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It has hardness of 8 Mohs. It is formed of magnesium aluminum oxide and its specific gravity is 3.58 - 4.06.
Spinel is the great imposter of gemstone history: many famous rubies in crown jewels around the world are actually spinel. The most famous is the Black Prince's Ruby, a magnificen t 170-carat red spinel that currently adorns the Imperial State Crown in the British Crown Jewels. The Timur Ruby, a 352-carat red spinel now owned by Queen Elizabeth, has the names of some of the Mughal emperors who previously owned it engraved on its face, an undeniable pedigree!
Spinel is a favorite of gem dealers and gem collectors due to its brilliance, hardness and wide range of spectacular colors. In addition to beautiful rich reds, spinel can be found in a range of beautiful pastel shades of pink and purple. Of particular interest is a vivid hot pink with a tinge of orange that is mined in Burma that is one of the most spectacular gemstone colors in any gem species. Spinel also comes in beautiful blues, which are sometimes called cobalt spinel, but these are very rare.
The following varieties of gemstones come under it -
Balas ruby: Red
Almandine spinel: Purple red
Rubicelle: Orange
Sapphire spinel and ghanospinel: Blue
Chlorspinel: Green
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