Pretty Half Carat Spinel

If you've never heard of Spinel, you're not alone, but you are about to have your mind blown! Spinel comes in every color, is an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness (only diamonds (10), rubies (9) and sapphires (9) are harder), like the Beryls Topaz, Aquamarine, Emerald and Morganite -- all of which you've no doubt heard of! It has been prized for centuries and is found in crowns and scepters of royalty. It's durable and not susceptible to cleavage or fracturing, its luster is classified as "sub-adamantine". Only a few other gemstones have that classification - Corundums (rubies and sapphires), Chrysoberyls like Alexandrite, and a few pricey varieties of Garnet (the only things with a higher luster, "adamantine", are Zircons, Sphenes, and Diamonds). This excellent purple gem is VVS in clarity and .5 Carats. Unheated and untreated in any way, this gem comes from Sri Lanka. Expertly cut in an Asscher cut, with an excellent luster, this stone measures 4.1 X 4.1 X 3.1 mm.