Black Spinel 5x9-10x18mm Drop - 8 Inch labordaysale5dollar originally from the Lapis-Lazuli mine

originally from the Lapis-Lazuli mine in Afghanistan

The white and purple layers of the shell create beautiful patterns

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

It is mined in Peru

Black Spinel 5x9-10x18mm Drop - 8 Inch labordaysale5dollar originally from the Lapis-Lazuli mineSpinel 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.