A bed of teardrop diamonds elegantly cradles an oval-shaped spinel in one of Graff’s new rings. Photos © Graff Diamonds Limited.

Fiery spinels — here, a 10.3-carat Graff cushion-cut — are made more intense when paired with icy stones.

BY KAREN AANONSEN

Spinel used to be known as an impostor, with the gem’s red and blue variations often confused for rubies and sapphires. Not anymore. Designers from Fabergé to Chanel are celebrating the rare rock in its own right within their latest collections. Revered for their brilliance, natural spinels can be found in a wide range of colors, including black, pink, purple, green, and orange. Graff Diamonds sticks to the once-chided red for two of the luxury label’s newest rings. In the bold pieces, a 26.92-carat spinel and, alternatively, a 10.3-carat spinel sit atop a cloud of twinkling diamonds.

—June 2015