When Was Synthetic Spinel First Made?

BACKGROUND Synthetic spinel was first produced in the mid-1800s-not by flame fusion as is usually thought, but by flux growth (Nassau, 1980). These first, small flux synthetic spinel crys- tals were accidentally grown during a n attempted synthesis of corundum.

Is synthetic Spinel valuable?

Spinel can be synthetized, but synthetic spinel's value is much lower than that of natural specimens. Natural spinel's supply is somewhat limited, which contributes to its rarity.

How can you tell a fake Spinel?

The proper way to analyze whether Spinel is real is to put it under a UV Radiation Light. Set it to long-wave and look for any stones that are particularly glowy. If the stones are glowy, that means it's synthetic and not natural.