How much is spinel worth per carat?
Daniel Rodriguez
Published Feb 28, 2026
How much is spinel worth per carat?
Spinel Price Guide
| Colour | Carat | Price Per Carat (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Red | 1.0 – 5.0 | $800 – $5000 |
| Jedi Pink – Burma | 1.0 – 5.0 | $800 – $5000 |
| Hot Pink | 1.0 – 5.0 | $500 – $3000 |
| Cobalt Blue – Vietnam | 0.8 – 3.0 | $2000 – $8000 |
Are Spinels worth anything?
Star Spinels are known, but are extremely rare. Certain colors are more valuable, especially reds and strong pinks. Many Spinels have a significant gray secondary hue, and these colors are much less valuable. Top Spinels in the 2 to 5 carat size will often sell for $3,000 to $5,000 a carat.
How rare is a spinel?
Any spinel gem weighing over two carats is rare and good stones weighing over three carats are extremely rare. Burma and Sri Lanka are the traditional sources for fine spinel and the Burmese material is generally recognized as superior.
How can you tell a real spinel?
The good news about that is that it means even fake Spinel looks very aesthetic. However, you don’t want to be sold a fake gemstone and think it’s real. That’s frustrating and likely means you’re being charged way more than the stone is worth.
Why is spinel so expensive?
Nevertheless, spinel’s price, even in those cases, is still lower than the price of sapphire and ruby. Color is an important factor that defines spinel’s price – red spinel is rarer than other varieties, and also more expensive; blue exemplars are the second rarest spinel gems.
Where are the best spinels from?
Sri Lanka
Today, fine spinels come from a handful of sources. The best red, pink and orange spinels originate from the rich gem gravels of Burma’s Mogok Stone Tract. The best blue and violet spinels are found in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Gem spinel is also found in Vietnam, the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, Tanzania and Madagascar.
Does spinel scratch easily?
Spinel is quite high on the hardness scale (8/10) so avoid storing it loose with other gemstones as it could easily scratch them. Conversely, anything harder, such as a sapphire, ruby or diamond, could scratch your Spinel so it is always best to keep gemstones in soft individual cloth bags.
Is peridot a real gem?
Peridot is an ancient gemstone that consists of the mineral olivine. It has a stunning pure green color that makes it stand out from other gemstones.
Is Sardonyx dyed?
Sardonyx is an agate whose banding is straight and parallel. Much like agate, it is dyed to enhance or change its colors. Dyeing agate was an art practiced by the Romans from early on, but it reached perfection in the 1820s in Oberstein, Germany.
What is the rarest color of spinel?
blue
Spinel has been mistaken for ruby and sapphire in many royal jewel collections and is going up in price rapidly especially in Red, Pink and the rarest color, blue. Spinel is rarely treated or heated. There is only one known treatment for blue spinel called cobalt diffusion and we can easily detect it.
Is spinel a sapphire?
Spinel is a natural gem that is in its own mineral group (so, not a gem with siblings like Ruby and Sapphire, or Emerald and Aquamarine.) As a result, people often mistake Spinel for Sapphire or Ruby. In fact, the Black Prince’s Ruby – the center of the British Crown Jewels – is actually a Red Spinel.
