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August Birthstone: Spinel
Oh how you must love yourself.
How can you compare yourself to others when you are the only one like you?
How do you compare two distinct things?
Two distinct creatures?
It's mind-boggling, this idea of comparing perfect to perfect.
But how?
Speak the truth of life, thus the wisdom is spinel.
Spinel is an underrated gemstone, a rags-to-riches story, once smuggled in wars, then sitting on the top of the British imperial crown. Spinel has plenty of stories to tell, and its origin story birthed the science study of gemstones.
Spinel used to be the stone of the kings in South Asia, equal only to ruby. Once abundant in Central and Southeast Asia, spinel was the treasure trove of many kings and emperors.
Thanks to its flaming red crystals, spinels were called Balas rubies and joined the hallowed cardinal gems. As if this wasn’t enough, spinel climbed up the hierarchy and became the stone to crown many European kings. It wasn’t until mineralogist Jean Baptiste Louise Rome de Lisle came into the scene with his microscopic study of gemstones that he unveiled the truth: spinel needs its own name; its own identity.
As spinel was written down in gemology history, so was the scientific study of minerals.
Spinel is a gemstone that fancies life in all of its spectrums, in all of its colors. It’s a rare gem and often of gem quality. So anyone who owns a spinel has a special something; you just need to know how to appreciate it.
NAMESAKE
the Latin spina, meaning ‘arrow’ or ‘thorn’, because spinels in their raw form are sharp crystals; or the Greek word for "spark"
Spinel is great for anyone who’s up for starting small to take on something big. Like rallying against injustice, starting a rehabilitation project or setting up a business to give back to your local community. Spinel is like a sprinkle of salt in your cookie dough: a little goes a long way.
Granted, it’s always a special kind of trip with spinel. Life in technicolor; a juicy story of various kinds. So whenever you feel like your boredom takes a downward turn into an excruciating existential crisis, holding a spinel in your hand helps you to turn it into a creative endeavor like no other.
spinel VIBES
Birthstone for: August
Spinel zodiac sign: Cancer (22 June-22 July)
Spinel chakra:
The fourth chakra - the Heart or Anahata chakra
Located in the center of the chest, heart chakra opens you up for compassion and forgiveness. When your heart chakra has arrived in its sweet spot, it’ll help you navigate difficult conversations and have kind disagreements with each other.
The first chakra - the Root chakra or the Muladhara chakra
Spinel can activate different chakras according to its colors. But most importantly, it connects well to the root chakra aka the first chakra. This is where your energy begins before traveling upwards. A balanced root chakra helps you in finding the right start.
How spinel fits into your life:
August babies
Your spouse on your 22nd anniversary
Your friendly neighborhood healer
Vibes:
Grounding
Vitality
Kundalini
High energy
Prosperity
Confidence
Life force
- Persistence
- Determination
- Sharp intellect
Use for:
Spring cleaning the soul
Powering your big marathons and small victories
Healing what ails you
Coping with ugly feelings that come up when you Google your own name and inadvertently go down a rabbit’s hole of awful reviews, negative messages and bad photos
Grounding when you’ve skipped time zones
Preparing for a big presentation
Saying bye to anxiety
Setting up a new business
SPINEL’S ORIGINS
Our spinels are responsibly sourced from:
Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand
SPINEL’S DURABILITY
Tough Love level:
8 Mohs scale of hardness with good toughness. Spinel is considered to be a tough gemstone, great for everyday wear.
Common treatments:
Rarely treated. Occasional heat treatments to alter color. It may also be fracture-filled to improve clarity. Find more about common gemstone treatments here.
Cleaning, care, and cauton:
Generally safe to use ultrasonic and steam cleaners. But, for treated or included spinel, it’s best to clean spinel with warm, soapy water. For natural cleaning, use our soap nut wash.
Spinel Colors
Spinels were once thought to be rubies or sapphires because of their intense colors and brilliance. When it was discovered to be a different gemstone than corundum, its popularity plummeted. Nowadays, spinel is sought after for its range of rainbow colors, each with its own meaning.
Red spinel was once thought to be ruby. To this day, it remains to be the most expensive variety of spinel.
Pink spinel fuels love and compassion. It’s also a potent stone to keep you young at heart.
Green spinel is a health elixir. It’s a good stone for when you’re feeling dull and scattered because something is blocking your metabolism.
Blue spinel is a rare wonder. It’s one of the few naturally-occuring blue gemstones that doesn’t require treatments. It’s a gem in high demand.
Violet spinel magnifies spiritual development and helps balance your seven chakras. Purple and violet spinel comes in a range of color intensity.
Yellow spinel is a stone for detoxifying bad thoughts and bad juju. Yellow spinel is rare in nature, so beware of synthetics!
NOW ASK YOURSELF...
