Morganite – a pink beryl
When you buy morganite, you are buying a pink gemstone named after the banker and mineral collector John Perpont Morgan. This gemstone was discovered in Madagascar at the beginning of the 20th century and almost simultaneously found on Pala (a mountain in California).
Morganite is based on the mineral beryl. It was therefore also called Rosenberyl, pink beryl or pink emerald. Other well-known beryls are, for example, the emerald and the aquamarine.
Colors and shades
The colors of this gemstone range from champagne and rose or pink to yellowish pink and peach to lilac. Morganites with an orange tinge also occur. They are often dichroic and show different shades of color depending on the viewing angle.
The color is also said to vary depending on the place of origin. While the California morganite is mainly salmon-colored, the Madagascar variety is a clear pink.
Due to its color, morganite can be confused with other pink minerals, such as pink sapphire, pink spinel or kunzite.
Large morganites from the USA & Brazil
In Brazil, very large morganites of up to 25 kg have been found. A well-known and equally large morganite is called “The Rose of Maine”. It was found in Maine (USA) in 1989, weighs 13 kg and measures 30 cm by 23 cm.
Other significant sites are located in California, Mozambique, Elba and Madagascar.
Morganite – a popular stone for engagement rings
When you buy a morganite from the IGNEOUS gemstone shop, you can have it made into a piece of jewelry of your choice by a goldsmith. This pink gemstone is suitable for earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings. Thanks to its color, it is particularly popular for engagement rings.
Larger stones can be ideally combined with small diamonds. It is also possible to combine several small morganites. What the piece of jewelry will look like in the end depends entirely on your preferences and the creativity of the goldsmith.
You also have a free choice of metal. This pink gemstone is particularly popular in red gold, but the stone also comes into its own in yellow gold and silver.
Properties: hardness, inclusions and treatment
Morganite with a yellow or orange tinge is sometimes heat-treated to improve the color. Since this pink gemstone is comparatively common and occurs in pure form, other forms of treatment are rare.
Thanks to their hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, these gemstones are very robust.
Morganite: most common cuts
Morganite is almost always faceted; it is rare to find it cut into a smooth cabochon.
Among the facet cuts, the brilliant cut and the step cut are particularly popular. The shapes range from round to oval to teardrop-shaped and square.
