Natural irregular black spinel bracelet, stainless steel, 15.5-2-2 cm

Not in the mood for color, but want a bracelet with character? This stainless steel piece holds an irregular natural black spinel.

Its stone measures 2 mm. The bracelet is 15.5 cm long and gains 2 cm, then another 2 cm, with a spring ring clasp. It goes as well with a steel watch as with a leather bracelet.

Spinel is an oxide of magnesium and aluminum that crystallizes in small octahedra with sharp points: its name is thought to come from spinella, "little thorn", a diminutive of the Latin spina. It forms in marbles and in rocks transformed by heat, and is often gathered in river gravels. Its most renowned deposits are in Burma, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, with more recent finds in Vietnam, Tanzania or Madagascar. It exists in red, pink, blue, purple or black; black spinel owes its dark color to the iron it contains. Long confused with ruby, it adorns some of the most famous jewels: the "Black Prince's Ruby" in the British crown is in fact a spinel. Its hardness makes it a sturdy stone.

In lithotherapy, spinel is seen as a stone of vitality and grounding; black spinel is also considered a stone of protection. It is credited with a stable energy that may help keep your feet on the ground, keep negative thoughts at bay and rediscover the desire for renewal. Tradition associates it with the Root Chakra and with the sign of Capricorn. These are the benefits that lithotherapy attributes to it: they have not been scientifically proven and are in no way a substitute for medical advice. Wearing a spinel is above all choosing a brilliant stone, red, pink, blue, purple or black, that is easy to match with any outfit.

Stainless steel owes its resistance to corrosion to the chromium it contains. Wash your jewelry in lukewarm, soapy water with a soft cloth, then dry it. After contact with seawater or chlorinated water, rinse it in clean water. Avoid abrasive products and chlorinated household products, which can damage its surface.

Spinel is a hard, resistant stone that copes well with everyday wear and is not affected by light or common household products. Only high heat can alter certain colors. Like any hard stone, it can scratch other jewelry: store it separately, in its pouch. To clean it, wash the stone in lukewarm, soapy water, rinse, then dry it with a soft cloth. In lithotherapy, it is purified with incense or sage smoke, and recharged for a few hours in daylight or moonlight, or placed on a flower of life.

Each piece of jewelry comes with its certificate of authenticity. Stainless steel does not darken and can handle contact with water: a piece of jewelry that goes everywhere with you, compliant with the European REACH regulations on nickel, lead and cadmium. As steel is not a precious metal, it does not bear a fineness hallmark, in accordance with standard practice.

For you if you love black and minimalist jewelry, or for a neutral gift that goes with everything. Stainless steel is hypoallergenic and REACH compliant: it suits most sensitive skin.