Spinel is many times rarer than ruby, has comparable color, luster, and a wonderful appearance – but it sells for a fraction of the price. Why is that? An important reason is that jewelry manufacturers and jewelry buyers are still not thinking about spinel – and that makes spinel a gem that does not have a high demand – yet!

You should expect more and more people to walk into jewelry stores and ask to see spinel jewelry. Why? They were born in August and just learned that spinel was the new August birthstone.

Or, the shopper might be looking for a unique birthday gift for a person born in August and whose favorite color is red. They might be thrilled to get a red birthstone, learn about spinel, and show their spinel to every one of their friends. Word-of-mouth is the direct path to a gem’s popularity.