Spinel (Ruby Spinel) ("floater")

A textbook octahedron of Ruby Spinel with smooth, sharp, well-formed faces and a classic red color. The crystal is complete all the way around, but it also shows an interesting hollow cavity which gives the piece character and a uniqueness not often seen in single Spinel crystals. The color is excellent, but the piece shows an even stronger red fluorescence under UV light. The area around Mogok is world famous for producing the finest crystals and gems of Spinel in the world. Many of these crystals have yielded the most impressive red Ruby Spinel gems ever found. Mogok is most likely the site of the discovery of the famous Black Prince's Ruby in the Crown Jewels of the UK. The significance of the stone in the crown is that it was actually revealed to be a giant (170 carat) Spinel, and not a Ruby as had been thought for centuries. Spinels are typically found in opaque, dark crystals, but we were fortunate to pick up a parcel of not only colorful but GEMMY crystals direct from the source! Specimen #SPINEL111913