Parts One & Two Spinel

Spinel is a mineral derived from the generalized spinel group. Spinel generally refers to magnesium aluminum peroxide, a member of the aluminum spinel subgroup. For this reason, the gemstones, ruby and spinel, are different; namely because the ruby is aluminum oxide. The word “spinel” used for buying gemstones was derived from the Latin word, spinella, meaning “spine”; the metonymic use of the word is a 19th century development. Since spinels are grouped by the B cation, the ruby and spinel may be compared with a UV lamp. A strong red fluorescence will indicate the spinel, while an orangey-red will indicate the ruby. The A cation, magnesium, of the spinel changes its reaction with long-wave UV light. Although spinel gets a bad reputation as a simulacrum for a sapphire or ruby, sorting them can be easy depending of the quality of the gemstones. Tanzania, Myanmar, and Vietnam are locations known to have "glowing", vivid pink and blue spinels. Other locations for mining spinel include Afghanistan, Kenya, and Sri Lanka

The chemical formula for the spinel group.

Spinel is the birthstone for August, and spinel is the gemstone for Capricorn. It is said to lower anxiety and stress. Two famous red spinels mined in Southeast Asia are in a set of Crown Jewels: the Timur Ruby and the Black Prince's Ruby. In 1783, the hardness test was developed which proved the ruby was not a spinel. The gem known as an imposture continued to be mistaken as a class A gem throughout the 19th and early-20th centuries. An enthusiast for spinels will claim the contrary for they have a beauty of their own beyond their likenesses, since the demand for larger gems in the 1980’s remedied the situation created by the past.

Looking ahead, the development of magnetite statuary from the ancient past has roots in Egypt. part two …

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Magnetite versus lodestone maybe different though both are peroxides of iron. The scientific name for magnetite is ferrous ferric oxide, and its composition makes it one of the members of the spinel group. Like aluminum spinel, iron spinel has several chemical reactions that form a subgroup.

Lodestone is a naturally occurring magnet whose discovery has been credited by the American Gem Society with the navigation of ships which occurred in the 11th century. The utility of lodestone since it has the ability to create a magnet by touch must have been remarkable for medieval mariners, and the story of the magnetic compass has to begin there; however, magnets were also used for “love magic” dating from the Roman era. “Lode” came from the Old English word for “way” or “journey” while “stone” was de rived from the Old English word for stone. Regarding love magic and late antiquity, Claudian writes about the virtues of magnets and their role in ceremony. From the ceremonial magic symbolized by animal magnetism to the tradition of keeping a lodestone alive by feeding it metal shavings; figurines of this mineral may be a valuable resource and the subject of further research

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Claudian was born in Alexandria but lived in Rome arriving in 394 AD. His writing focused on the consuls who commissioned his work. Although characterized as elegant, his writing is considered distorted and vitriolic and

has been the subject of modern criticism.