Morganite How to Guide

Morganite

Morganite is a beautiful lesser known Pink variety of Beryl Gem stone. Morganite is becoming a very popular gemstone used in engagement rings since about 2010.  Morganite was named as a Tribute to one of the most well know industrial revelation titans, he was also a High-profile banker, a philanthropist and millionaire at the turn of the 19^th century Mr J. P. Morgan. J.P. Morgan was also a huge gemstone collection in New York, USA in the early 20^th century. George Kunz, a gemologist for Tiffany’s, who was also the namesake of the gemstone “Kunzite” suggested morganite be named in honor of J. P. Morgan due to his gemological contributions to the American Museum of Natural History. It didn’t hurt that J. P. Morgan was also a big customer of Tiffany’s

Morganite is somewhat rare and was not seen in the typical department store jewelry displays, until larger discovery’s and color treatments became readily available about 2010.  It remains little know to the general public, yet serious gem collectors usually admire fine morganite examples. The other reason its not to well know is due to its scarcity. Morganite was discovered about 1911 in California along with discoveries of tourmaline, kunzite and other gems, especially in San Diego county.  

Color

Morganite comes out of the ground naturally with an orangish pink or peach color, also known as "pink beryl" and "rose beryl ". It is often heat treated to remove any yellowish component, this resulting in a pure pink or more purplish pink. This treatment is stable and it is not detectable.

Properties

Manganese is the coloring agent of Morganite, and it tends to occur as short and stubby prisms, and is dichroic, showing either two shades of the body color, or one shade and colorless. Chemical Formula; Aluminum beryllium silicate. Color; Pale-pink to violet-pink, peach, salmon. Hardness; 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale. Crystal System; Hexagon (hexagonal prisms). Cleavage; Indistinct. Refractive Index; 1.562 to 1.602. Specific Gravity; 2.80. Luster; Vitreous. Transparency; Transparent to opaque.

Geology

Morganite is Beryl and Beryl is a mineral that contains a significant amount of beryllium. Beryllium is a very rare metal, and that limits the formation of beryl to a few geological situations where beryllium is present in enough amounts to form minerals. It mainly occurs in granite, rhyolite, and granite; pegmatites in metamorphic rocks associated with pegmatites; and, in veins and cavities where hydrothermal activity has altered rocks of granitic composition. These different types of deposits are often found together and help as an exploration indicator for finding beryl.

Locations

Some of the finest morganite is from Madagascar; Brazil produces pure pink crystals, as well as some containing aquamarine and morganite in the same crystal. Other locations include Elba (Italy), Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Pakistan. Older known locations in California. Pay to dig mines in California are the “Himalayan” and the “Ocean View” mine

Care

Morganite is a relatively hard gemstone, therefore it requires minimal special care from the wearer. Like the emerald and aquamarine, morganite often is found with liquid-filled inclusions. If heated, these inclusions could expand faster than the surrounding gemstone, ruining the stone by causing a fracture. Therefore, neither ultrasonic nor steam cleaning is recommended for morganite. The safest way to clean morganite is with a brush and warm, soapy water.  Morganite rings that are worn daily will probably require re-polishing in a few years.

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Information sources

 Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian, The Book of Stones (Berkley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007).

 Jennifer Altman, Gem and Stone: Jewelry of Earth, Sea, and Sky. (San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 2012)

Cassandra Eason, The New Crystal Bible (London: Carlton Books Ltd., 2010).

 William T. Fernie, The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious Stones (Blauvelt, NY: Rudolph Steiner Publications, 1973).

Michael Gienger, Healing Crystals (Scotland: Earthdancer Books, 2009).

 Judy Hall, The Crystal Bible (Cincinnati, OH: Walking Stick Press, 2003).

Judy Hall, The Crystal Bible 2 (Cincinnati, OH: Walking Stick Press, 2009).

 George Frederick Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones (New York: Dover Publications, 1971).

 Florence Megemont, The Metaphysical Book of Gems and Crystals (Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2008).

 Dorothee L. Mella, Stone Power II (Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life, Inc., 1986) Melody, Love Is In The Earth (Wheat Ridge, CO: Earth-Love Publishing House, 1995).

 Katrina Raphaell, Crystal Enlightenment (Santa Fe, NM: Aurora Press, 1985)

Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian, The Book of Stones (Berkley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007).