THE MINING PROCESS OF SPINEL IN MAHENGE

Thursday, 30.Nov 2023

Mahenge is a town in the Mahenge Mountains of Tanzania. It is the headquarters of Ulanga District in Morogoro Region, it is also known as the home to the rare spinel, ruby, blue spinel etc.

MAHENGE SPINEL:

A little-known gemstone, Mahenge spinel is becoming increasingly popular for its unique hue. The vivid red stone is found in only few places in the world, making it rare and desirable. Mahenge spinel is also known for its excellent clarity and brilliance, which makes it a perfect choice for jewelry, with its growing popularity, mahenge spinel is sure to become a coveted gemstone.

What is the Mahenge Spinel?

Mahenge Spinel is a stunning gem that hails from the Mahenge region of Tanzania. The stone has a rich, deep red color and is known for its exceptional clarity, Mahenge spinel is relatively rare, making it a sought-after gem by collectors. The stone is also durable, that is the ideal for use in jewelry. This vibrant red gemstone is becoming increasingly popular among jewelry lovers because of its unique color. These Spinel are quickly gaining popularity due its rare beauty.

PROPERTIES OF MAHENGE SPINEL

In the world of gemstone, spinel is often overshadowed by its more popular cousins, ruby and sapphire, but lately this underrated gemstone is having a moment in the spotlight, thanks to a newfound appreciation for its rare and vivid red color from Mahenge Tanzania.

Spinel is found in many different colors, but the most prized variety is Mahenge spinel. Its color is caused by traces of chromium and iron, and it is found in a variety of hues, from deep crimson to pale strawberry. Due to its scarcity, Mahenge spinel is well known outside of the gemstone trade, but it is prized by collectors for its beauty and uniqueness.

Some of the pastel Mahenge pink spinel is perfect for those who want a little brightness in their life. The stone has a beautiful pastel pink color that it is very affordable, so you can get the look you want without spending a lot of money on the red variety.

The mining process in Mahenge spinel rough is quite simple and does not require any complex. The rough stone is extracted from the ground by hand and then transported to a nearby town or city for processing.

THE MAHENGE SPINEL COLORS

Mahenge spinel is a beautiful and unique gemstone that can be found in a variety of colors. The most common color are red, blue, grey, and pink, each color has its own unique properties that makes it special.

·      Red Mahenge spinel is the most popular color of this gemstone, it is known for its intense color and brilliance. Red spinel are also very rare, making them even more valuable when they are flawless without inclusions.

·      Grey mahenge spinel is the least common color of this gemstone, it is known for mysterious properties but fine quality grey spinel the price per carat has been on the rise in recent years for some specific shades of grey which are commonly found in Myanmar and Sri Lanka as well.

·      Blue Mahenge spinel is another popular color of this gemstone. It is known for its calming properties and for being one of the rarest color of spinel. Cobalt Blue spinel are very sough after by collectors and gem enthusiasts.

MAHENGE SPINEL IN JEWELRY 

When it come to high-end jewelry, there are few stones that can rival the beauty of Mahenge spinel. This vibrant pinkish-red gem has been coveted by luxury brands and top notch jewelers in recent years, and is now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

The Gemological institute of America describes Mahenge spinel as “one of the world’s most desirable colored gemstone.” Indeed, its rare hue and exceptional brilliance make it a sought-after stone for fine jewelry. While white diamond may be the most popular choice for engagement rings, more more couple are opting for colored stones like Mahenge spinel to add a unique touch to their wedding bands.

The spinel in the Imperial state crown is one of the most famous gemstones in the world. The stone, which is uncut and red, was given to the King George IV by his wife, Queen Charlotte. The crown was made for him after his coronation in 1821.

The spinel is just is just one of the many precious stone in the British Crown Jewelry. The collection also includes diamond, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Many of the gemstone are set in gold and silver.

MAHENGE BLUE SPINEL

Spinel is one of the most overlooked gemstones you’re ever likely to encounter. Very few people are familiar with this beautiful gem, this mostly because it took a very long time to prove that this gemstone was a distinct species in its own right. Up until the late 19^th century, spinel was often confused with ruby, giving it the moniker ‘the master of disguised; however spinel is actually rarer than the more famous ruby. Usually, spinel is found in rich ruby reds, occasionally in a range of pastel colors of purples and pinks but incredibly small amounts have even been in electrifying blue shades.

Mahenge blue spinel is such a rare shade of spinel that it shocked the gemstone world at its unveiling at the 1008 Brazil Gem Show. Named after the mine location in Mahenge, Tanzania, this unique gem brought to us by the mine owner, Mark Saul. With impeccable gemology credentials, Mark Saul is the son of John Saul, the first gemologist on the scene at the nearby discovery of Tanzanite.

According to the Gemological institute of America (GIA), violet to blue spinel can be colored by trace amount of iron, and vibrant blues owe their saturated color to trace amount of cobalt. With a hardness of 8 on the Mohns scale, spine is one of the hardest gemstones around – and often used extensively in jewellery to add pops of color or accent the design

Colored, clarity, cut and carat weight are factors that determine the quality of colored gemstone. There are two other aspects-origin, polish that together with the 4Cs affect the gem’s beauty and value. Cuts tend to work differently on different materials. In the case of the precious spinel crystal with a cobalt hue, skill-full faceting is required to present its best possible color.

Creating an attractive shape – one that accentuates the gem’s advantages and minimizes the flaws – is the key step in the process. The rough spinel crystal dictates the final look alongside the gem-cutting process, these rough are cut and polished in lapidaries in Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Bangkok. A cut that works well to enhance the ‘cobalt blue’ color of the Maheng spinel involves a brilliant crown and a step cut pavilion. The gem can be cut with an average stone depth to maintain the color saturation.

MAHENGE SIPPIRE

Sapphire are one of the four precious gemstone. The terms stones and gemstones are thrown around quite a bit, but for the most part while almost all gemstone originate from some mineral besides from the rare exceptions like pearls, not every stone is a gemstone, which is used almost interchangeably with the term precious. This is because some are considered more precious than the other and only a select few in the category of precious gemstone.

Sapphire is the gemstone variety of the corundum mineral. The red sapphire variety is called a ruby, sapphire are mined and they are also manufactured for decorative purposes. These stones measure 9 on the Mohs scale in the terms of hardness, making them the third hardest gemstone after diamond and moissanite ranks 9.5. they are therefore also used for non-decorative uses such as for infrared optical components.

An interesting fact about sapphire is that some can change color, much like alexandrite. When exposed to low light conditions, these sapphire can transform from their blue appearance in daylight to violetish blue, purple, or reddish purple. A special interaction between the sapphire and light source, specifically a reaction between the sapphire’s absorption of particular light waves and the shifting spectrum output of the light source, results in the color change in some sapphires.

These precious stone are extremely rare, which raises their value. An interesting fact about sapphire, while sapphire’s of up to three crats are common, anything over five carat is genuinely unusual and in high demand, especially transparent sapphires with good clarity and color distribution. They are desirable additions to any jewelry collection due to there durability and scarcity.