Silver Black Spinel Bead Necklace

Product no.: N3511

In stock

£28.00
 plus delivery


Handmade, hand polished black spinel gemstone beads necklace, with sterling silver toggle and bar fastening. Length 400-430mm, width 3mm. Suitable for use alone or as a necklace for pendants.

Black spinel is not well-known among the gem world, yet its outstanding features make it the ideal choice for an opaque black gem. These days, where most gems undergo routine enhancement treatments, black spinel can stand proud as a gem requiring nothing more than cutting and polishing to bring out its inner beauty. If you want a totally natural and untreated black gemstone – black spinel is the one!

Gemmology matters: Spinel (MgAl2O4) is a mineral similar to corundum (Al2O3) and is often found in ruby and sapphire bearing areas. Spinel comes in a variety of colours but the relatively rare opaque black variety is only found in a few areas – traditionally Thailand is the main source but Australia is also a major producer. With a hardness of 8.0, uniform nature, high reflectance and lack of cleavage, black spinel makes excellent gem material. Black spinel has been often called “black sapphire” or “nin” in Thailand. Miners here often call it Blackjack and regard it as an indicator of good sapphire being present in the wash. Let there be no confusion though as black spinel is an excellent gemstone in its own right.

Mythology and Lore: There is a wealth of mythology surrounding black spinel. It is believed to protect its owner from harm, to reconcile differences, and to console sadness. Some say that black spinel is the stone for people born on Saturday and it is the recommended gift for the 22nd wedding anniversary.  While in Western culture, black may be associated with evil or mourning; in other cultures, black may represent power, fertility or wisdom (source Wikipedia). In any case, black is the essence of style and sophistication with a timeless quality that means it will never go out of fashion.

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