The color mechanism of pink spinel from Kuh-i-Lal in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan was studied using photo-luminescence, mid-infrared, and ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy. This included studying the variations in spectra after heating to a series of temperatures ranging from 300° to 1000°C Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to measure the trace elements present. The results reveal that the color is caused by the combined effect of spin-allowed transitions of Cr3+, Fe3+, V3+, and Fe2+-Fe3+ intervalence charge transfer mechanisms. The photoluminescence spectra show that during heat treatment, the intensity of the N1 peak (687 nm) and the full width half maximum of the R-line and N-lines increase with temperature. Following heating in the range of 750°-825°C, there is a linear relationship between temperature and the ratio of integral areas of the R-line and N-lines. The mid-infrared spectra indicate that the band at 581 cm-1 (v3) gradually disappears during the heating process, which is likely related to the variation of octahedral M-O and tetrahedral T-O bond length in the spinel lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]