Morganite Gemstone Information

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Morganite is the light pink to violet-pink variety of beryl. Since beryl is most famous for being the mineral group that green emerald belongs to, pink morganite is sometimes referred to as 'pink emerald'. Along with emerald, morganite is also related to blue aquamarine, golden beryl (heliodor), colorless goshenite and the rare red bixbite. Among the beryls, morganite is one of the rarest forms, second only to red bixbite.

Pink morganite was first identified in Madagascar, in 1910 and known as 'pink beryl'. Shortly thereafter, George F. Kunz, a famous American gemologist and buyer for Tiffany & Company renamed it in honor of John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan, an American banker and avid gemstone collector. Since its discovery, morganite has been prized by gem collectors owing to its rarity.

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Morganite can be found in many locations around the world. The two most significant deposits are found in Brazil and Madagascar. Other notable sources for fine gem-quality morganite include Afghanistan, China, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Russia, Zimbabwe and the USA (California and Maine).

Morganite Color

Morganite ranges in color from pale pink to pink, violet-pink, peach, peachy-pink, or salmon color. Its color is thought to be owed to traces of manganese or cesium. Morganite is rarely vivid or intense in color; most stones are very pale or pastel colored. Large stones will typically exhibit stronger colors. A pure pink morganite is considered most desirable but more recently, peachy and salmon colored stones have been in very high demand. There is also a rare magenta colored morganite from Madagascar that is highly sought after by collectors.

Morganite Clarity and Luster

Morganite occurs with excellent transparency. Unlike emerald, it rarely forms with inclusions, thus, eye-clean stones are expected. Morganite exhibits an attractive vitreous luster when cut and polished.

Morganite Cut and Shape

Morganite is typically faceted to maximize its color and brilliance. With its indistinct cleavage, cutters must orient the stone properly to minimize cleavage. Rare materials which exhibit chatoyancy (cat's eye effect) are often cut en cabochon in order to best exhibit desirable effects. Morganite is most often cut into rounds ovals, cushions and pears, as well as trillions, hearts and briolettes.

Morganite Treatment

Morganite is often found unheated and unenhanced. However, many stones today may be routinely heat treated to improve color and remove unwanted yellow tones. Heating is done at relatively low temperatures (about 400 degrees centigrade) to achieve this effect.

Please refer to our Gemstone Glossary for details of gemology-related terms.

Goshenite

Morganite belongs to the very important beryl group of gemstones and minerals. There are several closely related gemstone varieties of beryl, typically classified by color or impurities. Some of the more popular beryls related to pink morganite include green emerald, blue aquamarine, white goshenite and golden beryl or heliodor.

The rarest beryl is red bixbite. Bazzite and pezzottaite are often considered to be types of beryl because they are very similar, but gemologically, they are not technically true beryls. Morganite may sometimes be referred to as 'pink emerald' or as 'rose beryl', but these are simply marketing names.

Morganite is a pink stone of love. It is said to carry an energy that can warm the soul of its wearer. It is best used for opening the heart chakra and it is often used to help cleanse the body of stress and anxiety. All beryl gems, including pink morganite, represent purity and potential.

For women, morganite is said to encourage feelings of independence from men and harmony with masculine energy. For men, it can help them balance masculine and feminine energy. Physically, morganite is believed to help with asthma and emphysema, as well as heart and lung disorders.

All beryl gems are considered excellent for jewelry. Morganite is typically very clean with excellent transparency, it has good hardness, durability, luster and brilliance. Its wide range of soft pinkish colors make it highly sought after by jewelers around the world. It is perfectly suitable for everyday wear and can be worn as rings, pendants, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pins or brooches. Today, morganite is one of the most popular pink to peach gemstones. Large clean morganite rings are an excellent choice for the occasional evening-out, and they are durable enough to be worn in everyday fashion jewelry too. Due to its soft color, morganite is most popular in women's jewelry designs.

Morganite is considered very affordable, especially considering its rarity. Morganite may be hard to find in local retail stores as it is still relatively uncommon. However, online dealers can provide morganite in every size, shape and cut. Chatoyant morganite is often cut en cabochon and set into fine gemstone rings. Morganite stones look fantastic, whether set into silver, white or yellow gold mountings.

Note: Buy colored gemstones by size and not by carat weight. Colored stones vary in size-to-weight ratio. Some stones are larger and others are smaller than diamonds by weight in comparison.

The world's largest faceted morganite is a cushion-shaped morganite from Madagascar that weighs nearly 600 carats. It is currently exhibited in the British Museum collection.

All beryl is sensitive to pressure and extremely vulnerable to household chemicals. Although it is a durable gem type, it requires some care. Avoid wearing morganite gems and jewelry when using harsh chemicals like bleach or sulfuric acid. Use warm soapy water and a soft cloth to clean your beryl stones. Be sure to rinse well to remove all soapy residue. As with most other gemstones, avoid the use of ultrasonic cleaners, as well as heat steamers.

Always remove morganite gems and jewelry before exercising, cleaning or engaging in vigorous physical activities. Morganite can easily scratch other gems and also be easily scratched by harder gems such as sapphire and spinel. Always store morganite separately from other stones. Wrap morganite gemstones in soft cloth and place them into a fabric-lined jewelry box when storing them for long periods of time.