Gemstone Spotlight: Morganite
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Unless you’re a gemstone connoisseur, there’s a chance you’ve never heard of Morganite. Morganite is a beautiful gemstone but it’s not as well known as many others. Here is a brief overview of morganite.
Clarity: Most faceted Morganite does not have inclusions that are visible to the naked eye.
Cut: Morganite is cut into many different shapes, including standard cuts and designer cuts. Cutters take care to fashion these gems carefully, as Morganite contains a distinct pleochroism (which means it appears to change color when viewed at different angles).
Carat Weight: Morganites can be in large sizes. Larger gems are more likely to display a strong color.
What is Morganite?
Morganite is in the beryl family of gemstones, along with emerald and aquamarine. Morganite contains traces of manganese, which causes it to appear in a range of pink colors. Morganite is found within pegmatites, which are “extreme igneous rocks that form during the final stage of a magma's crystallization.” Most of the morganite found today comes from pegmatite mines in Minas Gerais, Brazil.The History of Morganite
In 1910, a rich, new deposit of “rose beryl” was discovered in Madagascar. Following this discovery, mineralogist George Kunz proposed the gem be named “Morganite” to honor J.P. Morgan. Morgan was a tremendous financial supporter of the arts and sciences. He was also an important gem collector and also gifted many gems to the American Museum of Natural History in New York and to the Museum of Natural History in Paris.Quality Factors
Color: Morganite is most known for its pastel pink color (ranging from purplish pink to orangy pink) but it can also come in strong hues. Today, light pink Morganite is the most desired although many collectors still value untreated peach-colored Morganite.Clarity: Most faceted Morganite does not have inclusions that are visible to the naked eye.
Cut: Morganite is cut into many different shapes, including standard cuts and designer cuts. Cutters take care to fashion these gems carefully, as Morganite contains a distinct pleochroism (which means it appears to change color when viewed at different angles).
Carat Weight: Morganites can be in large sizes. Larger gems are more likely to display a strong color.
How to Take Care of Morganite Jewelry
Morganite jewelry can be cleaned with warm, soapy water. Most Morganite jewelry can also be cleaned with ultrasonic and steam cleaners (unless the gems contain liquid inclusions). Take care not to expose Morganite jewelry to heat. It should also be protected from scratching and hard knocks.Interesting Facts About Morganite
- Morganite ranks as a 7.5 to 8 on Moh’s scale.
- Morganite sometimes includes liquid inclusions.
- Morganite has an intense red-colored fluorescence when exposed to X-rays but has no phosphorescence when not exposed to X-rays
- One of the largest specimens of Morganite was discovered in 1989 in the Bennet Quarry of Buckfield, Maine. The crystal weighed over 50 pounds and was dubbed the “Rose of Maine.”
You can find our collection of morganite jewelry HERE.
