Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
cubicuncommonOxides
Spinel
MgAl₂O₄
This image displays a sharp, well-formed, reddish-pink octahedral crystal of spinel, characteristic of gem-quality specimens from Mogok.
Spinel Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7.5Crystal System
cubicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
noneFracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
3.5Colors
red, pink, blue, violet, black, brown, greenTransparency
transparentType Locality
Mogok, Pyin Oo Lwin District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar)Mineral Group
OxidesUses
jewelry, collector, refractory materialsAssociated Minerals
calcite, phlogopite, chondrodite, forsterite, corundumRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Spinel commonly forms in metamorphic rocks such as marbles and gneisses, and in some mafic igneous rocks. Gem-quality crystals are frequently recovered from secondary placer deposits derived from these primary sources.
