In this series, we ask gem lovers: If you were to die and could come back as a gem, which one would it be, and why?
Latoya Boyd is an army veteran, multi-hyphenate creative, philanthropist, and the chief visionary officer at Latoya Boyd Jewelry, which she founded in 2015. Known for her exceptional designs and superior craftsmanship, Boyd also displayed her work at the 2022 Sotheby’s Brilliant & Black selling exhibition in London.
A graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Boyd chooses the spinel as her reincarnation stone.
“Spinel has a rich history, durability, radiance, excellent brilliance, loads of sparkle, and a diverse palette of colors,” she says. “The vibrant colors of spinel symbolize life, and its durability represents resilience. Plus, the rarity adds an element of uniqueness — like a second chance to shine in a distinct and brilliant way.”
Gem-quality spinel occupies a narrow range within a group of spinel minerals that share the same crystal structure. As with diamond, its characteristic crystal habit is an octahedron shape, with well-formed crystals being fairly common. However, spinel can also form flattened twin crystals that look radically different from single octahedral ones.
Spinel’s red variety can equal the color of ruby, and in fact, people have historically confused the two gems. Among the world’s famous large spinels are the 361-carat Timur Ruby and the similarly misnamed Black Prince’s Ruby of 170 carats, both part of the British crown jewels.
But spinel, long undervalued, can stand on its own merits. Like garnet, it has both star and color-change varieties. Red is the most desirable spinel hue in general, followed by fine cobalt, then vibrant hot pink and vivid orange. Historically, violet and bluish-purple to purple stones tend to be less attractive and less in demand than other, rarer colors.
Main image: Latoya Boyd. (Latoya Boyd)
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