Spinel

Spinel is a red stone, long confused with ruby because it comes from the same deposits.

Like corundum, spinel has a good hardness, 8 on the Mohs scale.

In addition to Myanmar (formerly Burma), which is well known for its orange-red varieties, spinel is mined in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Afghanistan, Brazil, Turkey, the United States and Nigeria.

Many of the "rubies" found on royal crowns are actually spinel.