Spinel
is the great imposter of gemstone history: many famous rubies in crown
jewels around the world are actually spinel. The most famous is the Black
Prince's Ruby, a magnificent 170-carat red spinel that currently adorns
the Imperial State Crown in the British Crown Jewels after a long history:
Henry V even wore it on his battle helmet! The Timur Ruby, a 352-carat red
spinel now owned by Queen Elizabeth, has the names of some of the Mughal
emperors who previously owned it engraved on its face, an undeniable
pedigree!
In
Burma (Myanmar), where some of the most beautiful colors are mined, spinel
was recognized as a separate gem species as early as 1587. In other
countires the masquerade lasted for hundreds of years after that. Spinels
were most often referred to as "balas rubies" which may have
referred to color or to country of origin.
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