Stone Mania

Morganite is a variety of the mineral beryl which due to its delicate pink colour is also known as 'Pink Beryl'.  Although it came into existence millions of years ago, morganite was only discovered in Madagascar in 1910.  It was soon after given the name morganite by gemmologist and Tiffany's vice president George Frederick Kunz to honour financier, J.P. Morgan who was an avid gemstone collector and generous donor to New York's American Museum of Natural History.    

Morganite is quite rare and hence good quality pieces can be rather expensive.  It is found in various shades of pink and this colour is as a result of the presence of manganese impurities within the crystal. 

The cut of a piece of morganite is also extremely important in determining its quality. A brilliant cut enhances both its beauty and brightness and hence will increase its value. 

Morganite is mainly found in Brazil, Madagascar and certain areas of the USA, whilst Mozambique, Namibia, Afghanistan and Russia have also been known to have limited reserves. 

Morganite is graded 7.5-8 on Mohs scale of hardness.  It is important to protect this gemstone from excessive heat, large temperature changes and extreme sunlight. 

Morganite is believed to provide relief and a positive attitude during times of high stress.

We are still doing our research on this gemstone so please bear with us and this page will be updated again shortly.