Spinel Benefits: The Ruby Substitute Explained

Spinel has the most interesting history of any stone on this site: for centuries it was mistaken for ruby. Several of the most famous “rubies” in royal collections are spinel, including stones in the British and Iranian crown jewels. The two were only distinguished in the late eighteenth century.

Spinel: quick facts

What it is traditionally worn for

• The accepted ruby substitute. In jyotish red spinel is the closest upratna to Manik, and is traditionally worn in greater carat weight than ruby would be.
• Genuinely hard. At 8 on the Mohs scale it outlasts most semi-precious stones and suits daily wear.
• Rarely treated. Unlike ruby, most spinel on the market is untreated — which is a real advantage and one of the reasons it has become collectable in its own right.

The varieties

Browse the spinel collection.

Real vs fake

Glass and synthetic spinel, which has been manufactured since the early twentieth century and is chemically genuine. Synthetic spinel is often too clean and too evenly coloured. The bigger issue in India is the reverse of the historical confusion — spinel sold as ruby, at ruby prices.

Every MantraMani order ships with a report from an independent, government-approved, ISO 9001:2015 certified gemmological laboratory. If a stone is ever not what we said it was, the 10X guarantee applies — prove it through an independent NABL-accredited laboratory within 30 days and we refund ten times what you paid.

How to wear and care for it

Hard, durable, tolerates water and daily wear. One of the easier stones to own.

The left-versus-right convention is set out in how to wear a pyrite bracelet, and the safe cleansing methods for each stone are in how to cleanse and charge crystals.

Frequently asked questions

Who should wear spinel?

It carries no traditional restriction — unlike Neelam, it does not require a chart reading first.

Can it go in water?

See the care note above — hardness governs this, and several stones people assume are washable are not.

Which hand?

Left to receive, right to project.

What if it turns out not to be genuine?

The 10X guarantee applies. Full terms and exclusions are on that page.

Related reading

• Crystal bracelet guide: types, benefits and how to choose
• Which chakra is blocked? Stones for each of the seven
• Genuine vs fake: how to verify a gemstone
• Gemstone Finder: which gemstone should I wear?

Written by the MantraMani Gemstone Desk — our in-house sourcing and authentication team. Any astrological guidance here is reviewed by Dr. Padmaja Shastri, our in-house Vedic astrologer.

Gemstones and crystals are worn in Vedic and folk tradition as objects of faith. Nothing here is a medical, financial or outcome-based claim. See our disclaimers.