Morganite is an orange or pink
gemstone
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, ...
and is also a variety of
beryl.
Morganite can be mined in countries like Brazil, Afghanistan,
Mozambique,
Namibia, the United States, and
Madagascar.
Morganite has grown in popularity since 2010.
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Brides
A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is newlywed.
When marrying, the bride's future spouse, (if male) is usually referred to as the ''bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, brides ...
'' and
CNN have even listed it as a good alternative to
diamond.
Name
Morganite is named after
J. P. Morgan.
Morganite is also known as pink beryl, rose beryl, pink emerald, and "cesian (or ''caesian'') beryl".
Characteristics
The pink color of morganite is attributed to Mn
2+ ions.
Morganite is
pleochroic, when it is view down its c crystallographic axis the color is more pink.
In comparison to
emerald
Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...
, morganite lacks
inclusions and fractures. Thus making it more durable than emerald.
History
Pink beryl of fine color and good sizes was first discovered on an island off the coast of Madagascar in 1910.
It was also known, with other gemstone minerals, such as
tourmaline and
kunzite
Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate, Li Al( Si O3)2, and is a source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite ...
, at
Pala, California. In December 1910, the
New York Academy of Sciences named the pink variety of beryl "morganite" after financier
J. P. Morgan.
On October 7, 1989, one of the largest gem morganite specimens ever uncovered, eventually called "The Rose of Maine", was found at the Bennett Quarry in Buckfield,
Maine, US. The crystal, originally somewhat orange in hue, was long and about across, and weighed (along with its matrix) just over .
Before 2011, morganite was unknown in many jewelry stores. But, recently morganite has been increasing in popularity.
Value and popularity
According to a 2017 survey, morganite is the second most popular non-diamond stone, after
sapphire. A single carat of morganite can cost about $300.
Since morganites are the rarest variety of beryl it is therefore the most expensive beryl.
Ones that are deep pink in color tend to be the most valuable.
References
{{reflist
Gemstones
Beryl group