Spinel Yen Bai, Vietnam

Spinel is a natural gemstone known for its excellent hardness (8 on the Mohs scale) and brilliant luster. It comes in a wide range of colors—red, pink, orange, purple, blue, and even colorless. Red spinel was historically mistaken for ruby, but today it is prized for its clarity, strong internal glow, and high collectible value. In Vietnam, high-quality spinel is mainly found in the Lục Yên region of Yên Bái.