Black Spinel 5x9-10x18mm Drop - 8 Inch labordaysale5dollar but takes a trained eye

but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the difference between this material and the Jade it is named after

which may range from yellow to green to olive green to brownish green

It is mined in Peru

and it’s name is derived from the Greek “apate

Black Spinel 5x9-10x18mm Drop - 8 Inch labordaysale5dollar but takes a trained eyeSpinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not only has the dark color, but it is opaque as well, rendering its black especially deep and mysterious. Sometimes called the "Black Prince's Ruby" for its role in the English crown. It has been mistaken for ruby and sapphire at times, but can be distinguished by its structure and its lower relative hardness.