What is the pretty pink gemstone Morganite?

A member of the Beryl family, Morganite shows a range of pink colours due to traces of manganese. Recently, this gemstone has seen an increase in popularity and value. Like most Beryls, Morganite makes an excellent jewellery stone.

My Morganite pieces

How to judge the quality of a Morganite

Morganite - as with Diamonds and all gemstones - are rated by the 4 C’s:

  • Colour Generally, pure pinks to purplish pinks with strong colour saturation are the rarest and most valuable morganite colours

  • Clarity Morganite needs to be flawless to be considered top grade, as it is classed as a Type 1 gemstone by the GIA.

  • Carat Weight This becomes important within quality brackets. A 3 carat exceptional, investment grade colour with top clarity will always be much rarer and more valuable than a 10 carat paler stone containing inclusions.

  • Cut Maximising symmetry and light reflection, to get the best looking gemstone out of the rough stone.

My Morganites

I supply an Insurance valuation of the finished piece of jewellery and a Gem Report card with each piece.

Beryl

Beryls are a family of minerals with some pretty famous family members: Emerald is a type of beryl, Aquamarine is a beryl, and so is Morganite.

Caring for Morganite

It has a hardness of 7.5-8 on the Mohs Scale, Gems with a hardness of 6-7 or greater are quite suitable for rings which are worn occasionally. For a ring like a wedding or engagement ring, intended for everyday wear over a period of years, a hardness rating of 8-10 is recommended. Warm, soapy water is the best method for cleaning Morganites. The use of ultrasonic and steam cleaners is not generally recommended, just in case the stone has liquid inclusions or fractures, invisible to the eye.

Morganite’s History and Beliefs

Morganite is formed in pegmatites when when Beryl is exposed to the element Manganese. This element causes the Beryl to turn a beautiful pink colour and gives rise to the beautiful Morganite gem

Morganite was first discovered in Madagascar in 1910. It was named in honour of J.P. Morgan, the American banker and philanthropistJP Morgan, American financier and philanthropist (1837-1913). It is claimed that Morganite helps to attract and maintain love!