Morganite Stone Information – The Pink Variety Of Beryl

Morganite is the pink to peach variety of the mineral Beryl. The name may seem familiar because the Morganite stone is actually names after one of the most famous bankers in America, J.P. Morgan. The Beryl family is known for it’s other exquisite varieties including Emerald (Green) and Aquamarine (Blue).

Morganite Stone Colours

The most common colour of Morganite is a pale peach colour. It is harder to find a stone that is pure pink in colour and this will add to the value. The popularity of this stone arises from the fact that the colours found in Morganite are generally not intense in colour. They are soft and more pastel.

Sometimes this stone can be refereed to as Pink Emerald. This name comes about because of the fact that the Morganite stone comes from the same family as the Emerald (The Beryl family). This name is both incorrect and misleading.

Occurrences

The main source of Morganite stones is from Brazil. These deposits have been producing soft pink to salmon stones for years. The newer discoveries include Africa and Mozambique that have been producing very fine quality pastel pinks gems.

Specifications

Since it is part of the Beryl family, it has the same physical and optical properties. The specifications of the Morganite stone are:

• Crystal Structure: Hexagon (hexagonal prisms)
• Color: Pale-pink to violet-pink, peach, salmon
• Hardness: 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale (what does this mean?)
• Refractive Index: 1.562 to 1.602
• Density: 2.71 to 2.90
• Cleavage: Indistinct
• Transparency: Transparent to opaque
• Double Refraction or Birefringence: -0.004 to -0.010
• Luster: Vitreous
• Fluorescence: Weak: Violet

Famous Morganite Stones

The largest crystal ever found was called The Rose of Maine. It was found in Buckfield, Maine and was about 22 kg’s and measured 23cm x 30 cm. Unfortunately the crystal was destroyed by the owners of the mine even though the Smithsonian had offered a huge sum of money for it. The crystal was cut into smaller gemstone and sold off, however the combined value of the gemstones did not come close to the value of the raw stone.

Buying Guide For Morganite Stones

When buying a Morganite stone it is important to remember a few key points.

• Colour – The most valuable colour is a pure pink. However there is not a huge difference in price between peach and pink stones
• Clarity – The clarity of the stone will greatly affect the price. It should be free from any inclusions. If flaws are visible to the eye the price should drop dramatically.
• Carat size – Unlike most gems, the cost does not increase exponentially with size. Morganite is often found in large crystals so it is not uncommon to have large faceted stones.