MORGANITE
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MORGANITE
Morganite is the pink to orange-pink variety of beryl, a mineral that includes emerald and aquamarine.
Morganite Description
Like many gems found in pegmatites, morganite can form large crystals. Miners in Brazil have found crystals as large as 22 lbs. (10 kg). The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., includes two faceted gems weighing 236 cts. and 250 cts. in its collection. Although morganite is rarer than aquamarine, large cut stones are readily available on today’s market. That’s probably because morganite hasn’t been promoted to the jewelry-buying public nearly as widely as aquamarine or emerald.
Most of the morganite on the market comes from pegmatite mines in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Afghanistan, Mozambique, Namibia, and the US have been minor and inconsistent sources. While it’s only a minor producer today, the original Madagascar deposit still sets the standard for the best material. That location’s yield of magenta-colored rough was superior to crystals from other sources.
WHY WE LOVE THIS GEMSTONE
MULTIPHASE INCLUSIONS: Morganite can contain liquid inclusions that contain gas bubbles and possibly also solid phases.
FLATTER PRISMS: Morganite forms beautiful hexagonal prism crystals that tend to be flatter than aquamarine crystals.
PASTEL: Morganite often comes in lighter pastel shades of pink.
INFORMATION
MINERAL: Beryl
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: Be3Al2Si6O18
COLOR: Pink to orange-pink
REFRACTIVE INDEX: 1.583 to 1.590
BIREFRINGENCE: 0.007 to 0.008
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 2.80 to 2.91
MOHS HARDNESS: 7.5 to 8
Morganite is the pink to orange-pink variety of beryl, a mineral that includes emerald and aquamarine.
Morganite Description
Like many gems found in pegmatites, morganite can form large crystals. Miners in Brazil have found crystals as large as 22 lbs. (10 kg). The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., includes two faceted gems weighing 236 cts. and 250 cts. in its collection. Although morganite is rarer than aquamarine, large cut stones are readily available on today’s market. That’s probably because morganite hasn’t been promoted to the jewelry-buying public nearly as widely as aquamarine or emerald.
Most of the morganite on the market comes from pegmatite mines in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Afghanistan, Mozambique, Namibia, and the US have been minor and inconsistent sources. While it’s only a minor producer today, the original Madagascar deposit still sets the standard for the best material. That location’s yield of magenta-colored rough was superior to crystals from other sources.
WHY WE LOVE THIS GEMSTONE
MULTIPHASE INCLUSIONS: Morganite can contain liquid inclusions that contain gas bubbles and possibly also solid phases.
FLATTER PRISMS: Morganite forms beautiful hexagonal prism crystals that tend to be flatter than aquamarine crystals.
PASTEL: Morganite often comes in lighter pastel shades of pink.
INFORMATION
MINERAL: Beryl
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: Be3Al2Si6O18
COLOR: Pink to orange-pink
REFRACTIVE INDEX: 1.583 to 1.590
BIREFRINGENCE: 0.007 to 0.008
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 2.80 to 2.91
MOHS HARDNESS: 7.5 to 8