool hues ranging from powdery gray to intense blue. It is a durable gem with a hardness of 8.0 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Some of the most beautiful Spinels — especially the pink, red and orange-red varieties — are found in Myanmar. They’re also sourced from Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Madagascar and Vietnam.
Needless to remind that Yavorskyy Spinel collection is so comprehensive, that there’s enough gems to make each of you feel the royal touch just in one click. However, not all of you know that Yavorskyy’s collection of photo cameras is quite impressive as well. It inspired us to create this sparkling video which will certainly brighten up your day.
May your August be vibrant and inspirational like Spinel, the Queen of Gems.
Happy Birthday Spinel!