Stone guide · stones, plainly
Learn about spinel
The great impostor of crown jewels, honest under its own name.
- The facts
- Stone facts
- Hardness
- 8 / 10 Mohs
- Birthstone
- Aug.
- Anniversary
- 22nd

The mineral
A stone we choose loose, in daylight, one at a time.
In the hand
At 8 / 10 on the Mohs scale it is everyday-hard with sense: fine for daily wear, taken off for the gym and the garden.
Treatment, plainly
Untreated unless its passport says otherwise. When a stone of ours is heated, the passport says heated, in that word, and the price reflects it.
Choosing one
Photographs flatter and light booths lie. We choose spinel in north daylight, loose, against ivory paper, and we would rather show you two honest stones than twenty pretty pictures. The great impostor of crown jewels, honest under its own name.
Care
Warm water, a drop of dish soap, a soft brush. Store it in its own pouch; it will scratch softer stones sooner than they scratch it.
Asked about spinel
Is spinel right for daily wear?
At 8 / 10 on the Mohs scale it is everyday-hard with sense: fine for daily wear, taken off for the gym and the garden.
Is it treated?
Untreated unless its passport says otherwise. When a stone of ours is heated, the passport says heated, in that word, and the price reflects it.
What does it cost here?
Current works with this stone start at $3,120. Every piece is one of a kind, so prices move with the stone, never with a formula.
How do I know what I am buying?
Every stone that leaves the studio carries a passport: species, carat, cut, origin as far as it is knowable, and treatment in full words. If a lab has seen it, the certificate number is on the passport.
Current works & prices
Know the other stones
SapphireBlue sapphirePink sapphireYellow sapphireOrange sapphireTeal Montana sapphireMulti sapphireRuby

