Spinel named gemstone of the year – inspiration from INHORGENTA

For a long time, spinel was overshadowed by more famous gemstones such as ruby and sapphire—it was not uncommon for historical spinels to be mistaken for rubies. In fact, however, it is a gemstone in its own right from the oxide group (magnesium aluminum oxide), characterized by a remarkable combination of brilliance, hardness, and color variety. With a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, spinel is extremely durable and therefore ideal for use in jewelry.

^{Color play of spinel (Image: Ruppenthal)}

Its color spectrum is exceptionally broad, ranging from intense red and pink tones to violet and blue to lavender, gray, or black. Particularly sought-after are strong red hues and cobalt blue varieties, which are among the most fascinating colored gemstones due to their luminosity and transparency. Spinel also impresses gemmologically with its high clarity and lively light effect, which gives it an elegant yet modern appearance.

INHORGENTA sets a trend: Colored Gemstone of the Year 2026

At this year’s INHORGENTA, spinel was the focus of particular attention within the industry: it was voted the colored gemstone of the year for 2026.

The award is presented annually by the Düsseldorf-based publishing house Markt Intern, and the choice of the colored gemstone of the year was announced at INHORGENTA, underscoring the role of the Munich trade fair as an important trendsetter in the international jewelry and gemstone market.

The choice also highlights a trend that has become increasingly apparent in recent years: colored gemstones are gaining importance in contemporary jewelry design, and spinel in particular combines historical significance with modern design possibilities.

^{Albert Ruppenthal, Managing Director of A. Ruppenthal KG – Dr. Claudio Milisenda, Managing Director of the German Gemstone Research Foundation (DSEF)/Idar-Oberstein – Michael Seubert, President of the Central Association of German Goldsmiths and Silversmiths/Cottbus – Jörg Lindemann, Managing Director of the Federal Association of the Gemstone and Diamond Industry/Idar-Oberstein – Jeanette Fiedler, Managing Director of DDI, German Diamond Institute Foundation/Pforzheim and publicly appointed and sworn expert for diamonds, gemstones, and jewelry – Tanja Wenger, Publishing and Editorial Director of Gold’Or/Baar (Switzerland) and – Gesa Hufmann, Editor-in-Chief of ‘markt intern’ (Düsseldorf) (Image: MarktIntern)}

New sites expand market opportunities

One key reason for the growing interest is the improved availability of the stone. New deposits, particularly in Tanzania and Mozambique, have significantly expanded supply in recent years.

As a result, spinels can now be offered in almost every color shade and in a much wider range of price segments—including the particularly sought-after intense blue and red tones. This opens up opportunities for designers and jewelers to integrate a gemstone with outstanding gemological properties more strongly into modern collections.

With a Mohs hardness of 8, spinel is also particularly well suited for processing and offers high suitability for everyday use in jewelry.

Mood at the trade fair: demand for innovative materials

The fact that this development strikes a chord with the industry was also evident at INHORGENTA itself. Numerous goldsmiths, jewelry designers, and jewelers used the trade fair specifically to optimize their product ranges and search for new materials.

The approximately 320-square-meter booth shared by Ruppenthal and its subsidiary ERNST STEIN attracted an exceptionally high number of visitors in the very first hour of the first day of the trade fair. Gemstone drops and briolettes as well as cultured pearls in various price ranges were particularly popular.

The selection of spinel as the colored gemstone of the year fits seamlessly into a market trend that was clearly visible at the trade fair: colored gemstones are increasingly becoming the focus of modern jewelry designs and opening up new creative and economic perspectives for the specialist trade.

^{Cover image: Spinel crystals on marble – Photo: Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons, license CC BY-SA 4.0}