Morganite, which is also known as "Pink Emerald", is a pale pink transparent variety of beryl. The stone was named after banking tycoon J.P. Morgan, and was coined by Tiffany's chief gemologist, George Kunz in 1911. The morganite variety of clear beryl gets its light pink, lilac or violet coloration from the presence of trace amounts of cesium and/or manganese. Morganite is typically found in lithium-rich pegmatite veins associated with elbaite tourmaline, apatite, and kunzite. The rough morganite crystal may contain some tourmaline inclusions.
Morganite occurs in colors such as lilac, orange, peach, pink, pinkish-yellow and rose. The is frequently some color banding or zoning found in the rough crystal, transitioning from pink at the termination to colorless in the center, and bluish-pink at the base. The principal source for Morganite is Minas Gerais, brazil. Morganite is typically facet cut.
Photo (left) - Dan Dennis
Morganite primarily occurs in complex granite pegmatite viens, but is also found as pebbles in alluvial deposits, due to its hardness. The finest examples of morganite crystal have been found at the Corrego do Urucum mine in the federation of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Significant secondary sources are located in Afghanistan and Madagascar. Some high-quality morganite crystals have been extracted from the Elizabeth R, Pala Chief, Oceanview, and Tourmaline Queen Mines in Pala, California (near San Diego).
Morganite crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system, with an flattened, tabular prismatic crystal habit. Morganite has a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, and a refractive index of 1.572 to 1.600. Specific gravity is 2.71 to 2.90 and the surface luster is vitreous.
Chemical composition: Be3Al2(Si6O18)
Semi-Precious Stones