SPINEL GemShoppy April 26, 2015 Gemstones Present Sources: Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Gemmological Characteristics SPECIES: Spinel TRANSPARENCY: transparent COLOR: red, pink-red, pink, purple-red, violet- red, orange-brownish red REFRACTIVE INDEX: 1.718 CRYSTAL SYSTEM: cubic OPTIC CHARACTER: singly refractive SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 3.60 MOHS HARDNESS: 8 DISPERSION: .020 FLUORESCENCE: long wave-weak to strong red-orange, short wave-inert to weak red. IDENTIFYING VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS: natural inclusions, e.g., needles, fingerprint inclusions of Spinel octahedral, etc.